Critical Mass, Rare Beauty and Olipop are among winners of this year’s WorkLife Awards
By Digiday Awards • January 27, 2026 •
This year’s winners of the WorkLife Awards reflect a shift in how leading companies define success in the workplace. Across industries, honorees prioritized cultures built on learning, creativity and employee well-being, while adopting new technologies to modernize how teams collaborate and grow.
Flexible, remote and hybrid models supported more inclusive and balanced work environments, paired with leadership approaches rooted in empathy and personal development. Many winners also extended their impact beyond the workplace, investing time and resources into community support and employee care, signaling a broader view of responsibility in today’s evolving work landscape.
Critical Mass earned multiple honors for building a workplace where culture, growth and inclusion are treated as core business practices. The agency earned the award for Best Rewards & Recognition Program for its work emphasizing consistency and peer-driven appreciation, supporting engagement and retention well below industry turnover norms.
It was also named Best Workplace for Young Professionals for giving early-career employees real responsibility, access to leadership and clear paths for advancement from day one. In addition, Critical Mass received top recognition for its sustained commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, embedding measurable standards and shared accountability across its workforce. Together, these efforts reflect an organization focused on long-term talent development, equitable opportunity and a culture designed to evolve alongside its people and the industry.
Rare Beauty was recognized as the winner of the award for Most Transparent Culture for fostering an open and supportive workplace centered on mental health, inclusion and accessibility. Leaders at the company remain visible and approachable, while wellness programming and Mental Health First Aid training are integrated into the workday.
The company pairs this openness with clear investment in employee growth through mentorship, coaching and inclusive hiring. By aligning internal practices with its broader mission, Rare Beauty has built a culture where employees feel heard, supported and connected to the impact of their work.
Olipop was named Best Employer for Remote Employees for building a distributed workforce that delivers both a strong culture and results. The company’s remote-first model prioritizes flexibility, wellness and trust while intentionally fostering connection through collaboration, development programs and in-person gatherings.
Comprehensive benefits, from generous health care coverage to structured time-off initiatives, support employee well-being at scale. That approach has driven high satisfaction rates and sustained engagement as the company has grown rapidly, helping power Olipop’s rise into a category-disrupting brand with a mission-led, connected remote team.
Explore all the winners of this year’s WorkLife Awards below.
Best Employer for Parents
MiQ Puts Inclusion into Action for Working Parents
Best Employer for Remote Employees
OLIPOP
Best Experiential Program for Employees – NEW
Camp Collectively
Best Global Team Integration – NEW
Equativ
Best Hybrid Work Environment
Good, Better, Betty: Building a winning hybrid culture
Best Mentorship Program
IPG Health
Best Onboarding Process
Epsilon: Creating Connection from the Start
Best Rewards & Recognition Program
Critical Mass
Best Use of AI in the Workplace
MiQ Sigma & MiQ Home: Smarter Trading & Stronger Teams
Best Use of Gamification in the Workplace
Valvoline’s Award-Winning Oilympics
Best Wellness Program
EvolveMKD: Evolving Our People-First Culture
Best Workplace for Young Professionals
Critical Mass
Best Workplace Technology Provider – Administrative Solutions – NEW
BambooHR – AI Innovations
Best Workplace Technology Provider – Collaboration & Culture – NEW
ezCater
Best Workspace
Sabio – Offices Built for Collaboration That Spark Ideas
Employer of the Year
Macmillan Publishers
HR Team of the Year
Cambium Learning Group PX Department
Most Collaborative Culture
Hairstory – Simply. Better. Haircare
Most Committed to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Critical Mass
Most Committed to Employee Appreciation
Do > Celebrate > Repeat: Inside Lewis
Most Committed to Social Good
SYBO: Cultivating a Culture of Purpose-Driven Gaming
Most Committed to Sustainability
Seed: Where Sustainability Shapes How We Work
Most Committed to Work/Life Balance
Basis Technologies
Most Dedicated to Employee Growth
MiQ Builds Careers Through Continuous Learning
Most Innovative Culture
Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez
Most Passionate Employees
YuzuYello, an IPG Health Company
People/HR Leader of the Year
Kaleen Love, PMI U.S.
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