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Original poster

What perks did you have because of your parents job?

249 replies

SanFranBear · 24/08/2021 22:47

My dad worked in Air Traffic Control and finished his career working at Heathrow. I was lucky enough to go on several visits to the top of the tower and see the incredible work that happens there... the radar screens, the dishes out on the roof and the best view of planes taking off in the airport. I cannot imagine that this would be allowed today (it was 30 odd years ago when I visited) and it was a genuine treat!

My mum managed a dry cleaners which was ace as it meant I could buy whatever really - most of my friend weren't allowed dry-clean only clothes Grin

What sort of perks or treats did you get because of the jobs your parents had?

OP posts:
TooExtraImmatureCheddar · 25/08/2021 06:32

Free chicken, mainly. Dad was a chicken farm manager and would get boxes of whole chickens sent back from the factory as a perk. He also won tickets to T in the Park in the company raffle once.

Mum: stationery, and later work experience and a summer job (solicitor’s office).

Roguehair · 25/08/2021 06:46

My dad was a doctor, so rarely needed to see my actual GP. I was also able to do work experience in the hospital he worked in( the days before red tape was needed) and name drop at med school interviewsBlush. Mum was a teacher, so lots of after school tutoring for us.

Thecomfortador · 25/08/2021 06:48

My dad taught, so as well as being around in the summer holidays I was his pupil for a year before I left primary school. Mum had various jobs - school secretary, so we had scrap paper (in fact I still have a pad, many years after she retired), and at one point she worked in a small specialist boarding school and sometimes brought the kids to our house at the weekend to play, totally wouldn't be allowed now. So, free friends, I guess.

Sgtmajormummy · 25/08/2021 06:57

A company car and a free turkey at Christmas. One year we had three (one bought, one given and one from winning a darts competition) and we were eating it up from the freezer for about 6 months!

Frankenstein prototypes of pens that never went into production.

A Summer job that paid well all through university. Production line work that gave me nightmares, but I also worked at the local pub which made up for it.

LittleGreenTable · 25/08/2021 06:58

My dad was a chef when I was young so always been treated to good proper food and then he moved to work on the railway so have had free train travel along the east coast for years

cricketmum84 · 25/08/2021 07:00

My mum worked at the local video shop. They used to send new releases out for the owner to watch a few weeks ahead of release so he could decide how many copies to stock so we always got to watch the new releases before anyone else. Also got boxes of crisps that were short dated.

She also worked in a chippy and would bring free fish and chips home at the end of her shift.

Camrette · 25/08/2021 07:05

I didn’t have to apply for my first three jobs, the first two were working for my dad (first cleaner, then office junior) and the third was working for my mum’s employers-started in the summer holidays as a temp then got offered a proper job without having to apply or do an interview!

Camrette · 25/08/2021 07:06

Oh and stationery, endless amounts of scrap paper and envelopes!

Eaglesqueak · 25/08/2021 07:08

My parents started out as farmers and as DM was (and still is) horse mad, I had lots of ponies from being tiny.
Later on DF became a mechanic and looked after one of the Swizzles reps cars. His boot was like Willy Wonka’s factory and we could have whatever we wanted from there.
It also meant we got good cars very cheaply and could fill up with petrol for next to nothing. I sold my first car after five years for three times what my parents paid for it. To be fair, it had been practically rebuilt due to the rust issues cars had back then and the amount of times it had been dragged out of hedges and ditches…

LyndaMcLynda · 25/08/2021 07:15

Great Uncle was a Beefeater. Got to go round the Tower of London before it was open in the morning and then jump all of the queues!

cricketmum84 · 25/08/2021 07:17

I had a Saturday job at cooplands bakery when I was a teen. We didn't open on a Sunday so whatever was left over at closing time got shared out between the staff. That was epic! Sausage rolls and cream buns for Saturday night tea every week!

Berkeys · 25/08/2021 07:20

I was very skinny because I never got enough to eat. I was homeless on multiple occasions due to admin errors by the DWP. Single parent mum on benefits in the 80s.

