Does your employer offer any unique benefits?

[WDWorBUST]

Okay....I'm a benefits coordinator for a manufacturing company and I'm looking for something new to be able to offer our employees. Anyone have any unique benefits offered by their employers. Considering the state of our current economy I am not looking for something that will cost the company tons of money - I probably couldn't get anything requiring a large amount approved - but something different.

 

[TheZue]

I don't know if it's stupidly expensive or not, but Dh's company allows him to take 1 month unpaid leave every five years on top of his vacation time. I think that's pretty cool for travel opportunities.

 

[Handbag Lady]

If I say what I get, I'll spoil some things. Let's just say I work for a major studio in the greater Los Angeles area and the perks are great!


Can you maybe liase with a local travel agent or amusement park for free tickets or a movie theatre? The more free tickets one hands out, the more people tend to buy extra tickets or food while there.

Or can the company buy a discounted trip through a travel agent and then have a company-wide drawing?


Besides the free stuff, we do have programs where we can buy discounted things, like electronics and such.

 

[MsLeFever]

I get a cheaper rate when I rent a car, a better rate at a certain cell phone provider, food at meetings (sometimes)

 

[WDWorBUST]

I don't know if it's stupidly expensive or not, but Dh's company allows him to take 1 month unpaid leave every five years on top of his vacation time. I think that's pretty cool for travel opportunities.

What increments can he take it in? Does it all have to be taken at once...or in weekly increments? Or do they allow him the flexibility to take it a day at a time?


Keep the ideas coming. We, as employees, are already spoiled where I work....but I would love to be able to add something new and exciting!

 

[NeverlandClub23]

At my job we have all you can eat chocolate (I know it's crazy, but true!) and free soda's, tea, and coffee. And my favorite, we're closed once a month to have a 3 or 4 day weekend and we get paid for it .

Oh and I work at an Estate Planning law firm so we also get free wills, Power of Attorneys, Pre-Nups, and trusts done.

 

[DebbieB]

My company worked out a deal with Weight Watchers. We get a discount and if you lose 10% you get the money reimbursed!

 

[SandrA9810]

Yeah, set up a drink bar. Where one person is responsible for brewing a new pot and keeping things clean. Yesterday on oprah they were trying to reduce waste, so at thier drink stand they took away all paper cups, so now every one has to bring thier own in.
But they had a full soda fountain, coffee and tea, and water.
I would love it if I ever worked for a company that had one. My aunt had a vending machine for cans... but it wasn't always handy trying to dig out 50cents for a can. You can always set up a "tip" jar, quarter a fill or something like that.

Other benefits, discounted movie tickets. You can buy from regal in corprate packs 50+ tickets for 7.50 for new releases and 6.50 for all others (in theaters for 10 days). And then sell them. Of course once a month you could always give away 2 or 4 free to the best employee or nominated employee. http://www.corporateboxoffice.com/cgi-bin/shop/shop.pl?view=discount
And if you already have a business account with say office depot, see if there's a program for your employees to purchase things with the company discount.

Even here at our apt, if you turn your lease in early, you get put into a drawing for a 25$ gift card to Texas Roadhouse. And that's put on by the restuarant. Check local places your employees go to for lunch and see if you could get discounted gift cards to hand out once a month or so.

 

[NotUrsula]

There's always the Universal Fan Club; it's coordinated through employers and offers nice perks at the Universal parks.

Free soft drinks is a VERY popular perk at the places where I've seen it done. It's cheap when done with fountain machines, as the syrup is really quite inexpensive. There is a bit of an initial expense for the fountain equipment, and a bit of labor for an employee to be responsible for keeping them filled, but depending on your size, you might not need too many. People really love this one.

If you can't do free soft drinks, consider just getting a big ice machine for employee use -- I *really* miss this little bennie. My old employer had them in the kitchens, but my new one does not, and I like to be able to get ice whenever I want it for drinks. (I've been taking ice to work in a small lunch cooler for over a year now, because my current place of work has none available before lunchtime -- we have a snack bar that sells fountain drinks.)

A place where I used to work let us borrow a 15 passenger cargo van at no expense after hours when we needed to move something. There were quite a few rules, though, in addition to keeping it gassed-up. You had to submit your driving record in advance for insurance approval, you could not take the truck more than 50 miles from the plant, and the total mileage per trip was also restricted. Still, it was VERY handy when you needed to move a piece of furniture.

 

[bookgirl]

I don't have to pay library fines..... other than that no extra benefits besides the usual. I don't even get preferential treatment when it comes to book reserves.


Of course I'm in a public library, teen services librarian.

Treat them to snacks on Fridays, or even something as simple as popcicles/icecream sandwiches occasionally.

 

[Teresa Pitman]

I had a friend who worked at Molson's Brewery - they got coupons for two free cases of beer every month (or maybe it was every paycheque). That was popular.

Another company where my friends worked got discounted tickets to local attractions. I think that's pretty easy to arrange, actually. Every spring they sent around a list to everyone in the office, people signed up for the number they wanted, and they put in the orders.

Teresa

 

[mtdevine615]

My company has worked out deals all around the area for discounts, just show your badge. Usually they're small things like 10% off, but it's really a large list, maybe 200 business on there now. Everything from restaurants to messages.

 

[MOMTOMOOTOO]

DH is a partner in a small insurance agency. They have about 24 employees. I think they offer some cool little perks. They provide family gym memberships at a really nice full service family gym, Costco memberships, beach passes, and often have drawings for AMEX gift cards.
He and his partner value their employees and they know that the littlest thing can boost moral. They have weekly meetings and lunch is catered.

 

[TheZue]

What increments can he take it in? Does it all have to be taken at once...or in weekly increments? Or do they allow him the flexibility to take it a day at a time?


Keep the ideas coming. We, as employees, are already spoiled where I work....but I would love to be able to add something new and exciting!

I think it's all at once.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

My dh had and has stuff like:

drop off your dry cleaning at work and pick it up there too
Bus trips to NYC, sporting events, etc, (at a good price)
Farmers market, where local farmers come in with produce etc.
On site classical concerts by local artists

 

[Handbag Lady]

OH!

One thing they did at my work was to step-forward the vacation accruals.

I don't think this cost much in the long run, but they changed how much vacation you can accrue based on how long you've been here.

It used to be that you had to be here five years before you were granted the ability to get three weeks' of accrued vacation. Now, it is four years.

 

[merryweather20]

We have to work on Good Fridays, so our firm puts together an Easter Egg hunt that morning

 

[ilovepcot]

The company DH works for gives all employees a bonus at Christmas. An extra week's pay for hourly workers and two weeks extra pay for salaried employees.

Each June you get a nice dividend check for all the stock (provided free by company based on salary) you own.

 

[HighClass]

At DH's last job=all the coke machine money (profit) was kept fpr an end of the year catered dinner

 

[onelilspark]

My company has worked out deals all around the area for discounts, just show your badge. Usually they're small things like 10% off, but it's really a large list, maybe 200 business on there now. Everything from restaurants to messages.

My boyfriend's company does that too. There's a place we go that we can get a free appetizer, free dessert, or a free bottle of house wine...he just needs to show his badge!

If the company is a decent size, there might be a few local restaurants that would offer this. Especially lunch time discounts.