Are you looking for a list of the best job benefits examples? Nowadays, employers will go to great lengths to ensure that their company is offering competitive benefits.
Top talent won’t work for companies that won’t take care of them, so companies are starting to pay more attention to their benefits so that their company is one that people really want to work for.
For this article, I polled the Imperfect Taylor Instagram audience for their favorite work perks and benefits and wrapped them all up into this post!
After reading this post, you’ll know about so many different types of employee benefits that you never knew existed, and it’ll give you a great idea of what’s out there before you accept your next job offer.
Your overall job satisfaction is so important and this list of the best employee benefits will have you keeping your eyes on the prize as you look for your new job!
This post is all about 46 of the best job benefits examples.
1. Free Fitness Center
Want to conveniently work out in your office building on your lunch break? Or even right before or after work? Some companies have workout facilities in their office buildings so that their employees can maintain healthy lifestyles during the week.
If you don’t mind working out amongst your coworkers from time to time, working out at your office’s workout facility can be a great, free way to get a workout in.
2. Game Rooms
Many companies go as far as having a section of their office building dedicated to “fun”. Think ping pong tables, pinball and foosball – games that are easily accessible for employees to be social, relieve a little stress, or have some friendly competition with their coworkers.
Game rooms offer employees a way to take a break and fit in a little fun throughout their workday.
3. Flexible Working Spaces
Cubicles, for example, are oftentimes bland office spaces that get a lot of flak for being uninviting and boring. That’s not exactly the kind of environment most of us would like to spend our working hours in.
Instead, companies are getting creative and thinking of ways that they can set up desks so that employees and team members feel more comfortable and creative.
For example, some companies have open office spaces with tables, offices, and desks so that their employees can sit wherever they choose.
Allowing employees to sit where they choose and at a working space that they feel comfortable at makes for a much more productive and enjoyable workday.
4. Free Public Transportation
If you are someone who frequently uses taxis, Ubers, or metro stations to get to and from work activities, some companies will pay for your transportation since it’s required for you to do your job effectively.
5. Per Diems – Specifically for Food
Per Diems are an amount of money allocated to you for daily spending. Some companies will offer their employees per diems for food throughout their workday so that they can cover expenses like breakfast, lunch or dinner depending on their work hours.
6. Free/Discounted Products/Services
Many companies who produce goods and services will then give those same goods and services for free or at a discounted rate to their employees.
7. PTO (Paid Time Off)
PTO stands for “paid time off”. Many companies offer a certain number of days of PTO per year so long as you work to accrue them over time.
When you use your PTO days, you can expect to get paid even though you aren’t working.
PTO days are crucial if you plan on taking a little vacation time throughout the course of the year. It’s important to know how much PTO, if any, your company offers so that you can take time off from work when you need it.
8. Unlimited PTO
Some companies even offer unlimited PTO. That means that you can take as many vacation days as you’d like. You might be thinking, what’s the catch?
I’ve never worked for a company that offers unlimited PTO / personal time, but I’ve heard from many people that have that there’s a very fine line.
You don’t want to take too much time off and risk your employer or colleagues thinking that you’re not serious about your job, but you also don’t want to take too little that you end up getting burnt out.
I’m sure this is a great benefit so long as your company culture is positive (i.e. no one at your job makes snide comments or criticizes you when you do decide to take time off).
Otherwise, I imagine taking time off – even though it’s unlimited – might be a little stressful or even avoided by some.
9. Wellness Reimbursements / Wellness Programs
Some companies may offer you a reimbursement for health-related benefits like gym memberships, meal kits or massages.
This means that if you take advantage of any of these perks, you could get completely reimbursed for them.
Companies that offer this kind of reimbursement likely value their employees’ health and wellness and are really working hard to increase their employee engagement and overall employee retention.
10. Recharge/Refresh/Wellness Days
Do you ever wish that your company would give you a day off during the quarter to just… relax? Recharge? Refresh? Well, some companies do this.
I’ve experienced this firsthand and let me tell you – having one Friday off each quarter might not sound like much but it’s an absolute game changer for work-life balance and MUCH appreciated.
11. Bonuses
Let’s say you worked hard all year long. Wouldn’t it be nice if your employer recognized this at year end, and then rewarded you for your hard work with a nice lump sum of cash?
That’s a bonus, and many companies offer them to their employees on a yearly or even quarterly basis. Bonuses are an awesome part of an employee benefits package.
12. RSUs (Restricted Stock Units)
Per Fidelity, a Restricted Stock Unit is a “grant valued in terms of company stock” [1] that is typically offered to employees as part of their initial compensation package when first joining a company or given to employees as an incentive to stay at the company if they’ve already been at the company for some time.
To receive the RSUs, an employee must satisfy the vesting requirement, which means that you cannot officially own the company stock until you have worked at the company for a specific amount of time.
