What's been your best work perk?

[gildalily]

I was reminded on one of those fb nostalgia posts about Luncheon Vouchers. In my first job I got luncheon vouchers as a perk. I think it was about 50p a day. The idea was you put them towards buying your lunch and in those days (1989) lots of places accepted them in payment. It was a nice perk if the job at the time and I'd save mine up and go for a pizza once every couple of months. It seems like an ancient concept now.

I then moved to work at M&S head office where the perks were amazing and legendary - hairdresser; chiropodist; staff discount; medical area like a full-on hospital with nurse; discount; fed at all lunches and breaks (and after work if you wanted!) for £10 a month. I think I lucked out perk-wise there.

What have your best perks at work been? Official or unofficial

Dry cleaning work clothes - I haven’t ironed in 10 years.

Work clothes being - my clothes that I wear to work, not a uniform.

My two Covid jabs and an annual flu jab.

Day off for our birthday

Free invisalign, whitening, teeth cleanings and check ups!

The business class flights and 5* hotels for travel. I come from a very poor background and even before joining my current company I was an avid traveller and had to go abroad for work frequently, but all I could afford was Ryanair or basic economy for long haul, and one star hostels and Airbnb’s. We never had fancy holidays as kids, always self catering and going with the car even abroad.

So this was all new. Suddenly I can sleep on a plane, use lounges, collect (useful) membership points and stay at the most luxurious Hiltons all over the world. I can’t wait for the pandemic to be over so we can resume all of this

I came on to say covid and flu jabs as well

£40 a month extra to pay for something wellness related so the gym, a massage, haircut or similar

Free bus travel and really cheap train fares.

Free fresh fish every week

First job - cheap mortgages and loans (in the days when rates were very high).
Current job- flexitime.

They laid on a hovercraft to cross the river to the building!

Compressed hours - I used to work 5 long days. Now I work 4 long days and get 1 day a week off every week on full salary.

Flexitime - as long as I do my 37 hours they aren't bothered when. 28 days annual leave + 10 Flexi days. Great pension.

Good enough for me and works great with kids!

When I was working, cheap mortgage, free shares, colleague discount for many high street shops, restaurants and hotel chains. I still get the discount even though I don't work there any more.

Work paid for us to travel in to work, as I worked on construction sites in central London with no parking. We had to use whatever the cheapest way in was, which for me meant a zone 1-6 London travel pass. I could obviously use it outside of work too, I didn’t pay for any public transport costs for over 10 years.
I get free train travel through my partners work too, so save a lot of money.

I also reduced to 4 days a week for a few months, work were happy for me to take whatever day off suited me each week so I had loads of flexibility. I often took Friday one week and Monday the week after so I had a nice long weekend.

I’ve changed job since, back to 5 days, it took a while to adjust!
I work from home now though so no transport costs.

Covid and flu vaccinations

My first office job was with a frozen food wholesaler. Staff got a turkey every Christmas. Only perk Ive ever had.

For a very brief period, being able to use a city centre car park for free after work hours and at weekends. It wasn't for long, but those few months transformed weekend shopping/ leisure outings.
Happy memories!

Work term time only( it's crazy during term time though!)

Use of season tickets for the local premiership rugby team.

At a pub in my youth, if you worked the busy Sunday lunch shift you got a bowl of leftover roasties afterwards. Those were legendary spuds. I used to handover to the evening bartender and sit with a Guinness and my roasties until my feet recovered for the trip home.

Flexible hours
Covid jabs
Free food for all meals
Not counting disability sickness as sickness

COVID & flu vaccs! We also get a uniform, but not entirely sure I would class that as a perk 😬

I get a lot of gifts at Xmas from people who want to work with me.
These range from fancy hampers to theatre tickets.

My DH got free accommodation for a year in one of his jobs! Lovely apartment in Chicago!!!