Employee Perks and Benefits

Luptwngal on 27/09/2021 - 22:39
Last edited 27/09/2021 - 23:09

Hi everyone,

I work in a white collar corporate office job in sydney cbd for the same company for over 10 years across multiple roles within the business.

Im keen to get a sense check from other people in similar, office type roles in sydney (of any major city cbd) and understand what perks, benefits your company provide pre-covid / during covid that you value and has kept you working for your current employer. What keeps you motivated? What benefits do you value?

Currently my employer offers me things like subsidised gym membership (not that I’m using it anymore), discounted health insurance, summer/winter wellness packs, ESPPs etc. I’m keen to know what your employer benefits are.

Education & Work

Comments

  • Plankton on 27/09/2021 - 23:00
    +22

    The thing I value that keeps me working for my employer is that every week they put money in my bank account.

  • Mechz on 27/09/2021 - 23:05

    I just started with a global corp as perm and can already claim back several hundred dollars for a monitor and chair to WFH. On top of that they have good discounts with health insurers and everyday retail shops.

  • coffeeinmyveins on 27/09/2021 - 23:19

    we get 4 wellness days a quarter on top of AL and $80 a week reimbursed for lunches. There's other things but these are the two biggest that are really good.

    • uptwngal on 27/09/2021 - 23:30

      During covid, the company provided a ‘wellness day’ off every 6-8 weeks as well but I can’t see this extended once things get better. We will have to see

    • mskeggs on 27/09/2021 - 23:45

      Just clarifying what a wellness day is.
      Do you mean an additional 16 annual leave days as well as you 4 weeks usual leave?
      Are there any rules around how you can take them?

      • uptwngal on 28/09/2021 - 06:04

        It’s essential a paid day off for you to recharge, relax (approx 8 days per year, only just kicked off during covid at my work) on top of standard 4 weeks annual leave. The day is fixed and announced months prior of that helps

        • mskeggs on 28/09/2021 - 07:29

          Oh, so more like a public holiday for that company. I thought it might have been what we used to call a mental health day, that you could take on a whim.

          • uptwngal on 28/09/2021 - 07:53

            @mskeggs: Did you get paid for a mental health day? Or can you just take it off like a sick day whenever

            • mskeggs on 28/09/2021 - 08:22

              @uptwngal: Yeah, it wasn’t a real ‘program’, just take a sickie and go fishing if you had been working to much.
              Some bosses would suggest it, sometimes you introduced your own well-being program!

      • coffeeinmyveins on 28/09/2021 - 09:02
        +1

        For my work it's treated the same as annual leave. You take it at your whim and the only difference is that they don't accrue outside the quarter. I just had a five day weekend for example.

        The poster below seems to imply that at their workplace it's everyone at once but at mine it's individual

  • KitchenSink on 27/09/2021 - 23:47
    +1

    I've seen stuff like
    - paid training or certifications
    - paid overtime/time in lieu
    - extra paid days off at xmas/NY break
    - team building/social events
    - free breakfast/lunch - trading firms do this
    - flexible work arrangements, most are doing 3 days office/2 at home these days

  • mdavant on 28/09/2021 - 05:31
    -1

    Any so-called perk is just a cheaper alternative than a pay rise to keep employees happy.

    A truly negotiated tailored to the individual benefits/conditions package is what is most desirable.

    • coffeeinmyveins on 28/09/2021 - 09:02
      -1

      No it's not.

      I'm on market rate for my job and we have a lot of perks.

      • mdavant on 28/09/2021 - 09:56

        You could be paid more if you didn't get extras, some of which you may not want /need.

        • coffeeinmyveins on 28/09/2021 - 16:44

          Lol. some of these perks came in after covid hit (wellness days) and are staying. I'm paid what I want for my role and what I am paid doesn't affect the perks and vice versa.

          Weird way of thinking dude.

  • DarkOz on 28/09/2021 - 07:06

    If you drive to work you could ask for free parking or get it subsidised.

  • hmac on 28/09/2021 - 07:16

    Flexibility! I can get a higher paying job elsewhere, but with my current circumstance with uni and placements, I need flexibility whilst still working full time. I can take days off whenever, and at late notice too if i need to.

    As for Perks, we get free phones every few years, complete WFH setup with standing desk and chair included, plenty of staff/corporate discounts at quite a few retailers

  • wiipantz on 28/09/2021 - 08:02

    I have a lifestyle work week at full salary - one RDO a fortnight or 7 hours daily
    Bonus paid at christmas
    Two weeks paid at christmas and NYE without using accrual
    Employee purchasing discounts internally(50%) and externally (Woolies cards 5% ect JBHIFi)
    I have parking paid for
    I get annual pay rises and paid competitively for role
    I have added income protection insurance paid for by employer
    Free gym and health use at top tier facilities including pool ect.
    WFH flexi arrangements as needed, in fact I can work whenever I like as long as I reach mandated hours
    Onsite childcare/ healthcare/ physio ect all heavily subsidised (not that I need any yet)
    Resources to ensure work life balance and push not to over work outside of lifestyle hours

    Most of all the people I work with, CEO and others are tremendous people and sustain a great culture, many people have been here over 15 years there is a plethora of other bonuses but those are the main ones. I also chose the role as it challenges me and is exciting as it is in a growth area with a great roadmap I'm helping build.