Once the vesting requirement is met, and depending on the agreement between the company and the employee, an employee can receive their RSUs as shares of company stock or the cash equivalent.
13. Sabbatical After X Years
To incentivize their employees to stay with the company long-term, some companies will offer their employees a sabbatical (or a break from work) after they serve their company for a certain number of years.
So for example, one company offers their employees a 1 month sabbatical once they’ve worked at the company for 5 years.
This means that that employee gets a 1 month vacation of paid or unpaid time off (whether or not it’s paid depends on the company), on top of the PTO that they already get for that year!
It’s important to also note that if your company offers a sabbatical and you take one, that you are guaranteed your position upon your return to the office once your sabbatical is over.
14. Tuition Reimbursement
Many companies want their employees to continue their education – whether that be through going back to school, getting a certification, taking a class to learn a new skill, or advance their knowledge through something like LinkedIn Learning.
The only catch is that whatever you are learning usually has to be relevant to the line of work that you are doing for your current company.
Furthering your education on your company’s dime is really a win-win. By advancing your skills, you can elevate your potential at your current company, and add these newfound skillsets and expertise to your resume so that you are even more marketable if you decide to pursue different job opportunities in the future.
15. Option to go Part-Time
Full-time not your thing? Enjoy working for your company but looking for a way to dial it back a bit? Your company may offer the benefit of working part-time instead of full-time.
By working part-time instead of full-time, you can still earn a paycheck but lessen the amount of time you work for your company in total.
16. 401(k) Match
Now what about retirement benefits? Not all companies that offer a 401(k) also offer a 401(k) match.
A 401(k) match is commonly referred to as “free money”. According to Investopedia, “your employer may elect to match 100% of your contributions up to a percentage of your total compensation or to match a percentage of contributions up to the limit.” [2]
For example, let’s say your company offers a 100% match on all your contributions for the year, up until 4% of your annual salary.
That means that if your salary is $50,000/yr., then your company would match up to a maximum amount of $2,000. For you to get that full $2,000 from your employer, you would need to contribute $2,000 yourself to your 401(k).
In this example, if you contribute more than the 4% (or more than the $2,000 to your 401(k)) you would not get any additional contributions from your employer.
17. Work From Home
With the presence of Covid-19, more and more people are working from home. There are many people who would much rather be in an office environment, but similarly a lot of people also never want to go back to the office again!
Those who prefer working from home are happy they no longer have a commute and no longer have to attend in-person meetings, among other things.
With that said, a lot of the workforce only wants to work from home from here on out.
18. Every Other Friday Off
Imagine having every other Friday off? This means you’ve got a 3-day weekend every other week. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me!
19. 100% Employer Paid Health Benefits
Many companies offer health or medical insurance, but usually the employees must then pay for these benefits themselves.
Some companies, however, cover all employee health benefits 100%, saving their employees a great deal of money on costs such as health insurance, dental insurance, worker’s comp, and basic life insurance.
Some employers will even offer free therapy sessions so that their employee’s mental health is always taken care of.
20. Bereavement Leave for Miscarriages
Some companies offer bereavement leave for their employees in the event of a miscarriage – this time can be very beneficial for and appreciated by someone who is going through this experience.
21. Wellness Afternoons
Wellness afternoons are afternoons where the goal is to put down your work and have some time for yourself. This is a nice benefit that encourages employees to take care of themselves in ways they might not normally have time to.
22. Reading Book Stipend
Are you an avid book reader? Some companies will give you a stipend so that you can buy whatever books you’d like throughout the course of the year.
23. Pension
According to The Balance, “with a pension, your employer guarantees you an income in retirement. Employers are responsible for both funding the plan and managing the plan’s investments.” [3]
Pensions are increasingly rare these days, but many government organizations still offer them as part of their employees’ retirement plans.
Many pension plans require you to work at a company for a specific amount of time before you are eligible to receive the pension.
Either way, pensions are an incredible benefit and can greatly help employees fund their retirements.
24. Company Car
Typically, jobs that require you to drive a lot will provide you with a company car. This way, you’re not putting miles or wear and tear on your personal vehicle for the sake of your job.
25. Business Mileage Reimbursement
If you aren’t provided with a company car, but often drive your personal vehicle around for work, your company will likely reimburse you for the miles that you put on your car. As you put miles on your car, you are also increasing the wear and tear on your vehicle. So, if your company offers mileage reimbursement, they will pay you a certain amount of money for each mile you drive. For example, 35 cents a mile.
26. Gas Stipend for Driving
If you drive a lot for your company, you also likely have to spend a lot of money on gas! Hopefully your company is well aware of this and pays for your gas.
You may either receive a stipend in your paycheck (an additional amount of money in your paycheck) to cover your gas expenses, or you may be given a company credit card to be used for all of your gas purchases.
27. Business Tolls Paid
Hit tolls while you’re driving for work? Many companies will cover this cost for you since it was incurred on company time.
