Author Topic: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job  (Read 14425 times)

wealthviahealth

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Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« on: September 21, 2014, 07:08:22 AM »
I took some time out for gratitude recently and created  a spreadsheet where I attempted to quantify all of the freebies/ perks that
come along with my job. For this I am not talking about company match to 401k or tuition reimbursement but rather all of the
free meals from fancy restaurants, price of nice hotels stayed at, entertainment events attended when taking out clients, and overall experiences during travel that the job has provided.

This was a great exercise for me and I felt a lasting appreciation through out the whole week at work. Are there experiences/ perks of your job  that in any way come close to being as good as a bigger paycheck? At the end of the day I'm sure most all of us would like a bigger check but when adding up all of the perks and experiences I have accumulated this past year from my job it was hard for me to not feel immense gratitude.
 
What perks/ experiences are value added for you and how do you keep track or measure them?

CommonCents

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #1 on: September 21, 2014, 08:40:32 AM »
Nice perks!  If it makes you feel even better about your job, I get virtually* no extra perks - no 401k match, no free meals, hotels (much less fancy or nice), entertainment...

I work for state government and dear god, it'd be a horror if the Boston Herald discovered we had spent money on anything like a holiday party even!  There's no money anyways.  So I bring in my own pens and wash my dishes in the bathroom sink (no kitchen!).  We buy our own coffee (no communal pot even), potluck for our holiday party and pay for our own drinks at happy hour.  (Our bosses try to be nice and pay for apps out of their own pockets sometimes.)  There is no other entertainment.  Out of all of that - I would be really happy if they put in a kitchen and got rid of the mice running around the building that I'm pretty sure are what are making all of us sick more frequently than we were before we started working there.

I do remember fondly the days of working for biglaw though.  As an associate - free lunches in the summer at local restaurants when desired (cut back to $25 limit in the bad economy), free summer associate entertainment and drinks at plays, Red Sox games, cooking classes, softball games, you name it 3-4 nights a week for 10 weeks, occasional free lunch from leftover lunch meeting food (had office near conference room), taxi cab vouchers anytime I worked past 9pm, etc, paid bar fees and 3? bar association fees, some very small contributions to an investing scheme thing,  6 months paid maternity leave (I never used this), reimbursed internet connection, 50% paid laptops every 2-3 years, swag every so often (like data sticks, nice laptop bag) all for being on 24/7...  On other travel perks - my ex collected shampoo/conditioner while traveling for his work at hotels for work and I didn't have to buy any for about 4 years after we broke up.  He also racked up some frequent traveler points on airlines and hotels for freebie leisure travel.  My husband is traveling to Spain for a work conference in November, and I'll fly over and join him afterwards, so we're getting one free hotel night and a free flight for him out of it.

*There is some tuition benefits, and a non-indexed to inflation pension - but you pay in for that and don't get social security in return.
« Last Edit: September 21, 2014, 10:28:40 AM by CommonCents »

mm1970

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #2 on: September 21, 2014, 09:00:44 AM »
Perks:
Free coffee and tea and water.
I could shower there if I wanted.
*Very* occasionally a free meal.  Maybe a few a year.
I'd say a free  holiday party, but I have to pay for babysitting.
Free flu shot?  But that's covered by insurance.

Calvawt

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #3 on: September 21, 2014, 10:45:11 AM »
Outside of the total compensation statement (salary, benefits, 403b, 457, any bonuses), I get:
-a free flu shot
-$150 per employee to spend on employee recognition.  Oftentimes that involves meals so I get part of the benefit
-travel to several nice places for meetings and conferences.  Vegas, San Fran, Boston, Boulder, etc about twice a year
-lots of other free meals (like at board meetings or planning sessions)
-free sodas during our executive leadership meetings
-a trip to the coast each spring for strategic planning all expenses paid (and I can take the wife and kids)
-probably a lot more I can't think of right now

Write Thyme

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #4 on: September 22, 2014, 12:20:59 PM »
There's free coffee, sugar, powdered creamer, apple cider packets, hot chocolate packets, and filtered water.

We also get 3 hours of PTO for our Christmas bonus.

Can't think of anything else...