    • mskeggs on 28/09/2021 - 10:04

      Tobacco company? Arms dealer? Parking inspector? Asbestos miner? Adult Movie Theatre cleaner? ;-)

      • wiipantz on 28/09/2021 - 10:06
        +1

        NFP in the sports sector, means I can do some cool salary stuff too.

    • uptwngal on 28/09/2021 - 23:01

      This is an amazing list of perks you’ve just outlined! Impressive and I wonder what field/industry/role you are in? How long have you been there to acrue such benefits? Are these for everyone in your company or just you/your team?

      • wiipantz on 28/09/2021 - 23:12

        Yet I got negged lol.
        I'm from an Systems Admin background, this is a management type role in the sports industry working with universities and the public alike. I've only been there a few months, most of these perks are for everyone and start immediately or after probation.
        I had several offers recently as I relocated back to my hometown and I used a decision matrix analysis to ensure I chose the right role… needless to say I'm happy with my choice.
        I haven't listed nearly all of the benefits tbh, case in point today I was talking with the CEO and and going to work remote this week so I can leave Brisbane if there is an upcoming lockdown. I was planning to leave on Friday I've just said I'll leave tomorrow and work from the beach :)

        • uptwngal on 28/09/2021 - 23:31

          Soz, did I neg u by accident? My bad I don’t usually vote just blame my fat fingers 😅😅 nice to hear a few months in and still got a lucrative amount of benefits, seems really good. We’re theee benefits mentioned to you when the job was offered to u or did u just find out when u started?

          • wiipantz on 29/09/2021 - 06:19

            @uptwngal: Some where which helped the decision making process. Some only became apparent after I began and were a bonus. I don't think it was you who negged btw.

  • Fergy1987 on 28/09/2021 - 08:48
    +5

    I get zero perks - Staff Christmas party, pay for yourself

    After work drinks, pay for yourself

    Staff Lunch for any occassion, pay for yourself

    Work from home…..No!

    I love my job :|

    • uptwngal on 28/09/2021 - 23:03

      How long are u in your role? Any plans to change soon due to these perks?

  • scrambledeggs on 28/09/2021 - 08:50

    No. 1 perk of working in private sector is salary, anything else is secondary.

  • Quantumcat on 28/09/2021 - 08:55
    +4

    Annual overseas trip
    Monthly restaurant lunch
    Quarterly more fancy restaurant lunch
    Phone bill covered
    $150 voucher on birthday
    Oroton laptop bag on 1 year anniversary
    Fun Christmas parties with gifts
    Cash bonus to ease the pain of lockdown
    Competitions with good prizes (I won my iPhone 12 in a costume competition at a Christmas party)
    Random gifts (was given my Sony xm3 headphones by them)
    If you get to work in the office there's a nice coffee machine and unlimited soft drinks/beers and occasional snacks from Costco or doughnuts or pastries from local bakery

    I have it pretty good

    • Big Lenny on 28/09/2021 - 10:31

      I'm guessing you've missed out on the annual o/s trip for the past couple years ;)

      • Quantumcat on 28/09/2021 - 10:43

        Yep nothing in 2020 and a domestic trip this year

    • uptwngal on 28/09/2021 - 23:04

      Nice list! I’m jealous. With the bday voucher is that actually the company giving it to you or is it like a money pool you get from colleagues chipping in for your bday

      • Quantumcat on 29/09/2021 - 06:43

        Company gives it to us :)
        They do chipping in for gifts when someone has a baby

  • brad1-8tsi on 28/09/2021 - 11:20
    +1

    I still get $20/week fire warden pay even though I haven't been in the office since February 2020.

    Apart from that we get nothing like lunch allowance (unless you hang around the kitchen after a board meeting and get the leftovers), no gym membership, etc.

    OTOH, I still get 17.5% leave loading, 20 days annual leave, flexitime, 4 day week if the manager agrees and I work 9 hour days, 36 hour week, OT paid if I do any, 20 days sick leave, family/carers leave from both the sick leave and annual leave bank and other "lifestyle friendly" conditions.

    I also get a bonus that's worth a couple of weeks pay that is relatively easy to achieve.

  • buckethat on 28/09/2021 - 22:20
    +1

    Geez, I'm jealous of all of you with such good benefits.

  • OzzyOzbourne on 29/09/2021 - 15:51

    Free sessions with a psychologist

  • th123 on 29/09/2021 - 21:01

    Been at 4 companies and there haven't been any extras/perks.

    There's all the "discounted" health care, bank deals, Lenovo, Dell, HP Pav, JB-hi fi, ergonomic chairs, discounted hotels etc. shown on the employee benefits page but the prices are only discounted relative to RRP. I guess there's salary sacrificing and packaging if you count that as perks. The plus is the pay is above market so maybe that's where it all goes.

    I'd say the norm is no extras and that all these perks of extra days, reimbursed expenses is probably a really small (<1%) portion of companies.

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