15 Coolest Emerging Company Perks to Watch For

As organizations continue to reimagine the meaning of work and what it means to be an employee, perks have become more prevalent in recruiting new talent. Companies like Airbnb are helping redefine corporate culture with new types of benefits that encourage employees to take ownership over their career path. Here are 15 cool emerging company perks you’ll want your next employer offering

The “best employee perks” is a list of the 15 coolest emerging company perks to watch for. These are some of the best and most innovative companies in their respective industries, so it’s no surprise that they offer some great perks.

Employers may provide employees with a 401(k) plan, but have you ever shared a keg with coworkers or taken an all-expenses-paid vacation to Thailand?

Many businesses are learning that in today’s “I want it now” environment, if they want to maintain workers for the long run, they must provide something distinctive in the near term. Maybe a drink—and no, we’re not talking about a cup of coffee—or some time off to adopt a new pet?

Employers benefit from finding new strategies to recruit and retain personnel. On-site massages, overseas corporate vacations, and free beer might be expensive, but they’re not nearly as expensive as continuously replacing departed employees. The current “job-hopping” culture costs the US economy an estimated $30.5 billion each year, with training expenditures averaging $4,100 per new recruit.

These aren’t only benefits for folks in the IT industry or in Silicon Valley. We’re going to see more businesses throughout the country—from small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to Fortune 500 companies—adopt innovative employee benefits that consumers demand. These incentives include anything from health (life counseling and egg freezing, for example) to wellness (massage, anyone?) to just plain fun to fulfill a variety of requirements (beer time for all).

So forget about the old-fashioned workplace perks. The following are the 15 employee benefits that firms throughout the country are giving in the future year and beyond:

1. Pawternity Leave: Time Off for Adopting a Pet

There is no need for proof to support the assertion that fur babies are the new infant. Pets are increasingly filling the shoes of infants, from expensive dog birthday parties to cat Halloween costumes, and businesses are beginning to realize this by providing paid time off to new pet parents. The number of dog-friendly workplaces is steadily increasing, and we may expect to see more businesses giving “pawternity” leaves in the near future.

Pawternity, or fur-ternity, provides a lot of advantages. Pet owners had reduced stress and depression levels, according to the National Institute of Health, resulting in a happier and more productive workforce. According to a Petplan survey, just 5% of U.S. firms presently provide paid pawternity leave. At companies like BitSol Solutions, a programming and support services firm, and BrewDog, a brewery, the average amount of leave provided is one week. Mparticle, a consumer data platform, goes above and above by offering staff two weeks of paid vacation if they adopt a rescue dog. Woof.

2. Egg Freezing & Fertility Treatments: Coverage for Those Who Can’t Conceive

In the United States, more than 6.1 million women are unable to conceive. However, there is some good news: they are no longer left with a sense of powerlessness and melancholy as a result of costly reproductive procedures. Those who are having difficulty conceiving are beginning to get help from their employers in the form of reproductive-related perks such as egg freezing and fertility treatments. It’s a benefit that no one wants to utilize. It makes a huge difference, though, for people who are in need.

This life-changing bonus also has some intriguing workplace advantages. Employees who had utilized their employer’s in vitro fertilization coverage were 62 percent more likely to remain in their employment for a longer amount of time and 22 percent more likely to work harder, according to a survey by FertilityIQ. This is currently available from well-known corporations such as Spotify, Snap (or Snapchat), and Starbucks, as well as the city of Baltimore and John Hopkins University.

3. Life Coaching & Counseling Services: Helping Employees Level Up in Life

Employee happiness and mental health go hand in hand, and businesses are starting to see the advantages. Many companies now provide life coaching and counseling to their workers. Life coaching, on the other hand, does not include the typical scenario of a patient on a chaise lounge blabbering on to a psychologist. Instead, the coach’s purpose is to provide assistance to individuals both within and outside the workplace, assisting them in achieving their personal and professional objectives.

In 2018, the life coaching business surpassed $1 billion in revenue and is still rapidly expanding, due in part to corporations including life coaching and counseling programs into their employee benefits packages. Asana, which provides life coaching services outside of the company, GoDaddy, which has healthy living coaching programs, and Southwest Airlines, which has an employee assistance program called “Clear Skies” that provides counseling and work-life services, are just a few of the companies that offer life coaching and counseling programs.

4. Company Bonding in Foreign Countries: International Retreats

People joke about having a “work wife” or “work husband,” but the fact is that many people spend more time with their coworkers than with their families, even taking paid family vacations. International office retreats or companywide holidays are becoming more popular as an employee reward and a means to engage with coworkers on a deeper level—no trust falls necessary as in the 1990s.

