Work place perks

[SlaveToTheGrind]

What perks do you have at your office? We have a coke dispenser and popcorn popper. Oh...we also have a water dispenser...in hot AND cold.

 

[PlannerGirl]

ummm...free parking? other than that nothing

 

[Planderella]

My bosses keep our kitchen stocked with a plethora of sugary, salty, diet-killing junk food and soft drinks. They love to shop at Sam's so they buy things in bulk. On any given week, we'll have big boxes of Twinkies, cookies, granola bars, big bags of assorted chips, pretzels, popcorn, assorted hard candies, muffins, etc. Sometimes, they'll treat us to lunch by ordering Chinese food or po-boys (sandwiches) and having it delivered to the office. Clients love to come to our offices because we feed them well.

 

[SGB]

I get free parking, plus a paycheck every two weeks.

Oh yes, and I get to pay union dues even though I'm not a member. (!@#$ union shop rules.)

 

[donk]

Computer wasting time, the ability to work on other items during the work day.

i have been told that I am lucky to be working on more than one occasion, so I guess the pay cheque is a perk.

And dealing with a-holes.

 

[Seabishop]

Nothing but water.

But, motor vehicle registration is notorious here compared with other states. Luckily the DMV is across the street (for now) so I can get my ticket and go back to work without sitting there for 3 hours. Other than that I guess a perk is that I can get a tattoo at one of 2 parlors within 1 block of city hall.

 

[nerudite]

Free parking, coffee and water. We get fed pizza or some other food if we stay for night meetings. Otherwise, that's about it.

Other planning perks: I got to do free title searches when I was buying my property.

 

[Plannerbabs]

Hot AND cold bottled water, free parking, lots of post-its, and a plethora of coffee shops within 2 blocks.

 

[biscuit]

Perks? The fact that I still have my job is a perk in and of itself.

 

[Cardinal]

Perks?" Ha Ha! Oh, that's funny.

I guess I did get to dig up some flowers from around a house we tore down. They were all of the old garden types - phlox, brown-eyed susans, primrose, etc.

 

[Budgie]

Perks

Coffee, bagels, pizza at staff meetings (once every 3 months), veranda overlooking a pond and periodic glances and visual fondling of the cute receptionist at the "whole health" business down the hall.

 

[Jeff]

Free Coffee (good too), spring water, Lipton Cup o' Soups, Flyers tickets, mortgage discounts, Dell discunts, lotsa pizza, bagels, etc and I'm staying in a $1M+ home with indoor pool overlooking a golf course in sunny FL in January....WOO HOO!

 

[Chet]

mortgage discounts

Yeah but you probably gotta buy company product from [edit: Mike D's anomymous employer], right? I had that same bennie plus a 20% discount on the house when I was at Fortress Group, but who the hell wants their crap.

 

[Planderella]

Oops, I forgot occasional tickets to Saints and Hornets games (good seats too).

 

[Budgie]

Tickets !!!!

I forgot occasional KC Royals, theater and movie tickets, compliments of the law firm.

 

[Repo Man]

I have a large office...which I guess is a perk. Besides that, nothing at all. This is the most perk-less place i have ever worked. There are two types of workplace that I have been at. One is the place where you go to work, engage in some small talk with co-workers and never do anything with them. There are no perks whatsoever and the small perks that pop up now and again are reserved for the "higher-ups" The other is the place where people like to joke around with each other, go out for drinks or grab dinner before meetings, and invite co-workers over for football games or whatever and perks are spread throughout the organization.

Unfortunatly, I work at the first type.

I guess in the public sector the perks are few and far-between anyways, so it is not a huge deal. It would be nice to be able to attend some ribbon cuttings, grand openings, dinners, tours, etc.

 

[JNA]

allowed to have a drip coffee maker instead of PERKolator.

really
1 hour lunch
leave 1/2 hr early on fridays if you take 1/2 hr lunch
take sick or vacation time in 1/2 hr increments

 

[SlaveToTheGrind]

Re: Perks

...periodic glances and visual fondling of the cute receptionist at the "whole health" business down the hall.

Upon further review, I (and I know Mike D. too) would like more details...my work place is so boring.

 

[Chet]

and I'm staying in a $1M+ home with indoor poo overlooking a golf course in sunny FL in January....WOO HOO!

Let me know how that indoor poo works out for you.














sicko.

 

[Richmond Jake]

I get free water and free parking. My office also has a window with a view of the street so I can see the skirts go by.

 

[tsc]

hot and cold water
free tuition wavers at community college
ability to walk out of building to grab a cup of coffee at any time
flex time, 9/10 work week (I work all my hours for 2 weeks in 9 day and get every other Friday off)
no contributions into health insurance ($1.00 co-pay prescription drug), vision insurance, dental, AFLAC, flex spending
NYS Pension
leftovers from meetings...bagels, coffee,,, etc...
more work than can be accomplished in a day
view of Macy's and bus stop
6 X 8 Cube with 2-tone fabric (grey and sage) and contrasting dark green chair.
chain around neck with ID badge to allow ease of access into overly secured building

 

[nerudite]

Oh oh oh... a few times a year I get tickets to football (CFL ) or hockey. That is a definite perk.

I got a bottle of wine and some christmas ornaments (and all the assorted candy/snack baskets we all share) last Christmas.

I also work a 36.5 hour work week (40 hours one week, 32 the next... every other Friday off).

 

[otterpop]

Oops, I forgot occasional tickets to Saints and Hornets games (good seats too).

Tickets to the Saints games. Is that a perc or a punishment?

 

[donk]

I forgot the leftover thing. Our EA actually orders extra for me to take home. "Poor single guy..."

We have a few work paid staff functions a year, but not as many as we used to and not with the amounts of free booze we used to.

