10 of the Coolest Workplace Perks
September 19, 2018
Office life has been changing for the better in recent years, and gone are the days when stale snacks and tepid coffee in the break room constituted a “perk.” These days, companies are offering all kinds of covetable benefits to keep employees healthy and happy, from travel stipends and gratis gourmet meals to support for new parents—even on-site improv classes. Here are 10 of the coolest workplace perks out there.
1. AIRBNB’S TRAVEL STIPEND: City-hopping is at the core of Airbnb’s ethos, so it’s hardly surprising that the online hospitality company also encourages its employees to hit the road. Workers receive an annual stipend of $2,000 to be used towards personal trips—enough to turn that dream vacay into reality.
Image courtesy of Airbnb
2. YAY DAYS AT REI: Speaking of companies putting their mission statements into practice: outdoorsy REI also encourages its workers to spend time in nature. The company offers two paid "Yay Days" each year on top of regular vacation days, which can be used for exploring the great outdoors, volunteering, and otherwise spending time getting active in the fresh air.
Image courtesy of REI
3. DROPBOX'S ROCK ROOM: Like any good Bay Area tech company, Dropbox offers a suite of workplace perks, from on-site laundry services and catered meals to wellness reimbursements. But what really sets it apart? The company's San Francisco HQ also has a designated "rock room," complete with all kinds of musical instruments. That's one way to beat the stress of impending deadlines.
Image courtesy of Dropbox
4. PARENTAL PERKS AT PINTEREST: Balancing a kiddo and a career is never easy, but Pinterest makes it a priority to help out new parents with a range of generous policies. In addition to paid parental leave for both mothers and fathers, Pinterest also hosts on-site rooms with baby gear and offers fertility, egg-freezing, adoption, and surrogacy benefits, too.
Image courtesy of Pinterest
5. NETFLIX'S FLEXIBLE WORK HOURS: Pinterest isn't the only name in the game when it comes to primo parental policies. Netflix famously offers unlimited parental leave in the first year after a child's birth or adoption. That's par for the course for a company that prizes flexibility: Netflix doesn't have set office hours, and offers unlimited vacation days, so every employee can work on a schedule that's best for them.
Image courtesy of Netflix
6. TUITION REIMBURSEMENT AT STARBUCKS: In the face of soaring student loan debts, Starbucks is stepping in to help. The coffee juggernaut now offers the Starbucks College Achievement Plan. In partnership with Arizona State University, the tuition reimbursement program is available to part-time and full-time employees who enroll in an online bachelor's degree. Luckily, there's plenty of coffee around to accompany late-night study sessions.
Image courtesy of Starbucks
7. GOURMET MEALS AT GOOGLE: From ball pits to nap pods, on-site massage services to charitable donation matching, Google is arguably the king of workplace perks. But the one that gets the most attention is its ambitious culinary program. With meals and snacks on tap, treats like homemade ice cream and pastries on the go, and gourmet dishes cooked by Michelin-worthy chefs, employees struggle to avoid gaining the "Google 15."
Image courtesy of Google
8. WELLNESS AT EVENTBRITE: Routinely ranked as one of the best places to work in the Bay Area, Eventbrite has a famously perk-heavy workplace. Lunch is comped, vacation days are unlimited, and workers' dogs are welcome to join them in the office. Eventbrite even offers wellness stipends and in-office yoga classes to keep their team healthy and stress-free.
Image courtesy of Eventbrite
9. CELEBRITY DROP-INS AT TWITTER: Twitter’s workplace perks run the tech gamut, from free meals and generous parental leave to on-site gyms and game rooms. The company also hosts classes designed to expand workers' interests and talents in fields like improv comedy. But perhaps the biggest perk? The fact that celebrities regularly stop by the office to host talks and mingle with staffers.
Image courtesy of Presidential Palace/Flickr
10. PAID VOLUNTEER WORK AT SALESFORCE: Care about giving back? So does Salesforce. Employees at the cloud computing company get a whopping seven days off per year for VTO (volunteer time-off). Salesforce also matches donations to eligible nonprofits, up to $2,500 per year for every employee.
Image courtesy of Salesforce
11. MOBILITY OPTIONS AT ZIPCAR: Over here, we all get a free Zipcar membership and discounted driving rates. Zipsters can use a Zipcar for free when volunteering during paid volunteer hours. We also support cyclists with a bike commuter reimbursement plan, bike to work day events and for those at home office we have an indoor, secure bike parking area and showers to spiffy up post-commute.
