Q&A with 1Password’s Katya Laviolette

A: Over the past two years, we’ve introduced a suite of benefits offerings and programs designed to enhance our employees’ overall experience, support their personal and professional growth and create a supportive, inclusive environment. The offerings — including a robust family-building program, enhanced registered retirement savings plan matching, expanded flexibility for paramedical services, a pet care program and wellness coaching — were designed with the employee experience top of mind, ensuring our teams have access to the support and resources they need to thrive in both their professional and personal lives.

Read: How family-building benefits can support employee well-being, retention

As we continue to scale, our focus has shifted towards refining the systems that underpin these programs, making our systems more intuitive, accessible and responsive so employees can easily navigate and fully leverage their benefits. By continuously evolving our systems, we ensure our offerings remain agile and impactful.

Q: What programs do you consider most successful or that you’re most proud of?

A: As a remote-first company, we give our employees ownership over their personal and professional priorities, allowing them to work in a way that fits their individual needs. One of the programs I’m most proud of is our family-building program, where employees gain comprehensive support, including fertility treatments, adoption support services, surrogacy assistance, mental- health support and paediatric services.

Our employees can also access personalized and tailored care through a team of specialists and clinicians with a reimbursement of up to $25,000 per lifetime. The continued growth in the program’s utilization underscores its success and the value it brings to our people outside of the workplace.

Q: What top challenges do you face in your role?

A: Attracting and retaining top talent is an ongoing challenge, especially in cybersecurity, which goes back to the importance of establishing a benefits program that provides real value to employees. On top of that, the ever-evolving nature of artificial intelligence and an increasingly complex threat landscape means we’re in a constant state of change. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing — it’s expected in this stage of rapid growth — but it does require a certain attitude and level of agility to be able to shift gears and reprioritize at any moment in time.

Read: Impacts of AI, upskilling, flexible work among employers’ HR priorities for 2025: expert

Managing a high-growth organization with a fully remote, global workforce also presents some challenges. Building a strong company culture that fosters employee engagement, development and well-being across distributed teams demands intentional, strategic planning to keep everyone connected and aligned with the organization’s broader goals.

Q: What do you like to do in your free time? What are your hobbies?

A: Fitness has become a non-negotiable for me over the last decade. You can find me on my Peloton bike at least five days a week or running or rucking — walking with a weighted vest, which is a low-impact exercise that’s great for bone density. I’m also big on activities where I can indulge in the great outdoors, regardless of the season. My husband and I like to go snowshoeing or skiing in the winter and occasionally go sailing or boating during the warmer months. I also love travelling, learning about different cultures and immersing myself in unfamiliar environments as these experiences always lead to new perspectives. At the same time, I’m perfectly content with having a quieter day at home if it means I get to spend quality time with our four rescue animals.

Q: What’s your favourite employee benefit and why?

A: We offer four company-wide wellness days at 1Password — one every quarter. This may seem like a simple benefit to offer, but these intentional days off allow our entire workforce to pause, recharge and focus on their well-being to support a balanced lifestyle.

Jennifer Paterson is the editor of Benefits Canada and the Canadian Investment Review.