Live Music At Your Desk, West End Shows, Star Wars Cinemas And Secret Holidays!
Over a third (34 percent) of people(1) report that perks are the most important consideration before accepting a job at a company, which is why some companies are getting more and more inventive when it comes to dreaming up what they can offer employees.
Beyond pensions, travel card loans and “bike to work” schemes, what are some of the more creative, unique and surprising perks that some employees in the UK are enjoying?
1. Hotjar provides employees with €4,000 to build their own office space at home.
2. TransferWise has a built in office sauna for all employees to use.
3. BrewDog offers employees ‘paid puppy leave’, a week of paid holiday to help their dogs settle in.
4. Winton Capital Management employs a “Food Evangelist” to make sure everyone has advice on the best food to suit their needs.
5. Money.co.uk moved all their staff to a renovated castle with a built in Star Wars themed cinema room.
6. VisitBritain employees receive free West End theatre tickets through partners and the organisation facilitates regular trips to some of the best new attractions or events across Britain.
7. JustEat gives employees free food and drink every Friday with a resident DJ spinning the decks so that they can dance the evening away at the office.
8. Cloudreach takes all employees on ‘secret holidays’ across Europe and North America to have fun and look at the year ahead.
9. Buzzfeed UK gets some of the best British musical talent to the office every Thursday to perform for employees.
10. Expedia UK supplies employees with a ‘Wellness Allowance” of anything between £400-£1200 to spend on fitness related items of their choice such as running shoes, gym memberships, sports clubs etc.
11. UKFast gives one extra week paid leave when employees get married and £10,000 bonus for ten years’ service to the business.
12. Smarkets believe in a ‘self-management structure’, meaning you come in when you want and decide what you work on. They also employ a team of full-time chefs to cook breakfast, lunch and dinner daily for staff at their London HQ.
13. Yell offers an uncapped commission structure. Earn as much money as you can.
14. Harrods gives staff 33 percent discount on all items and 50 percent reduction for business attire.
15. Facebook fully supports family planning, with assistance for adoption or surrogacy and ‘baby cash’ to help with newborn expenses.
16. Qubit offers weekly yoga, meditation and pilates classes.
17. ZPG offer employees interest-free loans for home improvements or even weddings.
18. WorldFirst has an arcade machine with classic games for employees to play.
19. TPP (The Phoenix Partnership) employees with annual sailing trips to glamorous locations across the world.
20. Mind Gym supplies employees with cocktails every Friday.
Interested in this topic? Read our Econ report on ‘Why Do Employees Stay?’
Editor’s Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and editorial staff of Glassdoor. The companies and perks highlighted in this article are curated by the editorial staff, listed in no particular order, and do not necessarily reflect the official methodology of Glassdoor’s official awards or honours.
1. Survey conducted online within United Kingdom by Harris Poll on behalf of Glassdoor from December 21-23, 2015 among 1,043 adults ages 18 and older, among which 601 are employed full time/part time/self-employed or not employed but looking for a job.