Whether we like it or not, spending most of our waking hours at work (sometimes even on the weekends) is becoming the norm. Which makes it that much more important that you like the people you’re spending your workdays with. In fact, the healthiest work environments tend to be the ones where people legitimately enjoy spending time socializing with their colleagues.
Check out these 10 companies where co-workers know how to work hard together—but enjoy hanging out, too.
1. Omnigon
Where: New York, Toronto, and Kiev
This sports-focused company is all about interactive fun, and the same mindset carries over into the workplace. Employees at Omnigon boast the tradition of an in-house happy hour every Thursday, complete with a roll-out bar and DJ booth. Everyone grabs a drink, enjoys some tunes (office favorite: “Call Me Maybe”), and spends time getting to know each other better.
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2. YPlan
Where: London and New York
YPlan exists to make social experiences happen, so it’s only natural that this company’s employees put a huge emphasis on building a strong social life at work, too. From getting to know each other over donuts for breakfast in the office to the co-founders hand-selecting every team member themselves, this office understands that the people you work around should matter (and should even be your friends).
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3. The Nerdery
Where: Minneapolis, Kansas City, and Chicago
At The Nerdery, every Friday is Fun Friday. Employees step away from their desks, ignore work for a while, and just spend time socializing over food and kegs. With an open-office setup, everyone is encouraged to step away from their projects and get to know the people around them just a little bit better.
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4. SoFi
Where: San Francisco
Founded in 2011 to help students erase their debt, SoFi focuses heavily on maintaining that inclusive academic culture by planning full-office monthly activities. These “happy hours” now take place all across San Francisco—including wine at the CEO’s house and gelato outings in the city—giving employees a chance to explore while getting to know one another.
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5. Bright Pink
Where: Chicago
Besides investing countless hours into cancer prevention work, the Bright Pink team routinely spends time outside of the office staying healthy together. From yoga to Pilates to spinning classes, this group makes sure to get to know each other—while sweating it out.
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6. Levatas
Where: Palm Beach, FL
This next-generation ad consultancy firm believes strongly in happy employees. Most Levatas employees view the office as their home away from home and love making time to hang out with fellow team members outside of work. The company itself plans and hosts quarterly retreats and an end-of-summer beach BBQ where everyone is free to relax, enjoy the sunshine, and just chill together.
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7. SendGrid
Where: Boulder, Denver, and Orange County
SendGrid makes no joke out of team bonding. Every year, this company hosts a retreat to give employees a chance to spend time together in an awesome new environment (most recent stop: Cabo San Lucas, Mexico). These exotic getaways give people the chance to build genuine friendships outside the office—as well as relax a little. Sign us up!
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8. Zoosk
Where: San Francisco
Zoosk loves building connections, and that includes between their employees. Like the perfect first date, Zoosk employees are always looking for fun ways to get to know each other. There is even a resident party-planning committee that organizes activities, from Oktoberfest and Halloween costume contests to summer picnics and potlucks, bringing people across the company together.
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9. TicketLeap
Where: Philadelphia
The TicketLeap team takes full advantage of its location and has no qualms utilizing it. From company lunch trips to get iconic cheesesteaks to happy hours at local breweries, employees make a point of getting together and showing off their city when entertaining clients. Office favorites include season ticket seats to baseball games, Yard’s Brewery for some good beer, and friendly spars on the ping pong table and basketball hoop.
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10. Uproot
Where: Napa Valley and New York
Uproot employees put a high-end spin on happy hour, choosing instead to indulge in some of their very own delicious, Napa-grown wine. The company also hosts monthly events where clients and employees can mingle together and appreciate awesome wine and great company in one place.