Perks That Work: 7 Crazy Employee Benefits You Wish Your Job Had 

While many people are still struggling just to find jobs that pay a fair and worthwhile salary, others are entering an entirely new realm in the working world. With technology and financial services driving the economy, businesses in those sectors need talent and skill to continue pushing the envelope. These are jobs that pay good money and come with a number of unique benefits and perks.

You’ve seen how companies like Facebook, for example, have luxurious, relaxed campuses. Employees come and go, take breaks on incredible and impeccably landscaped terraces and lawns. They can go bowling, or take a break for bocce ball whenever the timing feels right. These are but a few examples of some of the outrageous perks that many employers are offering employees.

Because if you want the top talent, you need to take your carrot-and-stick game up a notch. The incentives have to be truly unbelievable.

Employee perks and benefits: an arms race

In these hotbeds of talent and skill, an arms race of sorts has broken out among the ｃountry’s most-admired companies. It’s why we’re starting to see companies entice employees with free cars, cash bonuses, extended vacations, and paternal and maternal leave. Employers need to beef up their compensation packages, and some of the perks that are being included are outrageous.

It’s not just a fruit basket, or a holiday bonus anymore. Check out these seven crazy employee perks that some employers are giving their employees.

1. Tesla leases
What if your gig came with a lease for a brand new Tesla Model 3? They aren’t even on the market yet, but that’s exactly one of the perks that one employer is offering his staff members. The company, North Carolina-based startup Practichem, has plans to outfit each employee, now and in the future, with a Model 3 once they become available.

2. Paid weddings
The average wedding these days costs between $20,000 and $30,000. And when getting married can eat up the lion’s share of your yearly salary, it can be hard to justify the expense. But one company, Boxed Wholesale, has announced plans to help pay for its employees’ ceremonies.

“We just felt like once someone is part of the Boxed family, we want to be there for them in their time of need,” said Boxed CEO Chieh Huang. “It then just felt right to extend this benefit to all our valued employees.”

3. Unlimited vacation days
A lot of companies have started giving their employees lots of vacation days — and in some cases, unlimited vacation days. Obviously, there’s room here for abuse but if you don’t show up for work for two months, you’re probably going to find yourself out of a job. And it’s not just small startups who are trying to attract talent, either. Companies that offer unlimited vacation include General Electric, Netflix, and Virgin Group.

4. Student loan repayment
As The Cheat Sheet has covered before, another new perk many big companies are offering to help pay off their employees’ student debt. This sounds like a good idea, and if it’s free money to help tackle debt, it’s hard to turn it down. The government is currently working on legislation to help employers contribute to loan balances as tax-free compensation, but it’s not clear if the trend will continue to catch on.

5. Remote work stipends
Working remotely is an option available to many workers these days, but getting paid to go far away and work remotely? That’s somewhat rare. One company is actually offering employees up to $2,000 to get the hell out of the office for a while. As long as they have 24/7 connectivity to keep abreast of work, lawyers working for Quinn Emanuel can take the money and run.

6. Concierge service
How would you like it if your company employed people to do all your errands for you? Many employers do, offering concierge service to their employees who can take care of all sorts of tasks — be it grocery shopping, picking up dry cleaning, or running the kids to and from school. Basically, somebody’s getting paid to take care of the stuff you don’t want to do, giving you your free time back.

7. Sports and fitness
Gym memberships and fitness center access is becoming a common benefit and perk for many workers, but some companies are going above and beyond. There are now rock climbing walls, basketball and volleyball courts, recreation rooms, yoga studios, and even nap rooms springing up at many companies, all in an effort to help employees stay fit and active. And if you’re putting in a lot of hours at the office? Well, you kind of need those recreational options available to you — for fitness, and your sanity.

Article Source: https://www.cheatsheet.com/money-career/perks-employee-benefits.html/
Image Source: https://2e8ram2s1li74atce18qz5y1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/shutterstock_428032408.jpg

VOCABULARY WORDS:
1. Perk (n./ informal) ~ money, goods, or other benefit to which one is entitled as an employee or as a shareholder of a company
2. Luxurious (adj.) ~ extremely comfortable, elegant, or enjoyable, especially in a way that involves great expense
3. Impeccable (adj.) ~ (of behavior, performance, or appearance) in accordance with the highest standards of propriety faultless
4. Outrageous (adj.) ~ wildly exaggerated or improbable
5. Lion's share (idiom) ~ the biggest or greatest part
6. Stipend (n.) ~ a fixed regular sum paid as a salary or allowance
7. Abreast (adv.) ~ up to date with the latest news, ideas, or information
8. Sanity (n.) ~ the ability to think and behave in a normal and rational manner sound mental health

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1. What are the perks mentioned above? Discuss each briefly.
2. Which of the additional incentive mentioned above is the most interesting for you? Why?
3. What are the incentives offered in your company?
4. Why is it beneficial for companies to make the employees happy?