jkath
Hospitality Queen
A nice paycheck, a boss who respects you...those things are fine, but how about some free stuff. Can your company match these?
By David Jacobson, MONEY Magazine contributing writer
April 12, 2006: 8:27 AM EDT
NEW YORK (MONEY Magazine) - Some companies reward their employees with generous vacation time; others keep workers happy with above-average 401(k) matches.
But how about:
Free beer
Employees at New Belgium Brewing in Fort Collins, Colo. receive a case of beer a week, which the company does not recommend they drink while riding the bike (like the one on the label of NBB's Fat Tire Amber Ale) that they get after a year on the job. After five years, they go to Belgium to sample the brews that inspired the company's creation.
Free adventure
Brogan & Partners, a Michigan marketer, takes its 60 employees on annual mystery junkets - no one's told the destination (they've hit Amsterdam, Iceland and the Caribbean). At UCG, a Rockville, Md. business publisher, the 1,000 workers (and significant others) are sent on a surprise, all-expenses-paid long weekend every five years.
Pet insurance
Denver-based Chipotle Mexican Grill chips in a maximum of $30 a month toward veterinary insurance for pet-owning employees.
Free fish -- and weight-loss help too
The Sheboygan, Wis. campus of insurance company Acuity features a stocked pond, and the 850 employees can keep their catch. For those who eat too much fish, the company pays for Weight Watchers. Employees put down $100. If they make their weight goal, they get the money back. If not, Acuity matches the money and gives it to charity.
Concierge services
At four hospitals in the OhioHealth network, concierges handle every conceivable personal chore for all 15,200 employees, from doctors to housekeeping staff. Bonded concierges on retainer from third-party provider 2 Places At 1 Time will buy a nurse's list of groceries, then take them to her house and put them away. Or go to homes to let repair people in or dogs out. One concierge even stood on line and scored fifth-row seats to a Kenny Chesney concert.
By David Jacobson, MONEY Magazine contributing writer
April 12, 2006: 8:27 AM EDT
NEW YORK (MONEY Magazine) - Some companies reward their employees with generous vacation time; others keep workers happy with above-average 401(k) matches.
But how about:
Free beer
Employees at New Belgium Brewing in Fort Collins, Colo. receive a case of beer a week, which the company does not recommend they drink while riding the bike (like the one on the label of NBB's Fat Tire Amber Ale) that they get after a year on the job. After five years, they go to Belgium to sample the brews that inspired the company's creation.
Free adventure
Brogan & Partners, a Michigan marketer, takes its 60 employees on annual mystery junkets - no one's told the destination (they've hit Amsterdam, Iceland and the Caribbean). At UCG, a Rockville, Md. business publisher, the 1,000 workers (and significant others) are sent on a surprise, all-expenses-paid long weekend every five years.
Pet insurance
Denver-based Chipotle Mexican Grill chips in a maximum of $30 a month toward veterinary insurance for pet-owning employees.
Free fish -- and weight-loss help too
The Sheboygan, Wis. campus of insurance company Acuity features a stocked pond, and the 850 employees can keep their catch. For those who eat too much fish, the company pays for Weight Watchers. Employees put down $100. If they make their weight goal, they get the money back. If not, Acuity matches the money and gives it to charity.
Concierge services
At four hospitals in the OhioHealth network, concierges handle every conceivable personal chore for all 15,200 employees, from doctors to housekeeping staff. Bonded concierges on retainer from third-party provider 2 Places At 1 Time will buy a nurse's list of groceries, then take them to her house and put them away. Or go to homes to let repair people in or dogs out. One concierge even stood on line and scored fifth-row seats to a Kenny Chesney concert.