Companies With Benefits

While paying for top talent is important, studies consistently
show that money isn't the only thing that makes people happy at
work.
The savviest companies today have figured out that offering
awesome perks can help them get, and keep, the very best
employees.
We've found 17 companies that understand the value of
rewarding their staff — and do it in some of the coolest ways
possible.
1) Epic Systems gives 5-year employees a monthlong vacation.
Healthcare tech company Epic Systems gives employees at least
one great reason to stick around — a monthlong paid vacation.
Even better: If employees choose to spend their sabbatical in a
country they've never visited, Epic will pay for most of the travel
costs for the employee and a friend.
Epic's expansive offices, on a farm outside of Madison,
Wisconsin, are another impressive perk. The campus features an
Indiana Jones-themed tunnel, a tree-house conference room, a
moat, and plenty of green space for outdoor activities.
2) Google has free food, a bowling alley, and bocce courts.
There's a reason Google has been ranked No. 1 on Fortune
magazine's list of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" each of
the past three years. The company has incredible offices around
the world that offer, among other benefits, free food at gourmet,
on-site cafes.
Meanwhile, employees don't even have to leave work to partake
in a range of recreational activities — Google's Mountain View,
California, headquarters have a gym, a bowling alley, a game
room, and basketball courts.
For chores, there's also a barber shop, a massage parlour, and a
laundromat.
3) Cisco Systems has a gym that offers physical therapy and
acupuncture.
Cisco's LifeConnections Health Center is more than just a fitness
centre; it also offers primary care, physical therapy, acupuncture,
and even a pharmacy.
The company believes in supporting a healthy work-life balance,
and it provides employees with telecommuting technologies like
data and voice services to create a home office experience.
4) SC Johnson offers private concierge services to its
employees.
The cleaning products company S.C. Johnson helps employees
with their chores via access to a concierge service that does
everything from returning overdue library books to making sure
the dry cleaning gets picked up on time.
"To make the best products for your family, we need the best
people in our company family," the company's website says. The
company also offers childcare for parent employees, paternity
and maternity leave, and paid sabbaticals.
5) Southwest Airlines employees get free flights for themselves
as well as their family and friends.
Southwest Airlines employees get free flights when they fly with
their employer, and they can also give the hookup to friends and
family. Employees also receive discounts with a handful of other
airlines as well as at several hotels, theme parks, and rental car
companies.
When they're not travelling, workers can participate in events like
the annual chilli cookoff contest, and the Halloween party — when
Southwest turns its Dallas offices into the "Haunted
Headquarters."
6) General Mills employees can work from any space they choose
within the office.
General Mills is a firm believer in work-life balance, with all new
hires immediately receiving three weeks paid vacation.
General Mills also offers employees a great deal of flexibility, both
in terms of telecommuting and in working from its Minneapolis
headquarters. There, certain departments do not have assigned
seats, allowing employees to work from the part of the office in
which they are most comfortable.
7) Chesapeake Energy has an indoor rock-climbing wall.
Chesapeake Energy, one of the nation's biggest natural gas
producers, gives half-price SCUBA-diving classes to employees
and their families. And once they've learned how to swim with the
fishes, Chesapeake also helps its workers organize trips to exotic
locales like Cozumel, Mexico.
Those who don't have a desire to SCUBA dive can still enjoy the
company's on-site, 72,000-square-foot fitness center, which
includes an Olympic-size pool, a sand volleyball court, and a rock-
climbing wall.
8) JM Smucker Company sends a gift basket to every new
employee.
Employees get a real welcome when they join Smucker's. "New
hires get a gift basket sent to their homes; [other] employees
enjoy softball games and bowling nights," according to Fortune.
For employees who have the time, there's no excuse not to get a
second degree. The PB&J company reimburses employees 100
percent for tuition costs with no cap. Smuckers employees are
also offered free technical training in the event they'd like to learn
new workplace skills.
9) Yahoo employees get discounts to ski resorts and amusement
parks.