Beric01

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #5 on: September 22, 2014, 12:30:44 PM »
I like mine!
  • Free lunches (leftovers) from others at least 2 times a week
  • Showers at work - I ride my bike and shower when I get to work - I only use my own shower on the weekends now!
  • $30/month just for riding my bike to work!
  • Free coffee/tea
  • Regular free dinners
  • Free snacks from coworkers
  • Money every paycheck for not enrolling in health insurance (still on my parents' plan at no cost to them)
  • Free flights! At least once annual business trips abroad, which can be combined with vacation.

Edit - forgot to add my company-provided smartphone with unlimited international data!
« Last Edit: September 22, 2014, 02:48:16 PM by Beric01 »

MandyM

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #6 on: September 22, 2014, 12:57:35 PM »
I appreciate my perks, but nothing extravagant:

-coffee with various flavors of creamer available
-snacks like peanuts, pretzels, and candy
-lunch pretty frequently, at least weekly (of various $$ levels)
-great little holiday party that we all look forward to
-office outing every summer to local minor league game
-I'm allowed to bring my elderly dog with me on occasion (like today)
-limited travel, mostly regional

FuturePrimitive

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #7 on: September 22, 2014, 01:34:25 PM »
My job is a little unusual but I get some significant perks:
-Company car (I do have to pay $100/month for unlimited personal use and income tax on the personal mileage, still come out way ahead.)
-Internet covered in full
-Monthly cell phone service covered up to $75.
-Work from home.

I don't particularly like my job but it would be pretty tough to find another job that had perks like these, think I'll stick it out until I'm FI.

RelaxedGal

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #8 on: September 22, 2014, 01:58:02 PM »
  • 7.5 hour workday, Monday-Friday
  • We close early before the big holidays
  • Family outing to a local minor league baseball game each summer
  • Summer barbecue for employees
  • Free coffee/tea, discounted soda in the vending machine
  • Able to work from home occasionally
  • Low stress, stable environment

Coming from a Dot Com and then manufacturing where business was uncertain and layoffs were regular, that last one is huge.

lysistrata

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #9 on: September 22, 2014, 03:44:01 PM »
Perks for my job (tech company)
- I work from home 3 days a week, and they are super flexible about this, so sometimes I work from home all week, and I can change the days if I want to do something in the city after work, etc.
- free sodas (I don't drink soda, but it is appreciated by many others!)
- free fruit - I do eat probably more than my fair share of this!
- friday night drinks + food. A really cool tradition and a great way to talk to other people in the huge company. I don't go that much because I usually don't work in the office Fridays, but when I do I make the effort.
- laptop
- often free lunches - maybe once a month (I'd get more, but not in the office much)
- company shares. Love this!
- 10 days sick leave (well over the minimum required by law) which can accumulate up to 20 days)

Husband's perks:
- 7.5 hour workday
- company car
- company cellphone
- huge amount of prof development / training paid for by company
- many free lunches (on training days, or which there's about 2 a week at the moment)
- 9 days sick leave
- 3 extra days annual leave per year.

We both enjoy our jobs. We're not anywhere near FI, but life is good for us right now :)

YK-Phil

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #10 on: September 22, 2014, 04:07:39 PM »
Aside from the monetary aspects of my job which are very good, my most important perk is the free time and the freedom I have at work. In order to accept the position, I negotiated a fly-in/fly-out arrangement whereby I spend three weeks at work in Yellowknife, followed by two weeks at home in Calgary. And while in Yellowknife, i am lucky to have a stress-free, relaxed work environment. My contract was renewed today for a two-year term. I did not even bother to ask for a raise. With this arrangement, I could not be happier. We say that time is money, but to me time is much more valuable than money.

Seņora Savings

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #11 on: September 22, 2014, 04:21:22 PM »
-Sweet snacks about twice a week
-Lunch about once a month
-Composting+glass recycling available at work
-Wireless internet that I can use for (almost) whatever I want
-Lots of flexibility and support

Prepube

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #12 on: September 22, 2014, 04:24:19 PM »
Funny none of you mention healthcare as a benefit/perk of your jobs, but I bet all of you have it through the employer, if they pay for all that other stuff.  We self-employed folk pay our own insurance (all of it), and we have the pleasure of paying our own payroll taxes.  As a small employer (under ten employees) I can't afford to offer any health insurance or coffee or anything like that to my hard working and devoted little group of employees.  Nonetheless I have a very low turnover because my partner and I offer our folks respect and independence, and I thank them all individually for their service almost every day.  They get a 3% match on their 401k, and three weeks of vacation, eleven holidays, their birthday, unlimited sick leave if they need it, and a flex day to use when they want during the month for whatever purpose they want.  I usually give twelve weeks of paid maternity leave... Thank god that hasn't happened very many times or I'd go broke.  But paying someone for those weeks is good money spent on good employees.

