6 Employee Benefit Ideas From Top Companies

When you’re trying to recruit and retain employees, perks matter. Word can spread quickly that your company is a great employer because it provides those special extras that employees truly value. And naturally, people are more likely to stick around if you treat them well.

No one will be singing your praises if you just offer a basic compensation package with benefits like health insurance. Many employers are getting creative in what they provide employees by adding various perks on top of standard benefits packages, and the bar is constantly getting raised. Take employee benefit ideas from companies known for providing the best work perks:

Airbnb: Silicon Valley-based tech companies are known for coming up with the best employee benefit ideas. Glassdoor—the site where employees review employers—recently released its Employees’ Choice Awards for 2016 and travel accommodation site Airbnb topped the list. The company aligns its perks with its business by offering an annual $2,000 travel credit to employees, and also offers a cafeteria and kitchens stocked with snacks, paid volunteer time and Fireside Chats where industry leaders (ranging from CEOs to musicians) share their insights with employees.

NestlePurina: Employees at this pet food giant are encouraged to bring their pets to work every day and dog parks are available on company grounds. NestlePurina also offers an on-site cafeteria, child and pet adoption assistance, a mothers’ lounge, on-site medical, wellness services that include stress management programs and access to a dietician, discounted pet food and products at the company store.

Ruby Receptionists: This small virtual receptionist company may not have the resources of a large corporation, but still manages to provide stellar perks. They’ve placed in the top five on the Great Place to Work Institute’s “Best Small Workplaces” list four years in a row. Ruby Receptionists provides a paid five-week sabbatical after five years on the job and gives each employee a $1,000 grant to use during that time. On top of that, all employees are given 24/7 access to the company’s office facilities where they’re welcome host events like birthday parties and wedding showers throughout the year.

ACUITY Insurance: The property and casualty insurance business may not come to mind when thinking of places that offer the best work perks, but don’t discount ACUITY. This company came in second on Fortune’s 2016 list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For, beating out many notorious tech giants. ACUITY perks include mothers and wellness rooms, free chair massages, on-site banking and dry cleaning, yearly events like their chocolate fair (yum!), a partially subsidized cafeteria and a fitness center.

REI: This outdoor gear retailer sets itself apart by offering perks to both full-time employees and part-timers who work an average of 20 hours or more per week. Yay Day is a tradition at REI that allows people to choose one day off every six months to go outside and play. Other offerings include a work/life balance assistance program, public transit subsidy, paid sabbatical time for long-serving employees and coordinated lunchtime activities like bike rides, Frisbee and yoga!

Bain & Company: Employees at this management consulting firm can participate in its Take Two program, which allows employees to take two months off to pursue personal interests. The company also hosts The Bain World Cup soccer competition (more than 1,200 employees from around the world participate) and musicians and singers can join The Bain Band at their local office. Bain provides diversity and inclusion programs as well, part-time and job sharing options, and one day a year, offices close for employees to do volunteer work.

You don’t need to break bank to offer attractive perks. Many employee benefit ideas above aren’t expensive or complicated to implement. Providing planned activities during break time, diverse on-site food options and fun team events are all great examples of ways to bring employees together and boost their motivation and satisfaction so they stick around longer.