Yahoo offers perks to its employees both in and out of the office.
The Yahoo offices have on-site fitness centres with yoga, cardio-
kickboxing, Pilates, and golf classes. The offices are also
equipped with ergonomic support chairs and healthy snacks and
drinks on every floor.
Outside the office, Yahoo offers discounts to ski resorts and
California theme parks, and it hosts an annual Oktoberfest party.
The company will even throw a baby shower for employees who
become parents.
Getty Images
10) Quinn Emanuel gives lawyers $2,000 to work a week from
anywhere in the world.
The law firm Quinn Emanuel has some interesting perks for a
profession often associated with stodginess. Above the Law
reports that lawyers are given a $2,000 allowance to work for one
week from anywhere in the world, so long as they work their
normal hours.
The firm also has a casual dress policy to increase employee
creativity, and it evaluates prospective summer associates
(extremely well-paid interns) with parties on law-school
campuses instead of the typical job interview.
11) Boeing gives its employees 12 paid holidays and a winter
recess between Christmas and New Year's Day.
New employees won't feel alone at Boeing, which connects new
hires through what it calls the "REACH program," which sets
employees up with community service and social activities.
Best of all, the aerospace and defence company gives its workers
12 paid holidays and a winter recess between Christmas and New
Year's Day.
12) Mattel allows employees to take paid time off for their kids'
school field trips.
Mattel is devoted to the happiness and futures of employees'
children. That's why it offers a program that defrays the cost of
adopting a child and a policy that offers 16 hours of paid time off
for school-related absences like parent-teacher conferences or
field trips. And the children will love that their parents get
discounts on toys sold by Mattel.
In addition, the toy company has its own non-profit organization
— The Mattel Children's Foundation — that offers volunteer
opportunities to Mattel employees.
13) Microsoft has a very generous paid maternity and paternity
leave policy.
The Microsoft Corporation gives new parents maternity and
paternity leave, but what sets Microsoft apart from many other
companies is that the leave is paid, rather than unpaid.
Microsoft also provides a network of support systems, such as
mentoring programs and health care coverage for Applied
Behavioural Analysis therapy, which treats autism. Microsoft is
the first major corporation to offer this benefit.
14) The World Wildlife Fund lets workers take every other Friday
off.
The World Wildlife Fund is home to what it calls "Panda Fridays,"
the Washington Post reports, through which employees work a
little extra during the week to take every other Friday off.
In addition to giving workers a breather, shutting down the non-
profit's Washington D.C. office saves energy and reduces its
carbon footprint. The office is extremely well-designed, and of
course, environmentally friendly.
15) Oshkosh Corporation offers training classes so that
employees can get promoted quickly.
The truck and military vehicle manufacturer shows loyalty to its
employees through extensive training and advancement
opportunities. Trainings can be instructor-led, web-based, or
video-based, and the company also offers tuition reimbursement
for advanced degrees.
Oshkosh lists job opportunities specifically for internal
candidates, and hosts a Rotational Engineer Program that gives
engineers the ability to learn multiple skills in a variety of different
units.
16) 3M helps its employees lose weight, stop smoking, and
manage stress.
Known for scotch tape and office products, 3M also has a
reputation as an employer with fair benefits. The company offers
life insurance and retirement plans on top of the standard
medical, dental, and vision health — and it extends those benefits
to same-sex couples in domestic partnerships.
The family-oriented company offers childcare and eldercare
consulting services, a smoking cessation program, weight
management reimbursement, and stress management coaching.
17) TIAA-CREF employees can play up to six sports on site.
TIAA-CREF wants to make sure its employees are taken care of in
many ways. The financial company offers on-site medical
services, full-time childcare at any Bright Horizons daycare
centre, and company-funded retirement savings.
Employees can also take advantage of access to the
Toastmasters communication development program and TIAA-
CREF's Corporate Athletic Program, which allows employees to
play up to six sports on site.
The company is also committed to hiring veterans through its
membership with the 100,000 Jobs Mission.