Olympus turns compassion into a scalable benefit with Empathy

Background

Olympus Property is a full-service multifamily investment and property management organization headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, operating luxury multifamily communities. Founded in 1992 with the intent of becoming a leader in the multifamily real estate market, Olympus has made its mark in the industry by providing residents with high-end apartment homes and exceptional customer service. The organization prides itself on delivering unforgettable experiences to their residents and a consistent preferred return to our investors.

Olympus Property owns and operates over 125 luxury multifamily communities in 17 U.S. states, employing roughly 800 associates - many of them early-career professionals working on-site. The company’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) saw the same single-digit utilization most U.S. employers experience. Meanwhile, the practical burden of loss kept growing: settling an estate takes Americans about 20 months on average, and while pre-planning could alleviate some of that burden, only 32% of Americans have drafted a will.

Challenge

VP of People Stephanie Grant wanted something more reliable than ad-hoc generosity - support that would guide employees through probate paperwork, account closures, and the emotional roller-coaster of grief without overwhelming HR bandwidth. Traditional EAP referrals felt too shallow, often sending families toward expensive next steps they had to navigate alone.

Solution

Stephanie first discovered Empathy on LinkedIn and immediately recognized a fit for Olympus’s needs. The self-guided plans, access to care experts, and practical tools helped employees handle the logistical realities of loss while also feeling emotionally supported. According to employee feedback gathered by Stephanie, Empathy has been highly impactful on their processing of their loss.

Just as crucial, LifeVault resonated with Olympus’ young demographic. Employees could create and store essential directives (like wills) and organize vital documents in one secure place -  practical steps that new parents and first-time homeowners especially value.

Empathy offered trial access for two grieving employees before any contract was signed - building trust and demonstrating value immediately.

Impact

Early signals are encouraging and align with national research on comprehensive grief support:

• High engagement & self-activation: The value of Empathy's offering really resonated with employees. The HR team witnessed many of them proactively opting in to use the benefit in key moments in their life, such as a father of newborn twins drafting his first will, or team members caring for aging parents.

• Administrative relief: By following Empathy’s guided workflows, Olympus team members are on track to settle estates 4-8 months faster than the national 20-month average.

• Healthier returns to work: When employees feel practically and emotionally supported, they regain focus sooner - helping Olympus protect productivity without compromising compassion.

What’s next

Stephanie’s team is revamping new-hire orientation so that every employee learns about Empathy on day one. She also welcomes Empathy’s ready-made campaigns, such as Grief Awareness Day toolkits, which keep the benefit visible without adding work for HR.

Quiet ROI

Grief is deeply personal, and Olympus approaches the business case with sensitivity. Still, industry studies estimate that unsupported grief costs U.S. employers up to $75 billion in lost productivity each year. By shortening probate timelines and easing emotional strain, Empathy helps Olympus protect both well-being and business continuity, while also ensuring employees feel valued and have a meaningful human experience.