28. Paid Day Off for Your Birthday
Who wants to work on their birthday?! Some companies recognize that you may not want to be at work on your birthday, so they’ll give you the day off to enjoy it how you wish. This definitely helps boost employee morale!
29. Birthday Money/Voucher
Some companies offer a voucher for a specific amount of money that you can spend on your birthday at a restaurant, for example. You may even be offered gift cards! This is a nice way for companies to tell you “happy birthday”.
30. Work From Home Stipend
If you work from home, you should see if your company offers a sum of money to help make your home office more suitable for work.
Many companies offer their employees a specific amount of money to be spent on things like an ergonomic chair, a desktop monitor, a computer mouse and/or keyboard, and other items that are essential for a productive workday at home.
Check out this post on The Best Work From Home Equipment – 35 Items You Need For A Productive Workday if you need some ideas.
31. Company Phone
If you have to send a lot of text messages, make a lot of phone calls, or even take a lot of pictures for your job, having a company phone can be very beneficial.
Not only will you not have to make calls and texts from your personal number or have business-related pictures on your personal phone, but having a company phone also allows you to keep separate your personal life and your work life.
32. Free Masterclass
Masterclass is “an American online education subscription platform on which students can access tutorials and lectures pre-recorded by experts in various fields” – some companies offer this program to their employees for free, so they get to learn about a variety of topics from the absolute best.
33. Summer Fridays
Imagine being able to take some extra time off at the end of a long week in the summer to go and hang out with your friends or just relax in the warm weather?
Some companies will encourage you to relax and enjoy the summer months by letting you go home a few hours early on Fridays in the Summer.
34. Early Fridays
Some companies may not be willing to give you the entire Friday off, but they’ll let you out a few hours early (like 2 or 3pm) on Fridays – an early Friday is certainly better than working a full Friday, that’s for sure!
35. Winter/Summer Breaks
In some occupations, you may be able to have a summer vacation or a few weeks off for winter break.
36. Week-long Shutdowns
A shutdown is a period of time where the company decides to give their employees a break company-wide. Oftentimes, companies who do have shutdowns will give their employees a week off at the end of the year, and if you’re lucky, a week off in the middle of the year, too!
37. Student Loan Reimbursement
This one hits close to home! I would’ve loved it if any of my past companies had a benefit to help me pay off my $60k of student loan debt!
If you have student loan debt and could use a little help paying it off, inquire with your current company or future companies you may apply for about this benefit.
38. Overtime Compensation
If you are salaried (i.e. you make a specific amount of money each year) and you work over 8 hours a day, you often will not get compensated for it.
But with an hourly compensation rate, overtime is a benefit that many people really appreciate. With overtime compensation, if you work more than 8 hours a day (or whatever amount it is that the company determines), for every hour you work over the required amount of hours, you get paid extra.
For example, you may make $20 an hour normally, but for every overtime hour you get paid $30 an hour. Since you are working more than you are expected to, you get paid more for those hours.
39. Work Events
Holiday parties, birthday celebrations, team outings, baby showers, etc. Good news – companies may host events to celebrate, thank or reward their employees and typically, these outings are 100% paid for by the employer.
40. Profit Sharing
Profit Sharing is pretty straightforward – simply put, a business will share some of its profits with its employees. Profit sharing is a great way for companies to show their employees appreciation for all of their hard work that ultimately contributes to the profit of the company. Likewise, sharing profits with employees makes them committed to the success of the company because they know that if the company does well, they will get a greater piece of the pie.
41. Employee Stock Purchase Plan
An employee stock purchase plan is a benefit where employees can purchase their company’s stock, often at a discount.
With employee stock purchase plans, employees can support their company by being shareholders –as part-owner’s of the company, employees are oftentimes even more dedicated to the company.
42. Learning Days
Learning Days are days off work that are completely dedicated to learning something new. If you’re lucky, your company won’t require you to learn anything work-related!
This means that you can have a full day off work to research something that truly interests you.
43. Employee Recognition
Many companies have programs where managers or colleagues can send praise to other employees in the form of a monetary reward.
This is a great opportunity for managers to show appreciation to their employees, but also for employees to show appreciation to one another.
44. Travel
Travelling for work is amazing because oftentimes all expenses associated with the travel are paid for by the company.
Whether your travel involves flights, meals, hotels, Ubers, etc. – a company that requires you to travel is also likely paying for all expenses you incur when you do.
Not to mention, you might be able to travel to somewhere really beautiful or somewhere you have never been before – this is a huge perk in and of itself!
45. Paid Parental Leave
When families have children, many companies offer paid maternity leave as well as paternity leave. This is a key benefit for people who are looking to have children.
46. Child Care
Some companies will even go as far as offering child care! Child care can be so expensive, so this is a huge benefit for people with little ones.
This post was all about 46 of the best job benefits examples.
Sources:
[1] Fidelity
[2] Investopedia
[3] The Balance
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