In 2025, we decided at Work With Island to begin the process of becoming a Benefit Corporation (B Corp), in recognition of the efforts and commitments we have made since the company was founded.
We are very proud to have obtained this certification, which recognises our daily efforts to design and manufacture acoustic pods in a responsible, sustainable and transparent manner.
A Brief Introduction to B Corp
It is one of the world’s most respected certifications for assessing the social and environmental impact of businesses. It is awarded to companies that meet high standards of social, environmental and governance performance, placing positive impact on an equal footing with profit.
Simply having a “green” product or introducing a few good practices is not enough: the entire company is audited across five key areas.
- Governance: Are transparency and ethics truly applied, measured and monitored internally?
- Workers: What is the economic and social impact on partners, suppliers, and local communities?
- Community: Are employee wellbeing, health, safety and career development at the heart of the organisation's priorities?
- Environment: How effectively are water, waste, energy and greenhouse gas emissions managed in order to limit the impact on climate and biodiversity?
- Customers: Are client relationships and the tangible benefits of products or services carefully evaluated?
Fewer than 600 companies in France currently hold this certification across all industries, which is proof of its rarity and the demanding standards behind it. Certified businesses join the global B Corp movement, which now represents over 10,000 companies in more than 100 countries, highlighting its international reach and the rigour of its criteria.
Work With Island’s journey to B Corp certification
Although certification did not fundamentally change how we operate, it reinforced the responsible production approach that has guided Work With Island since its inception. The process also helped us to structure our organisation and improve our practices further.
For the past eight years, we have manufactured our acoustic pods exclusively in Europe, working closely with local partners. This ensures the quality of every pod, promotes the use of French materials and expertise, and reduces the environmental impact of sourcing and transportation.
Our pods are designed to last — they are robust and high-performing, yet also demountable and reusable. Their straightforward, non-customisable design makes repairs easy and extends the product's lifespan. With our B Corp certification, we have further refined our design process and are collaborating closely with partners to enhance the environmental and social impact of our pods throughout their lifecycle.
In short, B Corp recognises what has driven us since the beginning: our commitment to creating simple, responsible and sustainable products that enhance everyday office life without compromising the environment or society.
A score that reflects our commitments
To achieve certification, companies must score over 80 points. With 107.3 points, Work With Island's result underscores the strength of our approach.
Two pillars stand out in particular:
- Environment (39.9 points): recognition of the sustainability of our pods (95% recyclable and made from recycled materials, including wood from waste streams and responsibly managed forests, with reduced logistics impact).
- Workers (29.1 points): acknowledgement of transparency, value sharing and quality of life at work.
The remainder of the score is made up of governance, local anchoring, community engagement, and customer relations. These are all areas that we will continue to strengthen as part of our ongoing improvement process.
What does producing B Corp-certified acoustic pods mean in practice?
We produce acoustic pods locally from eco-friendly materials.
We believe that a product designed to last should be rooted in a local ecosystem.
We work with two French factories:
- Our Origine France Garantie-certified factory in Vendée manufactures the pods.
- Our factory in Aube produces the integrated seating.
We prioritise responsible, high-performance and local materials for components, making them traceable:
- PEFC-certified wood from the Landes forests.
- We also use tempered glass manufactured in Mayenne.
- We also use Métisse, a highly effective acoustic insulation made from recycled textiles.
We make our prices public everywhere for every customer.
Making our prices public everywhere for every customer.
Work With Island was founded with the ambition of democratising acoustic pods and making them accessible to companies of all sizes: SMEs, start-ups and large groups.
To achieve this, we sell at fair and transparent prices to both companies and distributors. This sets us apart from industry leaders, who traditionally sold exclusively to large corporations and kept their prices confidential.
We therefore made the decision to publish our prices across all channels, including our website, brochures and catalogues.
This transparency reflects our commitment to building lasting trust with our customers, a value that also guides our everyday operations.
Involving all employees in our CSR approach
B Corp certification goes beyond products; it also evaluates how the company is run on a daily basis.
At Work With Island, our company culture is based on three commitments to our employees:
First, commitment to transparency:
Every month, we share project progress, company results (including financials) and the challenges we face. Successes are celebrated collectively, while failures are treated as opportunities to learn and improve together.
We are committed to improving the quality of working life, and creating a workplace that people enjoy coming to is a priority.
We regularly conduct anonymous surveys to gain insight into our employees' perspectives on the company, management, and leadership. We also support personal and professional development through training while respecting work–life balance.
Our commitment to the environment is supported by external experts who help us to continually improve.
We offer regular training sessions to employees and hold monthly steering committee meetings with managers. At Work With Island, however, environmental responsibility is part of every role, every day.
Work With Island is B Corp Certified – what's next?
B Corp: A step, not an endpoint
The final score is only valid for three years. To remain certified, companies must continually improve and undergo regular reassessment. At Work With Island, our goal is clear: to maintain our B Corp certification in the long term.
Above all, the label is a framework that helps us to stay true to our values. It reminds us of our purpose: to bring peace of mind to people in the workplace.
Conclusion
B Corp certification marks the beginning of a new chapter for Work With Island, not the end.
We are looking forward to meeting the challenges ahead, such as improving our pods further and uniting our teams, customers, and partners around our company philosophy.
Our aim is to do things simply, properly and build things to last.