Here’s what some firms are reportedly offering their employees:
- Google. The search engine provider offers free gourmet cafeterias with a range of cuisines as well as onsite massage rooms, nap pods, haircuts and free medical checkups.
- Huddle. Employees receive a £5,000 joining bonus (the ‘Huddle Cuddle’) plus a gift worth £500 each year they stay with the software company.
- The Body Shop. Staff at the cosmetics firm are paid to undertake up to five volunteering days a year to give back to the community. They also get a significant staff discount on Body Shop products.
- Airbnb. The room letting website gives its employees annual travel vouchers worth $2,000 (around £1,500) to see the world and experience new cultures.
- TransferWise. Employees at TransferWise are treated to two all-expenses-paid trips to Estonia each year. The currency coverter also provides benefits such as free Friday lunches and onsite facilities including video games and table tennis.
- Auto Trader UK. The car dealership website offers staff discounted wine deliveries each month.
- Skyscanner. The travel comparison site provides staff discounts down at the local beauty salon and local pub.
- Swinton Insurance. Those who work for the insurance provider can enjoy an extra day of paid holiday to do their Christmas shopping.
- Jagex. The online games developer provides free bicycle repairs at the office in a bid to encourage workers to cycle to work and improve their fitness levels.
- Holiday Extras. Every year, the travel arrangements site hires out a cinema and invites its employees and their families to a free screening.
- ASOS. Workers at the fashion website get a whopping 40% off its merchandise.
- Visualsoft. The digital content provider gives its staff an unlimited holiday allocation and unmonitored flexitime so they can adjust their work-life balance and take the time off they need.
- Opus Professional Services. Employees at the recruitment specialist can stay at its luxurious Italian villa free of charge.
- ARM Holdings. The technology company allows its workers to take a four-week sabbatical for every four years of service.
- CA Technologies. Employees with children can make use of the software provider’s free Montessori daycare facility.
Before you hand in your notice and start frantically applying for a role at one of these companies, think about what is most important to you. Perhaps you’d like more flexible work hours or a healthcare plan. Maybe company socials are your thing and you’d like to have more onsite activities or employee outings. Or you might like the idea of discounts, bonuses or healthcare schemes.
It might be worth sharing these thoughts with your employer. There’s every chance that they’ll say no, but maybe they’re looking for an innovative way to boost morale and retain staff, or to reduce sickness absence. You could even start small, for example requesting free bacon sandwiches on Fridays, or an end-of-month happy hour at the local pub.
If you are convinced that you’ll never get any benefits in your current role and you’ve got your heart set on a particular perk, it might be worth looking for a new role at a more employee-focused firm. Just don’t allow yourself to be blindsided by benefits and end up in a job you hate for the sake of a free annual film or an extra moving day!