 

[de-bug]

Wow. This is one of the reasons why I'd be hesitant to ever switch into a planning related field.

We have:
- a full workout facilty (machines, aerobic studio, classes)
- downtown location w/ free parking (comes in handy for shopping during lunch hour, or free parking for games on the weekends)
- darn good benefits (pension, 401k match, FSA match, employee stock purchase plan)
- flex time arrangements, work at home whenever
- adoption assistance, new parent transition week, new mother rooms
- awesome tuition reimbursement, for any degree you want (someday I'm thinking urban design)
- decent pay
- really nice annual bonuses, depending on company performance, of course!

And some of these perks aren't even comparable to the ones I had when I worked for a big 5 consulting firm....boy am I ever spoiled!!

 

[Zoning Goddess]

We're close to a Wal-Mart?

Hmmm... I work for a public agency, so they're pretty limited on anything that requires $$$, but we do get to use the office digital cameras for personal use if they're not otherwise reserved. And I can bring my child in whenever day care is unavailable (and use office supplies to entertain him).

 

[Budgie]

Re: Re: Perks

Upon further review, I (and I know Mike D. too) would like more details...my work place is so boring.

Slave: I think it's the buxom brunette with her pierced tongue that does it for me. You know the kind of gal who would kick a fops ass and ride off on a crouch rocket. It's definitely a perk, seeing her melancholy expression every other day.

 

[Chet]

... And I can bring my child in whenever day care is unavailable (and use office supplies to entertain him).

A perk to you, an annoyance to others?

Personally it drives me nutso when coworkers do that, but I dont like kids in general so dont take it personally.

 

[Cardinal]

If we are talking about benefits instead of just perks, then that changes things. The perks are not great, and this year they even plan to do away with the Christmas Party. There are no bonuses, no gifts, and not even cookies at board meetings. As for benefits, right now I get 100% of my health insurance paid, as well as life insurance equal to my annual salary. My employer also pays both the employer and employee share of my retirement plan - 10.5% of my annual salary. The bennies I do not get and would want are dental insurance and tuition reimbursement, but right now I will be happy if we do not have to start paying for what we do get.

 

[Zoning Goddess]

A perk to you, an annoyance to others?

Personally it drives me nutso when coworkers do that, but I dont like kids in general so dont take it personally.

Understood. He can be a pretty annoying kid, but he knows to keep it under control at the office. Plus, he's 10. If he was a little one, no way! I just plop him down in my work area and he traces pictures and reads Cyburbia postings...

 

[BiteMeElmo]

We have a free coffee vending machine, free parking, and a mandatory week off between christmas and new years (which is classed as a week of vacation time, so that's really a mixed blessing). We get huge staff discounts on windows, doors and general home renovations (70% off list price of materials and labor). Kind of boring to some, but since we're just buying a house, those discounts will most definitely be utilized soon.

Also, since I'm in IT (specifically hardware), I occasionally get free computer parts.

 

[H]

Free coffee, cokes and food (stocked kitchen that ROCKS!!)

 

[Tranplanner]

We get huge staff discounts on windows, doors and general home renovations (70% off list price of materials and labor).

Hi, I'm your new best friend.

 

[Big Easy King]

- free H2O
- great overtime and expenses pay
- occasionally being treated to lunch by the boss man
- being offered tickets to Louisiana State University and/or N.O.
Saints games

 

[Zoning Goddess]

The bennies I do not get and would want are dental insurance and tuition reimbursement, but right now I will be happy if we do not have to start paying for what we do get.

Does anybody out there have decent dental insurance? Under our plan, the yearly cleanings are cheap, but everything else?? No way. I take my son to a pediatric dentist who is just wonderful, and it is less money for me to pay the bill myself, than for what the insurance charges are.

 

[donk]

For regular work our dental coverage is pretty good. a cleaning costs me about $10 for a cleaning and about $25 for a filling, my "bite plane" was about $100. Extended for orthodontics is a bit sketchy, but that is something I don't have to worry about right now.

I wish we had better optical coverage. $200 every 2 years and that has to include the eye exam. Try getting a nice set of frames for less than $200 plus good lenses, not going to happen. I think my last pair of glasses ended up costing me about $250. (Note I am nearly blind and friend's girlfriends and wives picked out my frames in an attempt to update my style)

 

[tsc]

I just plop him down in my work area and he traces pictures and reads Cyburbia postings...

but does he reply???

 

[Tranplanner]

My dental is 100% covered for cleanings, examinations, etc. Not sure what the limit for major/cosmetic work is.

I think we get $400 every two years for glasses. And the eye exams (bi-annual) are covered by the province.

Free prescription drugs.

The benefits are great, the perks suck. I have an electric fan, that's about it. No tickets, etc. The City is verrrrrry strict about employees receiving gifts. Unless of course you're a commissioner, or in the IT department...

 

[donk]

I just got new computer for the office, and here is my perk, I get to take the old one home. (AMD 475 with 256 meg of RAM and no sound card)

 

[Rumpy Tunanator]

They finally gave me the bus/rail pass I asked for. Other than that, nothing.

 

[Mastiff]

I'm always getting screwed... does that count?

 

[biscuit]

I'm always getting screwed... does that count?

...as a perk? I guess that depends on the context.

 

[Rumpy Tunanator]

-I expecially love some of the people who work here. Some don't even know what county the city or town is on a project they're working on. I also love these people that get there masters and can't even perform a simple equation in excell for the project they're working on. The best is when someone here unknowningly gives the wrong information to someone and goes about like they're Bruce Almighty. And its always nice when I have listen to the person in the next cubicle talk on the phone about how her husband doesn't know how to pick up socks off the floor because his mommy did it for him his whole life and how the dog they're watching has ring worm and might give it to her.
MAN, these benefits would sure be great if I was writing a novel.