Rural

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #13 on: September 22, 2014, 05:51:11 PM »
Let's see. An excercise in appreciation will probably be good for me:


Funding into my pension, assuming I (get to) stay ten years. (I fund it, too, and could roll over my part only if they fold or run me off before ten years are up -- or, more likely, I could keep it there and find another state job for the time I need)
$350 a year into my HSA
My employer pays the bulk of my health insurance premium, and my husband's
Lunch once a year (though our foundation supplies that, not the college)
Considerable autonomy
Within some limits, I set my own schedule on campus, thought there's no getting around working 50 hours a week from somewhere
Tuition for me (no family) at our college, not that I need another bachelors degree.
Gear, which I get more of than almost anyone else because the tech folks have figured out that I will use it, and use it well. In addition to the desktop in my office I have a college iPad and a college laptop.
They print me business cards
They give me access to both a 403(b) and a 457, though there's no match for either.


I'm traveling a fair bit on college business, but, believe me, they benefit more than I do. Given the choice, I'd stay home. Besides, other people than the college are starting to pay for my travel. Oh, there is one way I benefit from travel for the college: since I have to pay in advance and be reimbursed, I collect the rewards points on credit cards.

Pooperman

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #14 on: September 22, 2014, 06:59:06 PM »
Health insurance 100% paid (need to check on HSA and getting them to maybe toss in for saving them money, same with biking). Commuter benefit (saves me about $30/month). Food, beer/alcohol (except I don't drink, just putting it for posterity). Free lunch every week plus a nice lunch every once in a while for a managers birthday. Every month we go on some kind of excursion, next one is to Atlantic city (oh boy...).

Can't you tell I work in a tech startup?

Elderwood17

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #15 on: September 22, 2014, 07:10:46 PM »
In general I don't get a ton of perks, but there is free coffee still!

The best perk I ever got was about four years ago when I was selected to give a presentation in Jerusalem of a project we were working on.  My air and hotel was paid for.  My wife took advantage of our daughter working for a major airline to come as well.  We extended the trip a few days and were only out a few hundred bucks for the extra hotel time.  It was a great experience.

Jessa

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #16 on: September 22, 2014, 07:20:06 PM »
85% of my health insurance premium
I think the 401k match is 2%, but I haven't been there long enough to be eligible, so I'm not positive
free coffee, tea, soda, peanut butter, jelly, bread, and condiments
40% employee discount at the cafeteria (so I can get lunch for between $2-$5, either at the salad bar or hot food-I still try to bring my lunch as much as possible though)
fitness center in the building with employee discount ($50/quarter for membership)
only a 3 mile bike ride from home :)

vagon

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #17 on: September 22, 2014, 07:29:46 PM »
Discount home loans
Discount insurance (all types)
Fee free banking products
Fee free premium credit cards
$1000 worth of shares every year
10% of my salary towards professional development
Wholesale rates on forex
Free tea, coffee ( I don't drink) and milk (which I do).
Shower and bike facilities
Frequent free cakes (I don't eat)
Occasional free lunches
Monthly after-work drinks
Various cheap affiliate purchasing such as movie tickets, white goods, electronics etc (I can normally do better though)
Occasional sponsored sports participation
Free flu and health checks

You are right. After you type it out you do realise there is quite a lot there.

MsRichLife

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #18 on: September 22, 2014, 07:32:04 PM »
Great idea.

