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

That should read regular cancer checks

Long ago: very low then (1-2%) mortgage rates, low/no interest loans

Reasonably recently: car allowance (which I took to maximise my employer's very good matched contribution pension), very good salary, which meant that all the related employer benefits like private health and dental care, etc were maximised; the three days between Christmas and New Year for free, birthday given for free, business class occasionally first class flight upgrades and first class Eurostar travel. Other flexible benefits "pots" from which to buy extra holiday. etc.

I miss those benefits these days - but not the work! 🌹

being able to go to the cinema/ shopping/ paid for meals out, day trips and holidays, as part of the job

Nice hotels, spa breaks, horse racing, theatre, dinners and parties. Bonuses.

I worked in a sweets and chocolate shop in my teens. Free All you can eat sweets and chocolate during work hours and 50% off everything store wide!
I loved this!

25 years ago, a flash company car & free fuel - for personal use as well as business. Goodness knows what the tax liability would be on that today!

Hideous I can tell you, but it's nice getting to choose a new car every 3 years and not worry about it breaking down or servicing it.

In my last job I paid £40 a month for an on-site parking space and even factoring in petrol costs, it was cheaper than my monthly train ticket. Even better, it was in the city centre and I had 24/7 access so it was really convenient for shopping/hair appointments/days out at the weekend. No more waiting around for trains! I really miss it

None! We don't even get bank holidays or sick pay!

When I was 22 I was doing a years working visa holiday in Australia and got a job as a receptionist in a British company based in the CBD in Sydney (lived just around the corner at that time). They were on about the 61st floor and the meeting room had a huge window down one side from which you could see the Opera House, Harbour Bridge etc. One of my jobs was to keep the big fridge in that room restocked and it was full to the brim with beers, champagne etc. Every Friday at 4pm all the staff were invited in to sit around the table and drink as much as they liked. We usually sat there for a few hours and drank and watched the sunset over the harbour. Amazing!

The other one was when I was 21 and did a temp job for John Freida at their HQ in London. I was only there 2 months but had free access to the stock samples cupboard (all the samples were full size products). I took a bag full home each week - I have very curly firzzy hair and the amount of stuff I got lasted for years!

Free NHS dentistry.
Very reduced price for private dentistry (only lab bills)
More than half price for cosmetic treatments.
£10 for whitening tubes saved about £20 on them.

I worked for a large brewer, we would regularly be taken to the pub at lunchtime by our managers with much alcohol consumed. A beer allowance of one free case a month and many a morning would find a collection of short dated bottles on my desk. When new restaurants or bars opened we would be invited to come down a few days before opening to trial run the menu and staff. On occasions I would go out on dray deliveries, being offered a drink at every pub. Best job I ever had.

Different in different companies

• company 1 - regular (paid for) company trips & nights out, free shares
• company 2 - final salary pension, union-negotiated pay rises & bonuses each year
• company 3 - lots of work abroad, mostly business class travel & nice hotels, could use air miles for holidays, onsite gym
• company 4 - generous pension (company pay 15%), agreed annual pay rises/bonuses, work-life balance actively encouraged.

Depends where you are in life as to which is best - nights out/time away/travel great when younger, less so with young children.

Private health care, saved me a 6 month+ wait for a debilitating condition

Not to be up my own arse but my work gives us a free hot drink once a year. We’re so lucky! Feel free to work here too

Free fruit, Good bean to cup coffee*
and free sanitary protection.
Those day to day perks were just lovely and contributed to a good working atmosphere.

*there was also 10plus types of tea for tea drinkers and multiple types of milk.

Cheap holidays :-)

Sick leave without being fired and the knowledge that my salary would definitely go in by a certain date each month. Anything else is a bonus.

I’m a teacher. There’s not one single perk. No tea or coffee, no free lunch ever, and I even have to pay for my own pens and pencils sometimes as we don’t have any left.

@LoopyGremlin

I’m a teacher. There’s not one single perk. No tea or coffee, no free lunch ever, and I even have to pay for my own pens and pencils sometimes as we don’t have any left.

The holidays are nice though eh.

Free red pens as long as I use most of the ink for marking.

My current job: 30 days sick pay to use as I like, fx. cold, stomach bug, period pain. You are NOT expected to work if you aren’t feeling healthy. Free swimming. Health club allowance. 12 days of sick pay in case of a sick child. Good pension. Union fees paid for.

My old job: the work trips, and £90/day food allowance. Although we worked abroad with no set return home times, often in hotels with no kitchenette so sometimes spent 3 months eating out, everyday and nearly 3 years on I’m still trying to break the habit.

Previous company I worked for would pay for and take us a day out in the summer, usually places of interest, like bath and Oxford, the best one was Euro Disney

Current job there are no perks, currently on risk of redundancy as the company has moved our division to another location, I'm WFH for the foreseeable training the people that are replacing our team

Though up until last year they arranged for ice cream van to stay all day for 1 summers day and we had free ice cream

Work expenses paid 10 days in Japan and another trip for a week in Canada to a resort for an ‘away week’ where the whole company got together and talked about important work stuff but mainly to have fun times and bond.
More recently, from career change it’s free flu jab, covid jabs, and occasional present or letter from a thankful patient which is the best thing in the world!

@LoopyGremlin

I’m a teacher. There’s not one single perk. No tea or coffee, no free lunch ever, and I even have to pay for my own pens and pencils sometimes as we don’t have any left.

This can't have been a serious post

13 weeks holiday and a gold standard pension scheme obviously don't count as perks of the job