Your best W*rk related PERKS!

[aja8888]

Based on the recent "editor's perks" thread, I see that several here have started to list their company or other income producing venue perks as a response to the thread article.

So let's have some fun!

Post your (or ones you have witnessed) perks associated with your w*rk life.

Here's a few of mine from a time gone by (1985 - 1992):

1. Paid Country Club membership (was VP General Manager of a consulting firm with nationwide offices. I was the Los Angeles guy)

2. Company car with car phone (1989). Unlimited use and paid fuel, etc, etc.

3. Unlimited expense account for entertaining, nice restaurants, event tickets, etc.

4. Sat on the Board and set annual bonuses for officers (I was one) with taxes made up!

Boy, those were the days!!

Let's hear yours!!

 

[braumeister]

I had to buy my own plane tickets on my own personal credit card and submit a travel voucher for reimbursement after the trip. Not such a great deal, but I got to keep all the frequent flyer miles that way so I considered that a perk. I did so much international travel, almost all of it on Pan Am, that I got a lifetime membership to Clipper Club, their airport lounge. When Delta later bought the Pan Am routes, they gave me lifetime membership in their Crown Room (It's now called Sky Club). So that's a perk that carried over into retirement.

 

[Ronstar]

1. Paid college tuition and books.

2. Chicago Bulls season tickets during the Jordan era.

3. Somewhat of an unlimited expense account, but I didn’t use it much.

4. Work from home, snowbird condo, or wherever I wanted. And whenever I wanted for the most part.

4. No dress code.

5. Cell phone and computer that I kept after I retired. To include 4 years of cell bills post retirement.

 

[GrayHare]

It was spelled PERCS here, as in as much caffeine as I wanted.

 

[6miths]

Free green pyjamas.

 

[Dtail]

For awhile unlimited expense account
No real dress code for the last 10 years in an industry with a dress code
Indirectly related - great Stable Value account in the 401k

 

[MrsHaloFIRE]

HaloFIRE is driving but would like to contribute:
-all expenses paid long trips to areas enjoying war

-complimentary unscheduled urinalysis

-free helo rides

-free parachuting. In fact they paid ME to jump

-daily dedicated time for fitness

Satire aside, the opportunity to serve was the best "perk"

 

[Rustic23]

running around at twice the speed of sound!

 

[Bir48die]

Unlimited travel

All the food and drink imaginable

Bottomless expense account

Yearly trip hosted by my broker to Mexico or the Caribbean

Awesome deferred comp program

Generous bonus opportunities

Yet there was a downside to all of that that would have spelled heart attack at some point.

 

[aja8888]

Yet there was a downside to all of that that would have spelled heart attack at some point.

I think I have been in that potential downside. I gave up all the perks and moved to Texas and went out on my own. Then I was financially responsible for any perks I wanted. Things really slowed down at that point.

 

[marko]

Company was very image conscious. I was also on the road internationally for 200 days a year.

First class flights
Hotel suites (had to be a suite whenever possible) at St Regis/Four Seasons etc.
New Mercedes S every 2 years (gas and insurance included)
The aforementioned 4 bedroom/2 bath apartment in downtown Paris
Unlimited expense account; food/drink no restrictions; expectation of very high end entertaining
Red Sox suite; parking under/inside Fenway Park where the players park.

Strangely, golf was frowned upon!! Company would pay if you took someone golfing but it wasn't considered the 'right thing to do'. Eating and drinking was more of the expectation.

Twenty+ years of some really good times, but all things must come to an end!

 

[joeea]

Post your (or ones you have witnessed) perks associated with your w*rk life.

Well I got a paycheck fairly regularly.

So I got that goin' for me, which was nice.

 

[Pscott2019]

Well I got a paycheck fairly regularly.



So I got that goin' for me, which was nice.

Yes I had take same perk. That was and still is about it. I chose the wrong profession and/or company.

 

[Cobra9777]

I had some perks similar to what others have listed, mainly frequent flyer miles (that I'm still burning through), upgrades to business class, and a very generous expense account. But for me, the biggest "perk" was all the compensation on top of base salary: annual bonus, profit sharing, stock options, ESPP, RSUs, 401K match, and extra expat pay. And now I have a DB pension and subsidized retiree health insurance, which is really just deferred compensation from my working days. For my ER plan, all that extra comp was way more valuable and appreciated than tickets to the ballpark.

 

[Freedom56]

I was a VP during my last 5 years and a director for 6 years before that. These are some of the perks we received:

1- Free espresso/cappuccino/coffee/drinks. Free lunches and free dinners if working late.

2- LA Dodgers tickets (4), LA Lakers tickets (4), all with free parking and access to press club.

3- Business Class or first class travel on any journey greater than 4 hours with one free companion ticket up to two times per year. Had to stay at Marriott hotels if available.

4- Generous expense accounts for entertaining clients

5- Generous restricted stock units plan with 2 year vesting

6- Cash bonus based on performance (up to 170% of base salary).

7- World phone and laptop provided.

8- Free Microsoft software for home use

9- Executive retreats 2 times per year (Aspen, Lake Louise, Lake Tahoe)

10 - Theater tickets at Hollywood Pantages theater plus dinner for two up to $400, two times a year.

