A Season of Connection

Ask Team Members what they'll remember most about this summer, and you'll hear a variety of answers.

Some will smile about introducing their children to lions during Melaleuca Zoo Day. Others will remember a close softball game, a hard-fought cornhole match or a friendly competition at the MelaMasters Golf Tournament. Still others will think of serving lunch at the soup kitchen or beautifying a riverbank.

Every memory has something in common: people.

For more than 40 years, Melaleuca has brought Team Members together, welcomed their families into the life of the company and created traditions people look forward to year after year. Those connections often begin outside the workplace but have a way of carrying back into it.

“I see people in a different light at these events,” said Porter Harding, IT Security Analyst. “I might be talking with someone during the game, laughing over a cornhole match or serving alongside someone I just met. Those experiences help me get to know people in a new way. Then, when we’re back at work, I have a better understanding of who they are and the individual strengths they bring to the team.”

Summer Traditions

Throughout the summer, Team Members and their families took part in traditions that have become annual favorites. The Melaleuca Family Picnic, for example, brought thousands together for an afternoon of food, games and laughter.

Families explored the zoo during Melaleuca Zoo Day. Coworkers filled the stands at Melaleuca Field to cheer on the Idaho Falls Chukars, while golfers traded bragging rights during the MelaMasters Golf Tournament. Across Melaleuca's facilities, Team Members also squared off in spirited athletic tournaments, where friendly rivalries often lasted beyond the final game.

The events appeal to Team Members at different stages of life and with different interests. However they chose to participate, each gave Team Members another opportunity to spend time with coworkers and form relationships in a setting outside their normal routines.

“Some of my favorite conversations haven’t happened in the office,” said Berrett Harding, Marketing Category Assistant. “They’ve happened while serving together, cheering on a team and catching up at company events. Those moments have given me a chance to connect in a different way and really get to know the people around me.”

Giving Back Together

Summer also brought Team Members together through service.

During the annual American Red Cross Blood Drive, Team Members rolled up their sleeves to help patients they will likely never meet.

“Melaleuca has a longstanding tradition of partnering with the American Red Cross, both through blood drives and in times of catastrophe and natural disaster,” said Jamie Reynolds, Chief Human Resources Officer. “It’s not every day we get the opportunity to do something that can truly save lives. That’s what our mission of enhancing lives is all about.”

Volunteers also beautified the Idaho Falls River Walk and Eagle Park in Rexburg, keeping these community spaces inviting for families throughout the year. Others served meals at the Idaho Falls Soup Kitchen, offering a warm meal and friendly conversation to neighbors who needed both.

“I always leave our service projects feeling like I received as much as I gave,” said Maria Garcia-Mendez, HR Business Partner, who has played a part in coordinating Melaleuca’s ongoing visits to the Idaho Falls Soup Kitchen. “You go there to help, but you leave feeling grateful for the people you served and the people you served with. It is so amazing to see how team members from different departments work together for the greater good.”

More Than a Place to Work

Earlier this year, Forbes named Melaleuca one of America’s Best Midsize Employers for the fourth time, while U.S. News & World Report recognized the company as one of America’s Best Companies to Work For.

While those recognitions are meaningful, culture is something Team Members experience for themselves every day.

A coworker becomes someone you know as a person. A teammate becomes someone you can count on. A new Team Member finds familiar faces and a place to belong.

Over time, those connections become part of what makes Melaleuca more than a place to work. They help make it feel like family.