Job Benefits

Lemlin

I'm part of a group looking at workplace benefits to make our company a better place to work for my employer and was interested in picking a few brains on here.

What sort of benefits do people get in their current employers that are out of the ordinary? For example, one of the lads on another forum was saying his employer give you a day off, outside of your normal holiday entitlement, on your birthday.

Mrs OBumble

signed up for www.taxsaver.ie

tatli_lokma

Flex time/flexible working arrangements are invaluable to me. Knowing that if something unexpected happens and I will be late or need to leave early I can make up the time without having to use annual leave is brilliant.

We also have a full kitchen - might not seem a big deal but I have worked places with only a microwave and kettle. Having a full kitchen is great as you can actually cook a proper lunch or even dinner if you are working late. Some of the lads cook themselves a fry on occasion (usually after a night out!) And in Christmas week we actually cook a big breakfast and we all eat together. It doesn't seem like a huge thing but it really promotes team spirit

We have a tv and comfy couches is the staff room and the papers are bought for us each day. It's nice to feel like you had a proper break from your desk at lunch and the couches and newspapers help that a lot.

Paid sick leave and maternity leave are great. A decent employer contribution to our pension.

We get an extra 2 days holidays per year, plus good Friday and whatever days the office is closed over Christmas is as a bonus and doesn't have to be taken from our annual leave

We get yearly flu vaccines and every 2 years a free eye test (a full one, not just a vdu one) and every 5 years a paid full physical exam if we want it (results not given to our employer).

All of the above are very valuable to me, to the point that if I was offered a pay rise and loose them or stay on my salary and keep them
I would turn the pay rise down in a flash.

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

If flexi time is at all possible in your company I'd go with that. Tbh as a single bloke with no kids I don't get as much use as others out of it, but it's just nice to know if I wanted an extra hour in bed or finish early some evening, that I can do.

username123

Flexible hours.

The ability to work from home.

Company sports day, basically a day out doing go karting, golf or some other activity followed by a booze up.

I'm in a kettle and microwave environment now but my last 2 jobs had catered canteens and I loved that.

Extra holidays after a period of years of service.

Free facials, last job used to get them for us from time to time. It was a cosmetics arm of the company training staff so they needed faces to train on.

Eoin

Educational Assistance can be a big bonus. Our place pays 25/50/75% of your part time education, depending on how relevant it is to your role. From an employer's point of view, it can really help with staff retention for a few years. Decent pension contribution & healthcare cover is always good.

Any group discounts like access to cheap computers, software can go down well. A few years ago, we were able to get MS Office 2012 for home use for a tenner through some scheme they arranged.

Our place is into all the little perks - free tea and coffee, fruit on a Friday, occasionally pizza for lunch etc. Our canteen is small enough but we have a couple of sofas and a foosball table which is great to take a few minutes out.

Gone West

100% payment of relevant on going education or training.
Free food.
Extra days off, or flexible working conditions.
Higher pay than industry average and liberal overtime policies.
Hassle free unpaid leave.
Good culture... flatten corporate hierarchy. Example is something like C levels could have an open morning each per month to chat with people informally.
Give bonuses when people come up with great ideas.

And the number 1... work from home.

This isn't a shopping list by the way, this is the norm in companies who want to attract and keep the top talent.

amtc

I used to work for a company that gave you free chair massages - literally in your chair - it was a bit of fun (this was at just below C level so you could see the CEO getting it).

My mother had a collection of mugs and umbrellas from every place I've worked, so I wouldn't underestimate the power of the little things. I still use the trolley token from my last job.

We were able to buy our PC for €20 (they were replaced every two years).

Mind you, I worked for another place that instituted 'birthday lunches' - every month anyone unfortunately enough to be born in that month was brought out with the others born in that month, to make small talk with the Head. The first year we all went. Next year we all took the day off. Ended up finishing when someone had the bright idea of mentioning Data Protection to HR as we had furnished our Date of Birth for that purpose.