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Original poster

Office perks you love?

138 replies

getawayfromme · 08/02/2022 19:53

I've always worked in genuinely shit offices - leaky air con, no natural light etc.

Then today I visited the new site I'm being moved to and it's amazing - there is a free hot chocolate station, free breakfast, free electric scooter hire and it's own roof terrace. I'm quite excited for it all.

So what are your best office perks?

OP posts:
BocolateChiscuits · 09/02/2022 12:05

I once worked in a tech startup that got quite a bit of money, and moved into some newly done offices. They hired a full-time designer to deck it out.

It had: a nap room, a craft room stocked with crafty bits, a meeting room that had a living wall of plants, a comfy nook room with a log burner and lots of wood, a nice kitchen with lots of free tea/coffee/fruit, comfy cafe style seating, a bar football room, a machine that squeezed fresh orange juice, a purpose built meet-up room, free beer/soft drink fridges, and probably stuff I've forgotten. The office was all very stylish, it got featured in some online startup article type things.

We all felt very spoilt - it was actually surreal how nice it was. The company probably spent more money than it should have - it did get into financial difficulty (other factors involved).

CailleachGranda · 09/02/2022 13:48

Can I ask those who get these perks, are your salaries lower than public sector? Do these perks make up a living wage?

Do your companies charge customers more to fund these?

HelloKeith · 09/02/2022 14:41

@CailleachGranda

Can I ask those who get these perks, are your salaries lower than public sector? Do these perks make up a living wage?

Do your companies charge customers more to fund these?

In the glory days of working for big pharma you had a decent wage as well as the free dentist, free gym, free tea/coffee, free parking, cheap canteen, hair dresser and dry cleaners on site, discounted staff shop. Also final salary pension plus share save schemes and great redundancy which meant few people worked over the age of 50. Now? Not so much.
shumway · 09/02/2022 14:48

Wow. I work in an office but can't think of any perks.

maddiemookins16mum · 09/02/2022 17:43

@CailleachGranda

Can I ask those who get these perks, are your salaries lower than public sector? Do these perks make up a living wage?

Do your companies charge customers more to fund these?

Honestly? Yes.
NWE231 · 09/02/2022 18:24

@CailleachGranda

Can I ask those who get these perks, are your salaries lower than public sector? Do these perks make up a living wage?

Do your companies charge customers more to fund these?

Yes but no final salary scheme and no overtime.
anotherheadache · 09/02/2022 19:18

@NWE231 public sector final salary pensions went a long time ago.

PonyPatter44 · 09/02/2022 19:32

DP and i are both public sector - the few perks are 8 weeks' annual leave (for DP, at least - I get 6.5 weeks), lots of free veg from on-site gardens, on-site gym, free parking... thats about it.

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 09/02/2022 20:17

Public sector - in the years we get a meagre pay rise in April, it takes the unions until November to argue about it, so it comes as backpack at Christmas.

SaySomethingMan · 09/02/2022 20:37

We’ve got a chocolate station, an excellent coffee machine with free coffee and a sandwich toaster. There’s also bits of free snacks here and there.

Rummikub · 09/02/2022 20:45

@IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads

Public sector - in the years we get a meagre pay rise in April, it takes the unions until November to argue about it, so it comes as backpack at Christmas.
Oh my god this is so true 😂😂
BobbyeinArkansas · 09/02/2022 21:22

Free breakfast foods, cereal, toast, yoghurts.
Fresh fruit basket,
Free drinks - Nespresso machine in the office.
free lunch on Friday which since covid has changed to any day you want.
Free laptops.
Beautiful office with a balcony.
Breakout room with fussball and table tennis.
We get sent treats regularly at home for Valentine’s Day, Christmas, Diwali.
It’s a great office.

OnGoldenPond · 09/02/2022 22:37

I've worked in a few places that announced to me proudly that they offered free breakfast in the office as a perk.

It soon became clear that they did this because they expected you to be working there pretty much 24/7. I am always very suspicious of such employers now.

CailleachGranda · 09/02/2022 22:49

[quote anotherheadache]@NWE231 public sector final salary pensions went a long time ago. [/quote]
Quite. I don't get overtime either.

CounsellorTroi · 10/02/2022 06:19

At my old place, kitchen with fridge, microwave, boiling/chilled water tap. We weren’t allowed toasters because of them setting the fire alarm off. Joys of public sector.

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 10/02/2022 06:30

@CounsellorTroi

At my old place, kitchen with fridge, microwave, boiling/chilled water tap. We weren’t allowed toasters because of them setting the fire alarm off. Joys of public sector.
In a previous job, we weren’t allowed a microwave because of food smells in an open plan office. Fine, except we were in a little side street full of restaurants, and the office was full of food smells anyway.

In my current (public sector) job, we’re not allowed kettles. We have Zip taps instead, with the child locks fitted and set below boiling. We’re allowed toasters though.

Ifailed · 10/02/2022 06:55

do all of you getting free food, drink, parking, medical care etc. pay tax on these as they are a benefit?

Solasum · 10/02/2022 07:07

Err. Air conditioning that makes it warmer/colder than ambient. And that is about it.

TheDoveFromAboveCooCoo · 10/02/2022 07:08

Currently WFH so perks are no commute and cats 😂

Previous jobs included a staff shop at a greeting card company where you could get a bin bag full of wrapping paper, cards, ribbons, bows etc etc for about £2. Amazing at Christmas.

And another with free coffee/tea and fruit and chill out rooms with beanbags and pool tables.

CheesePlantMurderer · 10/02/2022 07:13

Free heat and light 🙄😂
NHS offices don't tend to do perks other than the basics were not even allowed a kettle 😂

OnGoldenPond · 10/02/2022 07:13

[quote anotherheadache]@NWE231 public sector final salary pensions went a long time ago. [/quote]
That's not true as I joined one less than a year ago. Higher education sector.

LubaLuca · 10/02/2022 07:13

A masseur visits once a month. We get lots of perks as others here do (food and drink etc), but free massages is the only one I've never come across elsewhere.

OnGoldenPond · 10/02/2022 07:15

@Ifailed

do all of you getting free food, drink, parking, medical care etc. pay tax on these as they are a benefit?
Only the medical care out of that list would be taxable as a benefit in kind as long as they are offered to all staff.
LubaLuca · 10/02/2022 07:18

@Ifailed

do all of you getting free food, drink, parking, medical care etc. pay tax on these as they are a benefit?
Healthcare schemes are, but the others would be classed as gifts available to everyone.
RagzRebooted · 10/02/2022 07:20

@TroysMammy

Free car parking. Free flu jab. Free tea and coffee. Endless supply of cakes, chocolates and biscuits from patients. Free masks, hand gel. Blood pressure check and unlimited use of the weighing scales.
Ditto We also all have really well stocked first aid kits because when any supplies go out of date, they have to be thrown away Wink. There are very few perks to the job, but that one comes in handy!
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