Gone are the days where free fruit or a coffee machine made a workplace desirable. Today if a business wants to snag top talent (and keep the staff they have) they’re having to get savvier with the benefits they offer. Here are seven unbelievable employee perks that are getting some lucky employees out of bed in the morning.
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No set working hours
With work emails on our phones and deadlines keeping many of us working at all hours both inside and outside the office, the concept of a nine-to-five workday is outdated. That’s why entertainment company Netflix decided to do away with it and give their employees “Freedom and Responsibility”. Their argument is that as long as you do the work, you don’t need to clock standard hours. They say, “There isn’t a clothing policy at Netflix, but no one comes to work naked. Lesson: you don’t need policies for everything.” -
Unlimited annual leave
Inspired by Netflix’s flexible working policy, Richard Branson introduced unlimited annual leave for all Virgin employees. Because, as he pointed out, if our work hours aren’t being logged, why should our holidays be? Virgin allows all salaried staff to take time off whenever they want for as long as they want, and they don’t have to get approval or keep track of their days away. The only condition is that employees must only take leave when their team is up-to-date on projects and when their absence won’t damage the business. -
Chef-prepared breakfast and lunch, plus free fitness memberships
Design and publishing company Canva, helps their employees avoid leaking Tupperware by offering fully catered meals each day. Canva’s focus on happy and healthy people doesn’t end there, staff also get access to free memberships at a range of fitness studios as well as a ‘Vibe and Thrive’ allowance to spend on their wellbeing however they wish. -
$2,000 referral bonus
Companies are only as valuable as their people, so it makes sense that any help finding their new excellent employee is rewarded. It’s not uncommon for companies to offer rewards for successful referrals, but software development company Atlassian goes a step further and offers an incredible $2,000 bonus for anyone who refers someone for a permanent, full-time position. Atlassian clearly understands the value of incredible workers, and is prepared to invest in them. -
A support network
We know we’re tooting our own horn by including ourselves on this list, but the truth is SEEK cares a lot about our employees. That’s why we believe it’s important to focus on both our mental and physical wellbeing. SEEKer Support is a confidential service that offers SEEK employees complimentary sessions with an external professional of their choice. Whether they need support to manage or cope with a personal or work-related issue, SEEKer Support is available 24/7. -
Annual travel credit
Online accommodation marketplace Airbnb gives all of its employees an annual travel credit to use anywhere in the world. It’s a smart way of making sure their workers actively engage in the product and it also encourages their employees to take time off and travel. -
100-seat theatre and a games room
Many companies say they “work hard and play hard”, but how many can actually live up to that claim? Interactive can. The IT company provides its employees with purpose-built entertainment facilities including a games room where table tennis showdowns are a regular feature, lots of social spaces for staff to hang out, and even a 100-seat theater where sporting events are televised.