11 - Free tickets to Universal studios Hollywood.

12 - 401K with 100% match up to 9% of your base salary.

13 - Generous defined benefit pension plan with optional medical, dental, and vision coverage.

14 -Discounts at online merchants.

Now we cover most of those perks on our own.

 

[MRG]

Pretty decent. The best were 6 weeks of vacation every year and profit sharing.

I had a half million in retirement funds and had contributed exactly zero dollars to it.

 

[trumpeting_angel]

I guess being a psychologist in the non-profit world was missing more than a high salary! No company match on the 403(b).

For years, I had a $200 allowance for continuing education (more than that needed just to maintain my license). One year, I got a Christmas bonus - wait for it - $15.

For years I had the hated beeper . . . Was that a perk?

 

[Walt34]

I had a free car with free fuel but I had to keep it inside the County I worked for.

Free uniforms and when I went into the Fraud Section, a clothing allowance for suits.

Free guns and ammunition, and all the target practice I wanted.

Oh, and a free bullet-proof vest.

A steady paycheck that never bounced.

A free annual physical exam. Flunk that, you've got 30 days to fix it or you're done, with some exceptions.

And now, best of all, a DB COLA'd pension and heavily subsidized health insurance. I rarely see a medical bill and when I do it's usually ~$10. Prescriptions normally are $5, sometimes $10. (BTW, they don't offer that plan anymore to new hires.)

 

[pb4uski]

Not much here.... traveled a lot and could spend pretty much as I wanted but being frugal me I was prudent.... OTOH, I never had any expenses questioned or rejected.

Best perk was international first class for travel to Australia and Asia, international business class to Europe and first class in the US for trips over 3 hours.

Also, when the firm had annual practice meetings they tended to be at some really nice places... The Breakers, Doral, etc.

 

[Dash man]

I was paid to fly throughout Europe and the US.

Three quarters of my Master’s degree paid for.

Membership to a private club with discounted drinks.

Paid moving expenses every few years or less.

Free health care, including medical, dental and vision.

Regular paycheck with tax breaks.

Three days off after long trips.

Free leather jacket, flight suits and boots.

Clear standards of dress.

Mandatory fun events.

Free gun range.

Free survival training.

$25/night vacation lodging in a beach bungalow in Hawaii.

Discounted groceries.

Never had to worry about how much my bonus would be.

ETA: Thirty days paid vacation each year, including weekends, as long as they knew where I was so they could call me back at any time, night or day.

 

[FireFool]

The perks I miss most in retirement are:
o the company gym
o a very good on-site health services - cheap xrays, physicals, medical massages, ...
o a really good CDP rate for rental cars that was allowed to be used for personal use as well

 

[W2R]

Our agency was under a lot of intense scrutiny, constantly, so we had to scrupulously avoid the appearance of wrongdoing. The perks I can remember are:

1) At conferences, we could have coffee/snacks provided by non-governmental hosts of the conference, as long as the value was under $6. If every attendee got dinner and it was specifically paid for by the government at a specific amount as part of the conference fees, we could eat dinner (but this was tricky if we didn't have written proof, so we often just bowed out). We could never let any industry folks buy dinner for us individually, or take us to play golf or anything like that. Seriously, we had one guy taken off in handcuffs from work for doing that.

2) At trade shows, we sometimes got a free pen or keyring or something like that at various booths, if they were given free to every attendee.

3) When traveling we got a per diem, so if I spent less on meals I could pocket the rest once they gave it to me.

4) We got free flu shots at work. All we had to do was go down to the conference room and stand in line, and that was on work time, not on our own time.

5) One year on "Employee Appreciation Day", upper management gave every employee a free polo shirt with the agency name printed on it. They got in trouble for doing that, so never again. I still have mine.

 

[RockyMtn]

1. First class travel.
2. $1400 monthly car allowance.
3. Umbrella insurance policy.
4. Company paid apartment and car at location I needed to be at three to four weeks a month.
5. Car service instead of taxis.
6. Event tickets.
7. Cell phone and service.

 

[Sue J]

I worked for Fotomat for a couple years. First, part time as a Fotomate in a kiosk and then later in the district offices. All the stores would turn in their expired film and our office would log it for credit. Then it was to be disposed of but us office staff could have it if we wanted it. DH and I were into collecting old cameras at the time so I had a steady supply of very usable film, 35mm, 120, 220, etc and also plenty of Polaroid. Kept in the refrigerator, these lasted a long time.

 

[Huston55]

I have to admit that after making this list, I was surprised at how many nice perqs there were. Almost makes me want to [-]go back to work[/-]...NOT!

1. BC/FC international travel & occasional company private jet travel
2. Profit sharing
3. Occasional use of company luxury private residences (West Coast & East Coast)
4. Company paid golf trips
5. Annual Senior Mgt retreats
6. Retention of all points from work-travel CC purchases
7. Frequent lodging in 5-star accommodations
8. Company paid life insurance
9. Generous expense fund @ my discretion for employee/team functions
10. Company funded housing on many assignments
11. Occasional company provided auto
12. Reimbursed Bus/Grad School
13. Very generous 401k match
14. Small DB pension
15. Pretty high-end service awards