Discounted rent or Financial Assistance with buying a house
Free healthcare.
Free gym access.
Free or Discounted parking.
Free undergraduate and postgraduate education. (BEng, MBA and I currently have one year off at full pay to complete a Masters by Research)
Opportunities to move to different locations for work (I went to the US for three years) with removals fully paid
Lots of opportunities to travel and paid well to do so.
Lots of opportunities for different types of work/skill building

I think I calculated the financial benefits of my entire package and it's nearly double my actual salary. This is why it's Sooooo hard to FIRE! :)

chasesfish

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #19 on: September 22, 2014, 08:02:23 PM »
The client entertainment and paid meals are nice, I probably average 10-15 meals per month.  I also get to spend 6-10 days a year on a golf course.  I'm adequate at the sport and it's a great day outdoors.  It's also something I would rarely if ever pay for myself due to greens fees.



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Rube

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #20 on: September 22, 2014, 08:24:28 PM »
Geez I forgot about how many small things we get. Lots of free lunches from various restaurants, food products and other stuff that we sometimes hand out, tickets to events, regular performances by various musicians, there used to be a LOT of free booze. Most of all I've got some great relationships with clients that would probably love to have me or help if I ever got whacked.

Tempe

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #21 on: September 22, 2014, 10:57:02 PM »
Free coffee, free snacks, hot chocolate. Occasionally bosses or coworkers bring in foods/snacks (I do the same bringing in cake/brownies/cookies)
Free services as part of someone's training, the ability to trade with others for free. (I work at a spa, so facials, laser hair removal, massages whatever we want to trade if the product cost isn't high.) Free training, even though I resented being sent to mandatory training .-.
I have been gifted hair cuts/treatments for my birthdays and christmas, and all of my workers have been treated to company parties. I just regretted having to work 9 am the next day or I would have drank a lot more alcohol on their dime.
My work pays 200$ for my health insurance/dental.
The gift of working on customer services skills/training skills/patience being the last senior person standing after new business attrition, lol.

BigBigote

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #22 on: September 23, 2014, 01:16:12 AM »
This is a great idea to actually list out the things we barely even notice anymore as being benefits! (and they definitely are nice benefits)

- free food / drinks: snacks, trail mix, soda, coffee, tea, milk, yogurt, fruit
- company share matching up to $4k/year
- donation matching up to $5k/year for eligible charities
- travel benefits - status on airlines, free miles, status at hotels, free stays at hotels with points, free food while traveling, stay the weekend on vacation (that part's on my own dime) if traveling somewhere cool!
- annual company party that spouse can join for
- ability to work from home 2-3 days per week - flexible work hours (can run errands during the day if I need to)
- paid-for training that benefits my current role but also my resume in general should I choose to move roles / company

Wowza! Suddenly remembering that work isn't all bad... thanks!!

tofuchampion

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #23 on: September 23, 2014, 01:28:30 AM »
- Free coffee/tea/hot chocolate/soda
- Free snacks (jello, pudding, graham crackers, saltines, peanut butter - why, yes, I do work in a hospital)
- 20% discount in the cafeteria if I pay with my badge (it's then deducted from my paycheck)
- Employee Health Clinic, a walk-in minor/urgent care thing for employees, $10 flat rate for whatever we need
- Gym membership for only $10/month individual, $20/month family
- Tuition reimbursement, I think up to $2K/year
- Built-in exercise: they gave pedometers to all the nursing staff earlier this year and apparently I hit the recommended 10K steps/day, and then some, just at work. 
- Free flu shots.  Insurance would cover it anyway, but I can have it done right in my unit as soon as they're available, so no need to go anywhere for it.  Got mine last week, actually.
- Small annual uniform stipend.  We're talking like $25 here, in the form of a gift card to the uniform shop across the street.  It's not much, but it's enough to replace one scrub top or bottom.
- Payroll deduction options at the uniform shop, as well as for on-site sales they bring in every few months.  I got a bunch of Tupperware last year through one of those, at a discount, and taken out of my check in 4 installments.  It can be dangerous, but if you don't go to the sales just to "see what they have" and buy a bunch of crap you don't need, there are some good deals to be had.  Also, part of the proceeds benefit the Auxiliary Fund.

There are probably more, but this is what comes to mind immediately.  Considering how crappy a lot of hospitals in the US are doing these days, I've been extremely fortunate.  My hospital is doing well, consistently, and we haven't had any layoffs or reduction in benefits (well, no, this year they are paying slightly less towards our health insurance, but it's still really good and inexpensive coverage, so I probably shouldn't complain).

expatartist

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #24 on: September 23, 2014, 03:41:43 AM »
Great thread! Nice to see all of you appreciating your jobs.