Image courtesy of Andy Huff
1. AIRBNB’S TRAVEL STIPEND: City-hopping is at the core of Airbnb’s ethos, so it’s hardly surprising that the online hospitality company also encourages its employees to hit the road. Workers receive an annual stipend of $2,000 to be used towards personal trips—enough to turn that dream vacay into reality.
Image courtesy of Airbnb
2. YAY DAYS AT REI: Speaking of companies putting their mission statements into practice: outdoorsy REI also encourages its workers to spend time in nature. The company offers two paid "Yay Days" each year on top of regular vacation days, which can be used for exploring the great outdoors, volunteering, and otherwise spending time getting active in the fresh air.
Image courtesy of REI
3. DROPBOX'S ROCK ROOM: Like any good Bay Area tech company, Dropbox offers a suite of workplace perks, from on-site laundry services and catered meals to wellness reimbursements. But what really sets it apart? The company's San Francisco HQ also has a designated "rock room," complete with all kinds of musical instruments. That's one way to beat the stress of impending deadlines.
Image courtesy of Dropbox
4. PARENTAL PERKS AT PINTEREST: Balancing a kiddo and a career is never easy, but Pinterest makes it a priority to help out new parents with a range of generous policies. In addition to paid parental leave for both mothers and fathers, Pinterest also hosts on-site rooms with baby gear and offers fertility, egg-freezing, adoption, and surrogacy benefits, too.
Image courtesy of Pinterest
5. NETFLIX'S FLEXIBLE WORK HOURS: Pinterest isn't the only name in the game when it comes to primo parental policies. Netflix famously offers unlimited parental leave in the first year after a child's birth or adoption. That's par for the course for a company that prizes flexibility: Netflix doesn't have set office hours, and offers unlimited vacation days, so every employee can work on a schedule that's best for them.
Image courtesy of Netflix
6. TUITION REIMBURSEMENT AT STARBUCKS: In the face of soaring student loan debts, Starbucks is stepping in to help. The coffee juggernaut now offers the Starbucks College Achievement Plan. In partnership with Arizona State University, the tuition reimbursement program is available to part-time and full-time employees who enroll in an online bachelor's degree. Luckily, there's plenty of coffee around to accompany late-night study sessions.
Image courtesy of Starbucks
7. GOURMET MEALS AT GOOGLE: From ball pits to nap pods, on-site massage services to charitable donation matching, Google is arguably the king of workplace perks. But the one that gets the most attention is its ambitious culinary program. With meals and snacks on tap, treats like homemade ice cream and pastries on the go, and gourmet dishes cooked by Michelin-worthy chefs, employees struggle to avoid gaining the "Google 15."
Image courtesy of Google
8. WELLNESS AT EVENTBRITE: Routinely ranked as one of the best places to work in the Bay Area, Eventbrite has a famously perk-heavy workplace. Lunch is comped, vacation days are unlimited, and workers' dogs are welcome to join them in the office. Eventbrite even offers wellness stipends and in-office yoga classes to keep their team healthy and stress-free.
Image courtesy of Eventbrite
9. CELEBRITY DROP-INS AT TWITTER: Twitter’s workplace perks run the tech gamut, from free meals and generous parental leave to on-site gyms and game rooms. The company also hosts classes designed to expand workers' interests and talents in fields like improv comedy. But perhaps the biggest perk? The fact that celebrities regularly stop by the office to host talks and mingle with staffers.
Image courtesy of Presidential Palace/Flickr
10. PAID VOLUNTEER WORK AT SALESFORCE: Care about giving back? So does Salesforce. Employees at the cloud computing company get a whopping seven days off per year for VTO (volunteer time-off). Salesforce also matches donations to eligible nonprofits, up to $2,500 per year for every employee.
Image courtesy of Salesforce
11. MOBILITY OPTIONS AT ZIPCAR: Over here, we all get a free Zipcar membership and discounted driving rates. Zipsters can use a Zipcar for free when volunteering during paid volunteer hours. We also support cyclists with a bike commuter reimbursement plan, bike to work day events and for those at home office we have an indoor, secure bike parking area and showers to spiffy up post-commute.
Image courtesy of Andy Huff