Company retreats assist both employers and workers by fostering a more favorable work environment and increasing overall productivity. While just around 20% of businesses provide a regular corporate retreat on U.S. territory, foreign travel is becoming more common. Buffer is one of the companies that promotes the advantages of overseas corporate retreats, and they go on three each year, traveling from Thailand to South Africa. Other companies that provide foreign business vacations to its employees include EventGeek, Sagacious Consultants, and Power Home Remodeling.

5. Raising the Bar with Free Beer in the Office

We’ve all heard that work can make you drink, but for organizations who provide free beer to their employees, this is actually true. It’s a new bonus that does more than make a job offer more attractive. Offering free beer on-site may result in happier employees who are more dedicated to their jobs and connected to their coworkers. After all, humans have been bonding over alcohol for generations.

According to Glassdoor, roughly 11% of workers report their workplace has beer or other alcoholic beverages. Some people like a bar with kegs and beers on tap, while others prefer beer fridges, and still others prefer drink trolleys. Acquia, which has beer on tap, Neoscape, which has in-office kegs, and co-working spaces like WeWork, which has Prosecco on tap in their London office, are just a few of the organizations giving free beer to its staff.

6. Spa & Wellness Services: Destress Before Leaving the Office

Work may be a four-letter word, but adding the three-letter “spa” may make it seem anything but. Work has long been associated with stress-inducing headaches and tight muscles, but on-site wellness programs providing anything from massages and haircuts to yoga and acupuncture are beginning to provide a relaxing remedy.

With its own “Massage Program Manager,” Google may be the largest trend-setter here, with more than 35 masseuses working eight hours a day, five days a week for Google employees. They aren’t, however, the only company providing on-site wellness benefits. On-site massages and haircuts are available at Procore Technologies, while acupuncture is available at Twitter. Another method that businesses provide wellness benefits is via employee referrals. Through stipends, such as Genentech’s $60 monthly stipend, which may be spent for well-being therapies not covered by insurance.

7. Nap Rooms: Get Some Rest While Working

Everyone appears to be exhausted these days. Of course, there are a variety of causes for this, ranging from the aftereffects of a wild night to a baby keeping you up and a variety of other life-altering events. Some businesses are providing sleep rooms so that workers may make better use of their breaks and return to work more invigorated and productive.

Companies are waking on to the advantages of snooze-friendly policies, as sleepy workers are thought to account for about $63 billion in lost productivity in the United States. Google has nap pods that look like futuristic space travel machines with built-in sleep-inducing noises, Buffer has a pro-napping culture that promotes office naps, and Zappos has nap rooms open 24 hours a day, particularly for nighttime employees.

8. Elder Care: Assisting Parents Who Are Aging

Employer-provided child care used to be the hot issue of family-related aid, but as the population ages, elder care is becoming the new child care. Approximately one in every five Americans has been responsible for the care of an elderly parent, whether by providing personal care or bearing financial responsibility for the expense of care, which in the United States averages approximately $10,000 per person, per month. What a waste of the income.

Elder care support is being offered by companies such as Showtime Networks and Prudential to help workers find the time and resources to care for their elderly family members. Prudential has one of the most extensive adult care benefits packages, including 200 hours of free backup dependent care per employee and a match of 25% of pretax money up to $4,000 deposited into an employee’s dependent care reimbursement account.

9. Compulsory Vacation: Getting Employees to Take a Break

A shocking 50% of Americans do not utilize their vacation time because they are afraid of losing their jobs if they do. It doesn’t matter how much vacation time workers get if half of them don’t use it. While some organizations give “unlimited time off,” the more forward-thinking businesses are instituting regulations requiring workers to spend their vacation time. Why? It encourages relaxation, resulting in a more contented and productive staff.

Unlimited time off used to be hip, but now that so many firms provide it and so few workers utilize it, employers are experimenting with a new approach to paid time off (PTO) that includes compulsory time off. Adobe, for example, mandates mandatory vacation time by shutting down the whole firm for one week in December and one week in the summer. Employees are obliged to take time off and enjoy a vacation while the firm is shut down. It’s very good.

10. Taking a Service Sabbatical: Making a Difference on the Company’s Dime

Most individuals have fantasized of packing their belongings, flying to a new location, and performing employment that enriches their lives. Sabbaticals aren’t a new idea, but there is a new form of sabbatical on the market these days: the volunteer-focused sabbatical or service sabbatical. Before you dismiss this trend of do-gooders, keep in mind that it pays handsomely. Employees are being given the chance to volunteer for a month—or longer—without losing their jobs or losing their pay.