My employer keeps us happy with:
* A large 2-bedroom apartment in a nice part of town, 20mins by bike from work
* MacBook
* 100% covers my health insurance - it's valid worldwide
* $2000 dental covered per year
* free flu shot for me
* Occasional breakfasts/lunches/afternoon 'teas' for events
* Reduced cost lunches ($2) at work canteen
* Reduced cost cafe items which I sometimes splurge on
* One flight to the US at end of my contract
* Nice contract completion bonus
* Sponsors my visa and (soon) my spouse's
* 3 weeks holiday/year in addition to basic Chinese holidays - total ~6 weeks/year
* Provides a premium bank account which makes it [relatively] easy to transfer funds overseas
* Urban China necessities like an air purifier and masks to provide minimal protection against the city's pollution

EDIT: Some un-traditional benefits:
* Supplies for my artwork
* An art studio to make my work
* Paid travel to do art projects in other parts of the country
* Assistance with promotion and production of my artwork and other projects
« Last Edit: September 24, 2014, 07:28:38 PM by expatartist »

MandyM

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #25 on: September 23, 2014, 07:01:17 AM »
Funny none of you mention healthcare as a benefit/perk of your jobs

I lumped healthcare in with 401K contributions, which the OP specifically said to disregard. I would count those big items as part of my compensation package and not one of the "freebies" like free coffee or lunch.

Beric01

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #26 on: September 23, 2014, 03:55:18 PM »
Funny none of you mention healthcare as a benefit/perk of your jobs, but I bet all of you have it through the employer, if they pay for all that other stuff.

I mentioned it! I get paid for NOT enrolling in it, as I'm on my parents' until age 26, at no cost to them.

marblejane

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #27 on: September 23, 2014, 04:26:17 PM »
Great thread.

My perks include

Medical/Dental/Vision- free annual checkups/6 mo cleanings. Low premiums- I pay $60/mo for health insurance and $1/mo for dental. Not sure about vision since I don't use it.
401(k) match- I receive a 3% match for contributing 6%
ESPP: get to buy shares at a 15% discount every six months & then sell immediately
Donation matching: 1:1 up to $1k per year
Free coffee: Fresh brewed starbucks every day
Free snacks: Pretty much just candy, sometimes granola bars
Free breakfast: We get a big spread of bagels, donuts, sometime breakfast sandwiches every Friday
Free lunches: I get an entire week of lunches every quarter, and sporadic lunches outside of that
Free gym: With hot water & towel service & complimentary toiletries- I only shower at home on the weekends
CSA: Tax free purchase of public transit passes, free public transit pass for the local bus system
Discounts on new cars, new computer equipment, cell phone service with major carriers, and certain financial products- I haven't taken advantage of any of these, but they are available.

ambimammular

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #28 on: September 24, 2014, 12:29:24 PM »

*90% tuition for colleges in our academic conference (for up to two children)
*10% (on top of salary) put in 403b, doesn't even need to be matched
*Free use of equipment on the weekends (trucks, projectors, some power tools)
*pizza, offered at many lunch talks
*alcohol at faculty socials one friday of the month
*free gym, sports medicine opinions given, coaching
*sit in on lectures, dh is taking Chinese
*community garden
*connections to vast numbers of alumni in law, business, etc
*10 day European trip as chaperones, dh was free, I paid airfare
*sabbatical year, every 7th year off with half pay, not too shabby!
*all the college sports entertainment you can handle

*Respect from students
*Intellectual conversation
*Excitement, I love to be surrounded by all that young potential!

(I've mentioned this in another post but...) When I asked dh what he'd like to be doing with his time in retirement, he pretty much said exactly what he's doing now, but with fewer faculty meetings. He particularly loves the teaching and mentoring (the research is fun, too). There are few careers that enable someone to make a genuine difference in the lives of young people, and fewer yet with these benefits!