BikeRunSki · 25/08/2021 07:20

My dad travelled abroad a lot for work. By the time I was 10 I’d lived in The Netherlands and Texas as well as the UK. Flip side to that, when we were in the UK, he was never home for more than about 10 days. At least he didn’t take us when he went to Saudi Arabia for 2 years though!

Confusedandshaken · 25/08/2021 07:20

My dad was a driving instructor when I was late teens. He offered us all driving lessons in the school dual control cars. All of us said no thanks. Driving seemed too scary and grown up and the thought of ever being able to afford a car was way out of our league. By the time I was ready to learn he no longer worked there and it cost me ££££ for lessons particularly as it took me three goes to pass. I remember calling him from a pay phone inside the Fairfield Halls Croydon to tell him about it and how proud he was.

A better one was my uncle who worked at the Pascal Murray sweet factory in SW London. He bought us massive bags of sweets every visit. Sadly we only got to eat a few, then they'd go on a high shelf and eventually disappear. I realise now my mum was eating them! So that wasn't much of a perk for us really, but I remember the glamorous feeling of getting big bags of stuff that was advertised on tv and not having to pay for it. For a few minutes every visit I felt like a film star.

36degrees · 25/08/2021 07:21

My dad was a teacher, I got to listen to students' tapes while they had been confiscated, discovered loads of new music that way.

72WayTooCool · 25/08/2021 07:26

My Dad was a sales rep for the AA so we got loads of free AA guides. Not very exciting as an 8 year old. The company did used to put on great Christmas parties for the employees children though with a show, food, games and a disco. They were always fun.

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 25/08/2021 07:28

I got to go with my Dad when he took students on day trips - we went to lots of interesting places!

PLus he asked one of his friends to tutor me in some aspects of physics that I was having trouble with. Also saw around some of the university's engineering departments, which was cool.

Got to play Space Invaders pretty much for free whenever we had to go into mum's work with her during holidays. She ran the student union office and bar and would unlock the Space Invaders machine so we could play it without money. Same as handing today's kids a tablet, I suppose! (NB the bar wasn't open at the time and the machine wasn't in where the alcohol was)

Think that's about it.

MoreHairyThanScary · 25/08/2021 07:32

My Dad worked for Wrigleys ( chewing gum) we used to get a counter top box free every month... my mum hated the stuff and we were only allowed it on special occasions ( it was mostly given away to friends). On the upside the company had amazing summer and Christmas events for kids, a sack full of presents at Christmas with games and a roller coaster set up in one of the loading bays!

MoreHairyThanScary · 25/08/2021 07:32

Oh and we got to taste test new flavours of gum!

mynameisnotmichaelcaine · 25/08/2021 07:34

Not my parents (Dad worked for the gas board and mum was a nursery nurse), but my Grandad worked as a foreman in Wolvercote paper mill (for older Oxford folk) and we always had a huge supply of plain and wrapping paper. Perfect for a child who loved making books 🙂

Camomila · 25/08/2021 07:35

Fruit-roll ups.
My dad used to work ski seasons in the US and Canada when I was really young and bring home a wide variety of dried fruit snacks. I don't think fruit roll up type things were available to buy in Italy 30 odd years ago.

RobinHumphries · 25/08/2021 07:35

When we were little we had loads of that printer paper that was concertinaed with holes in the sides.
Then I could get photocopies done
When I was at uni I got free dial up and reduced price mobiles (the dial up was most useful).
Like others my mum was a teacher so had access to lots of textbooks, tuition

viques · 25/08/2021 07:36

My mum was a social worker in a very rural area. After a flood (fairly common where we lived) the council would give out tins of campbells soup to people affected . We used to get the left over ones where the labels were missing for some reason. It was a lucky dip. Were you going to get chicken noodle , oxtail or tomato? Exciting times.

MydogWillow · 25/08/2021 07:40

My dad was a prison officer Confused

Got an ancient clunky government issue desk for my bedroom. It had a lock on the drawer so was actually a great perk for a teenager....Wink

Onehotmess · 25/08/2021 07:44

My mum was a medical sales rep so I had a bedroom full of colostomy bag samples 🙈

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