- Headquarters
- Princeton, New Jersey
- Employees
- 960+
Croda chooses Empathy to help employees during life's hardest moments
Background
Croda is a global specialty chemical manufacturer whose ingredients quietly power many of the world’s most familiar products, from skincare and cosmetics to pharmaceuticals and nutrition. With about 800 employees across the United States and Canada, the company has always invested in benefits that care for people as whole human beings, not just as employees.
Tiffany Taylor, Croda’s Benefits Manager for North America, leads that effort with a focus on what she calls “hire-to-retire care” - benefits that evolve with employees through every stage of life.
Challenge
A few years ago, Croda experienced a deeply human moment that exposed a gap in even its most thoughtful benefits package. An employee lost her husband suddenly, and even though Croda’s mental-health resources and EAP services provided counseling and emotional support, Tiffany realized that something critical was missing: help for the complex, practical realities that come with loss.
Scrolling through LinkedIn one day, she came across Empathy and immediately recognized what had been missing: a guided, compassionate resource that helps people manage both the emotional and logistical challenges of loss.
“When I first saw Empathy, I thought: ‘This is the benefit I wish I’d had when my mother passed away’. It’s not just about counseling. It’s about helping people navigate everything that comes next when they’re in that fog.” - Tiffany Taylor, Benefits Manager, North America, Croda
Solution
Tiffany quickly gathered information, built a short presentation, and brought Empathy to her HR Director and executive leadership team. The response was immediate and unanimous.
Empathy was affordable, simple to administer, and required virtually no lift from HR. But more than that, it filled a gap no other benefit had addressed.
“Adopting Empathy was an easy yes. It showed our people that we care about their lives outside of work, and that we’ll be there for them through the hardest moments. The feedback was incredible and managed to deepen employees’ feeling of belonging.” - Tiffany Taylor, Benefits Manager, North America, Croda
Within weeks, Croda rolled out Empathy across the U.S., later expanding to Canada. Communication went out through all available digital channels - email, company newsletter, internal site. In addition, since many employees are production floor staff without a work email address, Croda’s HR team makes sure that employees are aware of that benefit by displaying information about it on screens across manufacturing locations.
Together with Empathy’s Client Success team, Croda also introduced a powerful symbolic gesture: when an employee experiences a loss, the company sends flowers and a card from senior leadership that includes a QR code with a link to download Empathy’s Loss Support app. Offering relevant support at the time of need helped deepen the organization’s image as employee-centric.
Impact
The benefit resonated immediately with Croda’s culture, a company already known for leading with empathy and care.
Employees expressed their gratitude for this benefit and shared how it positively affected their ability to not only deal with their loss, but also navigate the administrative tasks that they weren’t expecting to have to handle. In addition to those who’ve used the app, there were also employees who reached out to voice their support and appreciation of simply being comforted by knowing that Loss Support was available if needed.
“Even when people don’t need access to Empathy’s product right away, or need time to find the strength to deal with the loss, they remember that this benefit is available to them. It comforts them and tells them they’re not alone. That matters more than anything.” - Tiffany Taylor, Benefits Manager, North America, Croda
The partnership has also inspired creative ways to sustain awareness. Tiffany is exploring a follow-up program that reminds employees about the resource a few weeks after a loss, so that those who weren’t ready at the time of loss will have another opportunity to revisit Empathy’s Loss Support product after the initial rush of tasks fades.
And as Croda transitions its group life insurance program to a top U.S. carrier, which is an Empathy customer, access to Empathy will soon be extended to beneficiaries as well, ensuring families receive support beyond the workplace. In fact, this carrier’s ability to extend Empathy access to beneficiaries was a major factor influencing Croda’s final decision.
“It’s such a natural fit. The fact that [this carrier] offers Empathy made our decision so much easier! It’s one of those partnerships that just makes sense - for them, for us, and most importantly, for our people.” - Tiffany Taylor, Benefits Manager, North America, Croda
What’s next
In the year ahead, Croda plans to re-introduce Empathy as part of a refreshed wellbeing campaign, highlighting the expanded access through the move to the new group life carrier and new programs like Pet Loss Support. Tiffany’s vision is that this is not a one-time rollout, but a continuous reflection of Croda’s belief in compassionate leadership.
“We’re in the business of chemistry, but the most powerful connection we can create is human. Empathy helps us do that.” - Tiffany Taylor, Benefits Manager, North America, Croda
Quiet ROI
Empathy has helped Croda strengthen trust, compassion, and emotional safety across its workforce, without adding operational complexity.
By extending care to employees and their families during the hardest moments of their lives, Croda has reinforced the kind of culture that protects wellbeing, loyalty, and productivity, all while staying true to its core belief that people are the heart of the company.