Rein1987

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #29 on: September 24, 2014, 01:36:23 PM »
Great thread

* Free meals 7 days a week (but I only eat weekday lunch at company, as I want to enjoy more family life)
* 2 free guests per month to company dining hall
* Great health insurance ($10 copay per visit, no deductable 100% covered)
* Free gym. Discount on personal trainer.
* 60 minutes free massage per year
* Discounts on company products (at least 10% off)
* Free phone of your choice each year
* Donation match 1:1 up to $6000 a year (But December last year they said they still had a lot left in the donation pool so it actually matches me about $15k)
* Free snacks. Free snack festival every year that you can bring a huge bag home.
* Discounted legal service
* Reimburse home internet cost
* Full paid maternity leave. Start at 4 weeks before due and end 18 weeks after birth
* Free 3x annual salary life insurance
* unlimited sick day leave & work from home (but strongly discourage to use this benefit).
* Reimburse up to 12k tuition a year for employee to take courses from universities nearby or online
* Free rental bicycle of your choice if you plan to bike to company
* Reimburse transportation cost for daily commute
* A lot of free T-shirts with company logo
* 2 workdays a year to do volunteer work in your community, and matches $100/day to your community
« Last Edit: September 24, 2014, 01:38:23 PM by Rein1987 »

aetherie

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #30 on: September 24, 2014, 01:41:08 PM »
My benefits include:

$144 every two weeks for not being on their health insurance (still on my parents')
401k match up to 5% of salary if I put in 8%
reimbursement for gym membership up to $50 per month
up to $10k per year tuition reimbursement
if I had a baby I would get at least 3 months maternity leave and $500 in free takeout meals
free coffee, tea, soda, vitamin water, and beer at the office
foosball and ping-pong tables
occasional open bar happy hours
donuts and/or bagels at least once a week
and the whole week between Christmas and New Year's off as paid holiday!

I'm grateful, for sure.

Beric01

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #31 on: September 24, 2014, 03:23:57 PM »
Great thread

* Free meals 7 days a week (but I only eat weekday lunch at company, as I want to enjoy more family life)
* 2 free guests per month to company dining hall
* Great health insurance ($10 copay per visit, no deductable 100% covered)
* Free gym. Discount on personal trainer.
* 60 minutes free massage per year
* Discounts on company products (at least 10% off)
* Free phone of your choice each year
* Donation match 1:1 up to $6000 a year (But December last year they said they still had a lot left in the donation pool so it actually matches me about $15k)
* Free snacks. Free snack festival every year that you can bring a huge bag home.
* Discounted legal service
* Reimburse home internet cost
* Full paid maternity leave. Start at 4 weeks before due and end 18 weeks after birth
* Free 3x annual salary life insurance
* unlimited sick day leave & work from home (but strongly discourage to use this benefit).
* Reimburse up to 12k tuition a year for employee to take courses from universities nearby or online
* Free rental bicycle of your choice if you plan to bike to company
* Reimburse transportation cost for daily commute
* A lot of free T-shirts with company logo
* 2 workdays a year to do volunteer work in your community, and matches $100/day to your community

Are you at a Silicon Valley tech firm? Sadly my company doesn't have a ton of benefits that are useful for young people (there is hardly anyone in the company under 30), though at least our 401(k) has Vanguard funds!

Lis

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #32 on: September 24, 2014, 03:59:41 PM »
- Free lunches every day. They'll cover dinner or weekend meals if you're forced to come in (crazy overtime then too!)
- Free snacks, including fresh fruit, chips, and cookies. They'll listen to suggestions too.
- Free coffee, tea (over 30 types!), milk, sodas, and juices
- Wi-fi while I'm at work (I always get paranoid about using it on my phone though...)
- Fun Christmas party, plus one random outing a year (if there's no 'legitimate' reason, like this year, my manager scheduled something called "fun day.")
- I'm at a PE firm. When our company buys another, they purchase x amount of stock in each of our names. When they sell it, we're given the difference (assuming the stock went up, which is the purpose of us buying the company anyway). I haven't been around long enough for a company to be both bought and sold while I'm here. Sometimes it's, sometimes it's high, but it's always free money! The money is yours if you leave the company as well.
- Our company is also very flexible and trusting... if you need to step out for a doctors appointment, or your kid is sick and you need to run home, they're ok. The price of that is we're always near our phones, even at home, but there are rarely 'emergencies.'

Wow, it's a good list to look at once you type it all out.

deborah

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #33 on: September 24, 2014, 04:24:15 PM »
No-one seems to have mentioned some trivial things that reduce expenses (I'm sure many places have them) -

- free kitchen facilities - fridge, microwave, toaster oven
- free bicycle parking and showers
- places to store stuff (like backups of your home computer)
- free home versions of office software

Most of these are things that enable a mustashian lifestyle.

