- Most companies offer benefits of some kind or another, including parental leave, health/medical insurance, and paid time off.
- Other companies, however, approach benefits and perks a little differently.
- Here are 12 companies with unique employee perks, from free burgers and books, to annual Star Wars parties.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Most of us spend more waking hours in the office than anywhere else – so it’s only natural that we want to enjoy our time at work. And perks help…significantly.
Luckily, employers are catching on and starting to find creative ways to make employees feel valued and appreciated – and we’re not just talking about free office kitchen snacks!
We turned to Glassdoor to find 12 companies that offer awesome, fun, unique benefits and perks employees can enjoy both inside and outside of the office.
Hope Restle, Melissa Stanger, and Aaron Taube contributed to an earlier version of this article.
International Cruises & Excursions has an on-site nail salon for employees and tons of travel perks — including free vacations for work anniversaries!
This travel company offers on-site nail salon appointments for employees working at their Scottsdale, Arizona location. Employees can book manicure or pedicure appointments during their lunch breaks, or before or after work.
The Arizona campus also offers massages, a full fitness center, travel discounts. Every year employees work with the company, they also receive rewards to put towards an anniversary vacation!
Casper gives their employees free mattresses, pillows, and more — plus you can nap at work.
Working for Casper might just be what dreams are made of. According to Glassdoor, Casper employees receive free mattress packages upon joining the company, catered lunches twice per week, fitness discounts, and unlimited PTO. Employees can also take naps during the workday in the office's "nap pods," which are fitted with actual beds.
SADA Systems hosts an annual Star Wars party complete with foam lightsaber battles and screenings of the movies.
Glassdoor reports that to celebrate their place as one of the Best Places to Work, the company hosts a Star Wars party for its employees. Coworkers participate in fake lightsaber battles and enjoy screenings of all the iconic movies. The party is now an annual company party on May 4th, aptly named the "May the Fourth Be With You" party.
BambooHR gives employees the day off on their birthday.
Birthdays are often overlooked by companies as a valid excuse to take the day off. BambooHR, however, thinks differently. They give employees their big days off, allowing them to spend the day with loved ones, friends, or simply doing what they love to do.
Glassdoor reports that one employee posted on the BambooHR blog about how much they appreciate the perk.
"I slept in and went running AND did yoga (I never get to do both in one day). I had lunch with family and friends. I had a lemonade. I really liked the fact that I didn't have to DO anything. I could just do what I wanted to do."
Disney employees get free admission to the theme parks, plus discounts on hotels, cruises, and merchandise.
If you're an employee at the Walt Disney Company, work may actually be the happiest place on earth. Disney employees get a ton of magical benefits and perks - including free admission to the theme park and discounts on Disney restaurants, hotels, cruises and merchandise.
Timberland gives its employees paid time off to volunteer.
Employees at Timberland are encouraged to take paid time off to complete volunteer work. They can take up to six months for a service sabbatical to volunteer at non-profit organizations. The company also closes its doors for Earth Day and Serve-a-palooza so employees can participate in company-wide service and volunteer projects.
Pinterest gives new parents paid time off, plus other resources.
Pinterest has an out-of-the-box parental leave policy that is great for its employees. Not only do new parents get three months of paid time off, but they also have the option to take a month of part-time hours and are given two classes on how to re-enter the workplace after the arrival of a new child.
Penguin Random House gives its employees free reading material.
Working for a book publishing company certainly has its perks. Employees of Penguin Random House can choose a couple of books every year to receive completely free of charge. They must be chosen from a specific list of titles, however.
One employee wrote on Glassdoor about their appreciation for the company and its amazing perks: "PRH has great perks, amazing vacation package, summer Fridays, etc. The community is friendly and collaborative at lower and middle levels."
Taco Bell recruits new hires with free food and "hiring parties."
Job interviews can be nerve-wracking - that's why Taco Bell is making it a little more fun. "Hiring parties" offer potential new employees the opportunity to meet with hiring managers, play games, eat some free food, and have the opportunity to interview for a position.
Eater reports that applicants can also receive free merchandise at the parties, including company-branded keychains, stickers, and T-shirts.
Houzz employees are given slippers to wear around the office.
Heels and loafers are definitely not a requirement in this office. On their first day of work, Houzz employees receive complimentary slippers to wear around the office - what could be better than some free, comfortable office footwear?
Airbnb lets you stay in some of their coolest listings for free.
Airbnb offers its employees a $2,000 yearly stipend to allow them to travel all over the world and stay in any of their listings.
"[The] $2,000 annual employee travel credit is amazing," one employee wrote on Glassdoor.
In-N-Out gives its employees one free Double-Double burger and fries during each shift.
Your mouth is probably watering already at this delicious employee perk. At West Coast fast-food chain In-N-Out, employees can help themselves to a free burger up to a Double-Double and an order of fries during their shift.
- Read more:
- The 50 best places to work in 2019, according to employees
- Here are the best retailers to work for in 2019, according to employees
- These are the 25 companies with the happiest employees in 2018
- Trader Joe's is one of the best places to work in the US - employees share the 7 best parts of the job
