By Juan Pedro Tomás

T-Mobile US claimed to be the first wireless provider to earn the WELL Health-Safety seal, which is based on a new global rating for ensuring spaces and places adhere to science-backed standards, the carrier said in a release.

T-Mobile US said it had achieved the rating for the measures it has undertaken at more than 3,200 retail stores, 22 customer experience centers and its Bellevue and Kansas City headquarters.

The carrier earned the rating and associated seal after third-party experts validated the company’s policies for keeping spaces sanitized and air-filtrated, communicating health and safety efforts, helping employees and customers prepare for possible emergencies and providing essential wellness services such as additional sick leave and vaccines, according to T-Mo.

The US telco also received an innovation credit for being the first wireless provider to make the 988-emergency lifeline immediately available to customers across the country for critical mental health support services.

“Since the very early days of the pandemic, T-Mobile has been focused on doing everything we can to ensure our customers and employees feel healthy and supported when they step into any of our spaces, and this WELL Health-Safety rating reflects our immense dedication to those efforts,” said VP of corporate real estate and facilities at T-Mobile US, Darcey Estes. “As a result, we can welcome customers and employees back into buildings that are healthier, cleaner and safer than they’ve ever been. It feels good to start returning to normal and having the in-person interactions we’ve all been missing.”

The WELL Health-Safety rating was created by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), the global authority on healthy buildings, and incorporates guidance from more than 600 public health experts from around the world. Developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the WELL Health-Safety rating is grounded in the premise that buildings and organizations play an important role in supporting public health and well-being and their need to prepare for and respond to global health challenges like the one we’re experiencing now. Additionally, the WELL Health-Safety rating is third-party verified by the Green Business Certification Inc.

“T-Mobile is leading the pack as the first wireless provider to earn the WELL Health-Safety rating by rapidly implementing innovative cleaning and sanitization policies, emergency preparedness programmes and health resources such as access to mental health and vaccine services,” said IWBI President and CEO Rachel Hodgdon. “Their efforts are paving the way toward a healthy, resilient recovery for all.”

The WELL Health-Safety rating is being deployed across one billion square feet of real estate. T-Mobile earned the rating along with other companies including JPMorgan Chase, Simon Property Group and Montage Hotels & Resorts.