Rein1987

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #34 on: September 24, 2014, 04:44:34 PM »
Great thread

* Free meals 7 days a week (but I only eat weekday lunch at company, as I want to enjoy more family life)
* 2 free guests per month to company dining hall
* Great health insurance ($10 copay per visit, no deductable 100% covered)
* Free gym. Discount on personal trainer.
* 60 minutes free massage per year
* Discounts on company products (at least 10% off)
* Free phone of your choice each year
* Donation match 1:1 up to $6000 a year (But December last year they said they still had a lot left in the donation pool so it actually matches me about $15k)
* Free snacks. Free snack festival every year that you can bring a huge bag home.
* Discounted legal service
* Reimburse home internet cost
* Full paid maternity leave. Start at 4 weeks before due and end 18 weeks after birth
* Free 3x annual salary life insurance
* unlimited sick day leave & work from home (but strongly discourage to use this benefit).
* Reimburse up to 12k tuition a year for employee to take courses from universities nearby or online
* Free rental bicycle of your choice if you plan to bike to company
* Reimburse transportation cost for daily commute
* A lot of free T-shirts with company logo
* 2 workdays a year to do volunteer work in your community, and matches $100/day to your community

Are you at a Silicon Valley tech firm? Sadly my company doesn't have a ton of benefits that are useful for young people (there is hardly anyone in the company under 30), though at least our 401(k) has Vanguard funds!

Yes, exactly. Average age of company's employee is about 28 or so...(So I'll soon be above average!)

Helvegen

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #35 on: September 24, 2014, 04:53:04 PM »
-Gourmet breakfast and lunch for $2.50/$4.50.
-Good variety of free coffee, tea, cocoa, etc.
-Free gym.
-Lots of trails around the office park here. Great exercise during lunch hour.
-Occasional odd freebies - umbrellas, jackets, blankets, day planners, etc.
-Can mail out packages for all kinds of carriers.
-Good employee health incentive program. Can get up to $1440 into the HSA for on top of the employer contribution for extra participation.
-Husband and I work in the same building and can carpool
-I get paid to do basically the same thing I did at home for free. :p

The standard benefits package is pretty good, but this was just about extras on top of that.

Gerard

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #36 on: September 24, 2014, 06:08:23 PM »
Concrete:
decent DB pension, health and dental
discount gym membership (on which I save 100% by not buying it at all)
smallish travel budget for conferences
laptop
about five free meals a year

More abstract, but as important:
surrounded by smart young and young-thinking people
high workplace tolerance for diversity, eccentricity, and not spending money
very flexible work schedule
no dress code beyond "try to wear pants"

dragoncar

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #37 on: September 24, 2014, 08:53:31 PM »
Free use of toilet and toilet paper.


kelly1mm

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #38 on: September 24, 2014, 09:42:33 PM »
Mine is a bit odd as it is 100% remote work as in I have never met anyone from my company face-to-face (which is good as I live on a mountain in Appalachia and the company is in the SF Bay area!) and it is seasonal from just after Thanksgiving through the end of April, but what I love as far as 'perks' as I see them are:

1) Basically unlimited OT.  I get snowed in often and as long as I can be on a computer I can work and get paid.  Most I ever worked was 91 hours in a single week.
2) OT 'contests/bonuses'.  In addition to unlimited OT, they often will have a contest or bonus if you work a certain number of OT hours.  I always try for these and can't think of one I have not qualified for in the past 3 years.  The only bad part is that the bonus 'payment' is in gift cards but that does include Amazon.  Last year I got over $4000 in OT bonuses and purchased a good bit of a solar system for my home with this through Amazon.
3) Various t-shirts/coffee mugs/nice pens they send in the mail!
4) Free software from the firm for personal use (financial/tax related so useful).
5) I know 401k is not supposed to be in here but I get a 125% match up to 6% (so I put in 6% and they put in 7.5%) which is pretty good in my book!

Beric01

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #39 on: September 24, 2014, 10:39:48 PM »
Free use of toilet and toilet paper.

You get free toilet paper?! We have to bring our own!

