Almost all companies provide their employees with some form of staff perks and benefits, but some employers really think outside the box to offer the people who work for them something more than just a wage packet, a company pension and a few weeks’ holiday entitlement.
According to Glassdoor which recently published the full list of 20 great employers for perks, around 1 in 3 workers say that staff perks and benefits are part of the decision process they consider before committing themselves to working for a particular company. Many people won’t work for an employer unless they are given a company car, discounts on products that the company makes or a complete healthcare package.
As employees have become increasingly more picky about the sorts of perks and benefits they expect in the workplace, some employers have likewise become much more inventive in the packages they use as a sweetener to attract the best talent.
Let’s take a look at 10 companies who have bases in the UK and which offer cool and unique perks or benefits to the people who are the backbone of their business…
Food & Drink Perks In The Workplace
There’s no such thing as a free dinner, right? Well, with some companies there is. For some employees, the way to their heart is through their stomach, so here are the best employer perks for those of you looking for free food and drink at work…
Skyscanner
Anyone fancy a pint? Flight search engine Skyscanner treats their staff to a discount at the local pub. Pretty neat, eh?
Other foodie & drinkie perks include free coffee from proper coffee machines and discount at Nando’s.
But if you are more concerned about your health and appearance than quenching your thirst, then you’ll probably be more interested to hear that Skyscanner also offer discount incentives at gyms, hair salons and beauty salons too. And, if that isn’t enough, Skyscanner will also give you access to office scooters, a Share Incentive Scheme and indoor putting facilities.
And, of course, there’s very flexible work hours at Skyscanner too…
You can read more about the employee perks of working at Skyscanner here and here.
Jive Software
Communication and collaboration specialist Jive Software has themed free-food days for their staff. Fancy a Bacon Thursday or a Hot Food Friday? Then go work for Jive. They also serve free drinks including beers on tap – or you can pick up free coffee and soft drinks whenever you like.
Find out more about working life at Jive Software.
Auto Trader UK
If you’re a wine buff, then Auto Trader UK could tick your boxes as a place to work. They have a Wine Club which offers discounts on bottles of wine to their employees.
Click for more perks of working at Auto Trader UK.
Travel Perks From Employers
We all want to see more of the world don’t we? Some companies positively encourage their staff to pack their suitcase and head for foreign climes. Here’s a pick of some of the best travel-related employer perks…
Opus Professional Services
Are you a fan of pizza and pasta? Recruitment support firm Opus Professional Services has a villa in Italy which their employees can book free of charge whenever they like. They also offer awards such as trips to Las Vegas, New York and the Monaco Grand Prix.
Find out about careers at Opus Professional Services.
TransferWise
TransferWise don’t just shift money around the world, they also shift their employees around the world too.
The champion of money without borders take all our their employees off on an annual company holidays at no cost to their staff. Fancy that? Watch some videos about jobs at TransferWise.
Airbnb
Airbnb, the rental listing success story, likes its staff to stay in beds in foreign places too. They give their employees the equivalent of $2,000 to go off to pastures new on holiday.
For a richer flavour of working life at Airbnb, take a look over their careers website.
The Best Employer Holiday Perks
I really need a day off! Most companies realise that giving their staff some time off improves their performance when they get back in work, so, whatever job you are in, you’ll usually be entitled to some days off each week, month or year. However, some employers go one step further to give you some extra special time away from the desk…
Rackspace
Everybody likes to feel special on their birthday don’t they? Go work for managed cloud computing company Rackspace and you’ll get an extra day off every time you hit a new landmark with your age. This one is probably not so impressive to those of you born on 29th February…
Swinton Insurance
It’s the most wonderful time of the year – and Swinton Insurance employees get to enjoy it even more as the company gives their staff and extra holiday to do all of their Christmas shopping.
View more benefits and rewards you can look forward to as a Swinton Insurance employee.
Visualsoft
The eCommerce firm Visualsoft offers their staff unlimited paid holidays and unchecked flexitime meaning their employees can make their time work for them. Whenever you do make it into work at Visualsoft, they’ll also treat you to a free breakfast.
That’s not all – take a look at more perks for Visualsoft staff.
Cash Incentives
Show me the money! It’s all very well getting free grub and plenty of holidays, but, at the end of the day, most people go to work primarily to earn money. So, one of the most popular incentives that a company can offer their employees is some cold hard cash! This last company knows that all too well…
Huddle
Fancy a ‘Huddle Cuddle’? Well, who wouldn’t?
Huddle, the cloud-based collaboration software company, hands out a £5,000 bonus to all employees who join their team. And the generosity doesn’t end as soon as you begin; they also offer their loyal huddlers a £500 gift every year!
They also manage to get in on the free food and drink scene too, with a free breakfast every day, free lunch on a Wednesday and free drinks on a Friday.
Check out more of the perks of working at Huddle.
That’s our pick of some of the best employer perks you can find – but tell us what would convince you to sign up with a company in the comments below…
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