The percentage of companies offering sabbatical programs rose from 4 percent in 2011 to 17 percent in 2017. Approximately two-thirds of these programs are unpaid but reap massive personal rewards. Those offering volunteer-based sabbaticals include Pratt & Whitney, with one month off for a work-related volunteer position; Patagonia, with up to two months off to work for an environmental group of the employee’s choice; and Timberland’s service sabbatical that gives employees 12 to 24 weeks off for community service volunteer programs.

11. Using Sick Time to Say Goodbye to a Pet

In an article published by the Animals & Society Institute, researchers found that the death of a pet can be as devastating as losing a significant other. Losing a pet can make you so sad you feel sick. But, with pet bereavement time, employees no longer need to feign an illness with fake coughs and silly excuses to take time off to mourn the death of a beloved pet. Companies are recognizing the emotional upheaval of pet death and are now offering bereavement time to heal.

Time off for the death of a pet may not be as long as that of a close family member, although every bit helps. For example, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants in San Francisco offers three days of leave; Mars Inc. offers one day and the option to work flexible hours thereafter; and Trupanion, a Seattle-based pet insurance company, offers employees one day off. It’s another one of those perks no one wants to have to use but is comforting for those who need it.

12. Farmers’ Markets: Get a Taste of the Local Scene Without Leaving the Office

Instead of packing another dull lunch or buying fatty takeout, go over to your workplace’s on-site farmers’ market. As farmers’ markets become more popular, several health-conscious and foodie-focused businesses are organizing on-site farmers’ markets so their workers can enjoy delicious cuisine without having to leave the building.

This employee bonus isn’t going to be emblazoned across every job description, but it will start popping up as firms realize the (no-cost) value it provides. Employees who consume five servings of fruit and vegetables four days a week, for example, perform 25% better on the job than those who do not, according to a research. Yahoo, AOL, Nicklaus Children’s Health System, and Progressive Insurance are just a few of the firms that have previously benefited from this.

13. Weather-based Flextime: Turn Off the Lights When the Sun Shines

Imagine being locked at the office on a nice sunny day, distracted by the knowledge that there’s new snow on the ski slopes or clean sets of waves coming in that you’d want to surf. Those who are addicted to weather-related activities or hobbies are even more eager to take advantage of a nice day. Some employers are giving weather-based flex time to satisfy this itch, which allows workers to leave work early or take the day off when the weather is ideal.

Companies that deal with sports are at the forefront of weather-based flextime. The good news is that the $60 billion athletic goods market will undoubtedly set the tone for future industries. Patagonia and REI, for example, are weather-based flex time pioneers, and with their lead, more major corporations are certain to follow—honoring a real work-life balance.

14. Wedding Leave: Take a Break and Say “I Do”

Every year, about 2.5 million weddings take place in the United States, and instead of taking vacation time to say your “I dos,” employers are now giving wedding leave. Most workers would agree that having additional time off is a good thing, and wedding leave is a nice reward for those who aren’t married yet. Consider it a wedding present from your boss.

Wedding leave is handled in a variety of ways by businesses. Some employers provide a flat three-day vacation, while others provide “total wedding preparations,” and still others, such as Xerox and Goldman Sachs, provide a full week off for getting married or entering into a domestic partnership. MTV provides a different kind of wedding leave, allowing workers to take up to two days off every year to either for their wedding or to spend with their spouse.

15. Pet Health Insurance: Protection for the Entire Family

Health insurance is a popular subject in the United States right now, and it’s grown to include pet insurance, which is a hot new employee bonus. People are increasingly selecting pets over children, resulting in an increase in pet ownership. Between 2000 and 2017, the number of dogs owned in the United States increased by 28%, from 68 million to 89.7 million. That’s a lot of pets to look after.

Between 2013 and 2017, the number of organizations providing pet insurance as an employee benefit climbed by more than 134 percent, according to insurance firm Willis Towers Watson. What are some instances of “good guy” behavior? For example, Scripps Health provides health insurance to everyone in a family, including pets. Its top-tier pet insurance enables workers to take their pets to whichever veterinarian they like, with every potential expenditure covered. Zappos, Activision, and Trupanion are some of the other firms that provide pet insurance.

Final Thoughts

Companies that provide more are rewarded with more. Employers and workers both benefit from creative employee benefits, and savvy businesses are realising this. These benefits, however, are shifting. Free coffee and PTO were once considered fantastic perks, but they have now become standard in every workplace. On-site gaming areas, snacks, and lunches have all but become standard. As we go towards 2019, let’s hope that new perks like free beer, massages, and mandatory time off make their way into the list of workplace perks. We’ll all be better as a result of it.

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The “office perks meaning” is a list of 15 company perks that are becoming more popular. These perks may be able to help employees get ahead in the workplace.

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