Prepube

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #40 on: September 24, 2014, 10:52:00 PM »
Wow!  I can't believe how much you guys get (except dragon car).  I am definitely in the wrong industry.  I would love to be able to give our employees all that stuff.  Employer-paid massages?

dragoncar

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #41 on: September 24, 2014, 11:07:36 PM »
Free use of toilet and toilet paper.

You get free toilet paper?! We have to bring our own!

Have you tried using the abnormally high bidet, with the malfunctioning spout that aims down?

Jessa

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #42 on: September 25, 2014, 11:25:51 AM »
Wow!  I can't believe how much you guys get (except dragon car).  I am definitely in the wrong industry.  I would love to be able to give our employees all that stuff.  Employer-paid massages?

Well, we have consultants in to help us reduce costs, so I'm not sure how long we'll have some of ours.

dragoncar

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #43 on: September 25, 2014, 11:38:15 AM »
Wow!  I can't believe how much you guys get (except dragon car).  I am definitely in the wrong industry.  I would love to be able to give our employees all that stuff.  Employer-paid massages?

Actually I get decent perks, if not quite up to snuff with the biggest baddest NYC firms.

Things I get:

A few lunches a week, snacks, coffee
Dinner if I work late
Commuter checks that cover my public transport
The occasional happy hour
A bunch of fun events during the summer recruiting program
carte Blanche on travel (within reason)

Things I use at work that save me money at home:
Fast desktop computer
Nice color Printer
Fast auto-feed Scanner
Sometimes i watch a bit of cavle tv/sports in the break room

I do not get:
Cab rides home
Soda
Unlimited food

MNM

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #44 on: September 25, 2014, 02:21:51 PM »
This is a good chance to put in a plug for boarding school life (for those of you who haven't yet figured out your career, I suppose)

-- a place to live
-- three meals a day about 9 months of the year
-- utilities (including free wifi)
-- gym and library access
-- a very "sharing" mentality -- use of school equipment, many people from whom to borrow things
-- cell phone covered (some people, but not all, have this perk -- depends on the job)

This is in addition to employer contributing to our 403(b), holiday breaks, ZERO commute, etc.

And most of the time you're too busy to spend any money.

Must love teenagers.

acroy

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #45 on: September 25, 2014, 03:19:59 PM »
-4 weeks paid vaca
-7 use em or loose em 'discretionary' days
-9 paid holidays
-subsidized health care (though that is getting pricey)
-$2/day to ride a bike
-lots of free lunches
-all you can drink free starbucks, creamers, tea, hot chocolate, etc
-3% base, 3% match, 1% seniority, 1% age-based 401k contribution for a total of 8% 401k contribution!!
-free light and a/c all day long
-'moderate' personal pc use

Not a bad gig at all, at all :)

expatartist

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #46 on: September 25, 2014, 05:50:51 PM »
-free light and a/c all day long

+1

...where I work they've just installed a top-notch air purification system in all our buildings. This is doing wonders for our physical & mental health. Sure there are plenty of toxins we consume daily in China, but the air we breathe at work is much cleaner than what's outside - and often what's in our homes.

It's the little things you grow to appreciate after a while ;)

davisgang90

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #47 on: September 26, 2014, 11:45:12 AM »
30 days paid vacation a year
Tuition reimbursement
3 years of college I can pass to my kids/spouse
Free medical for me, small deductible for my family
A pension after 20 years of service
Housing and food allowance (untaxed)
Access to the cheapest investment system (TSP)
Free flight time in military aircraft
Free cruises on Navy ships to exotic ports of call
Free master's degree after 9 months full time school
Subsidized membership to a world class athletic facility
Subsidized grocery stores
Tax-free shopping at Military Exchanges

There's more I can't think of at the moment.

Chranstronaut

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Re: Adding up all "freebies" or perks from job
« Reply #48 on: September 26, 2014, 11:57:57 AM »
There are a lot of perks where I work, and I barely scratch the surface of using them.

I am currently most grateful for:
- Full tuition coverage on classes relevant to my field
- $0 health insurance premium for a "Cadillac" plan

I get the most personal enjoyment out of:
- 10% discount on my new computer
- 25% off at a pizza place I like
- Intermittent reward of movie tickets

I'm easy to please ^.^

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!