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

17 weeks holiday a year.
Free accommodation
All meals, snacks and drinks catered.

@AtleastitsnotMonday

17 weeks holiday a year. Free accommodation All meals, snacks and drinks catered.

Those with lots of holidays

Presumably factored in to your pay! If I was offered 17 weeks and it would understandably mean pro rata... it would be A thanks but not thanks from me!

Cheap mortgage. My DF told me to take the job just for that. He was right.

I'm a self-employed dog-walker - there are definitely lots of perks:

• setting my own hours/days - the flexibility is amazing
• being able to play/walk with dogs all day long
• being able to pick and choose which customers I work with
• the job satisfaction is amazing and it's done wonders for my mental health. Even when I have a bad day, I still love my job and I've never once dreaded going to work in the morning.

@MusicMenu

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

You mean teaching? The holiday is unpaid and the pension no longer gold standard. Those days are gone. And yes, if there are no pencils, someone has to buy them.

I worked in Sydney for a while. Drinks every Friday from 5pm. Free bar. Balcony overlooking the harbour. Amazing!

I am a teacher. The pension is way better than almost any other and the holiday is not unpaid.

Holiday is not unpaid in teaching
Don’t be daft
It worries me that you post that and also teach children

We also have our (generous) sick pay entitlement calculated on career service, not continuous service. How many others can say that. Why are some teachers so determined to be miserable with their lot?

I get a £3.00 per day allowance for food (I work in the kitchen so cook it!) but I mostly spend mine on bags of popcorn/flapjacks/the occasional pre packed sandwich or sushi. I send these in for snack or lunch for DD at school so that’s a nice saving.

We have an outside pool that staff can use end of May to end of September during evenings and weekends. It is free for staff to use but local residents can buy a pass for around £100. During the day in school holidays it is used by an on site kids club so evenings only.

I get 50% off the aforementioned kids club so £15 a day (not much use when I work term time, but I have used it a couple of times at my daughters request)

We have a small fitness suite, staff can use it between 4:10pm and 6:10pm. I don’t use this though.

We are about a 5 minute walk away from the town and my staff card allows me to access the site to park of an evening or weekend. Saves me £2.50 to park in the multi storey.

I can borrow books from the extensive library which is nice and easy.

We have an on-site composting machine and can grab a free bag of compost.

We got a lovely hamper for Christmas this year instead of a meal from an outside catering company.

Some of these are probably stretching the term perk a bit!!!

Free school dinners for teachers. Lucky us.

6 weeks off in the summer- every summer!

flexitime
beautiful outside space
occasional travel to countries/places I'd not normally go to

@Egghead81

Holiday is not unpaid in teaching Don’t be daft It worries me that you post that and also teach children

Did I say I was? Oh dear.

As much gravel as you could take home at the end of each day in your pockets.

Worked there for more almost twenty years and only got enough gravel to create a path two thirds of the way to my Pigeon Loft

I got shares in a past job and sold them a few years ago - got enough to buy my car!

Free health care, a massive range of employee discounts, and a decent pension scheme are my current perks. (Not including a free meal per shift and free drinks while working)

@SuperSange

* The holiday is unpaid and the pension no longer gold standard. *

Yep, that’s what you said

Not having a contract.

When the business was rudderless, I swooped and took it away. Jobs were saved. Customers were serviced. And I gained a career.

Flying business class, only done it once but it has ruined my experience of flying economy 😂

Loads of free trips abroad (Oz, NZ, SA to name a few) which included fabulous day trips and hotels. I worked in the travel industry. Rubbish pay but great perks.

Can someone explain to me around the teachers not being paid in the holidays? I’ve heard this before and I don’t get it.

For a salary had advertised at 26k if you aren’t paid during the holidays do teachers get paid 26k or a pro rata at 49 weeks that’s 19.5k a year. Which do the teachers actually get paid?

If they do get paid 26k for the year couldn’t they advertise the salary at 34.6k as the 26k would be the pro rata amount?

My last job did flexi time which was great as it meant I could bag myself a couple of extra days off each month just by virtue of being stuck on the M25 so late off work as my hours were calculated from the time I left the house to the time I got home.

Current job, well, my employer just sent us all chocolate buttons in the post the best perk for me though is a manager who is flexible, understanding of issues I've had with my health and around kids etc and is genuinely a nice person.

Teenagers point out to me when I'm looking like shit.

I worked for a travel firm for a looooong time. Before I left I got 2K every year towards a holiday.

Used to work for a parcel carrier and also was selling loads in ebay so sent the parcels for free and got paid p & p.
Also worked in a bakers and got massive discount on amazing birthday cakes.