Perks of your job?

[Bandit]

Pros:

A cool boss who came up through the ranks and knows the deal with the (l)users.
The boss is 500km away
As long as the core hours are covered, and the boss does not get complaints, I set the schedule.
Not too many (l)users - where I work at the atom factory tends to cull the herd at the interview stage.
Don't have to worry about sick leave (until more than 5 days) or a time clock.
Full benefits (except the stock purchase plan - not a drawback these days.
Good PTO
Very short purchase approval chain if less than $5k.
Still having a job after corporate restructures.
(in the summer) Walking around admiring the <ahem> Scenery.
Any OT can be taken at time-and-a-half off in lieu of that extra pay (and taxes)
ETA: A really cool partner in crime doing PC support - very much a BOFH duopoly.


Cons:
Boss is 500km away and harder to call than Elvis.
Dealing with Corporate decisions that were done based on cost, rather than vendor having a clue
The Helpless Desk
Dealing with 20 years of an undocumented Muppet Show from the guy who did the job before.
The occasional 3am wake-up or bed-time because something does not work, and it *REALLY* has to.

Far more good than bad. I got lucky with this gig.

B

[bhskittykatt]

I work at a motel, and in the summer I can use the swimming pool! Also as a manager on duty, I have to stay overnight at work from time to time, so I get TV! (No cable at home...don't get paid enough!)

[kendiara]

Book check outs 1-3 weeks before release date

Not as cool as getting ARC's (advanced reader copies) but I can get my favorite author fix earlier than most everyone else.

[dougiezerts]

Can't really think of any. . . (thinks!). . . We do get some discounts on phone service, since we're a phone company.

[Ghel]

You guys are so lucky.

At the bank, I get...
What do I get?

Oh, yeah. I never have to work weekends. (unless I'm guilted into volunteering for one of the local festivals)
And I get every federal holiday off. Paid. Basically, any time the Federal Reserve bank is closed, so are we. Except that this year, it meant that we didn't get a day off for Independence Day, because it was on a weekend. But we got Columbus Day off, and we're getting Veteran's Day off. So that's kinda cool.

[Rapscallion]

They weren't even persuaded when I pointed out the PR nightmare of me eating the brains of customers. *sulk*

Only a light snack in so many cases...

Rapscallion

[Victoria J]

I've just discovered another perk.

I'm moving house and I went to see my manager because I need extra time to pack and get stuff moved - and I'm out of leave. I was already to beg and try and agreed to make up the time or take it unpaid or anything - but apparently we just get 2 days off if we move house. Paid. but . (Though my manager looked more ---> when he told me).

Even my mother who has spent much of her life working for local government (where pay may not always be impressive but the leave etc. is generally great) hadn't seen that before.

On the downside I tried to persuade them today that I should get extra paid leave if I become a zombie (a short reach for me in the mornings). They said I'd have to work extra as zombies don't sleep. They weren't even persuaded when I pointed out the PR nightmare of me eating the brains of customers. *sulk*

(But working somewhere where you can have that argument with a coworker and a member of management is a perk in itself).

Victoria J

[Lace Neil Singer]

A good manager.

Employee discount.

Staff shop. That is actually a very good perk; basically, stuff gets reduced to ridiculous prices and the staff get first dibs on it. XD Very good during the credit crunch. It's food like dented tins, labeless jars etc; I know some people go "Oh but dented tins mean the food is off" but honestly, I've eaten from dented tins for years and I'm still alive. The trick is to eat the food as soon as possible. XD

[Akasa]

I get to work from home

My boss has my back. She's even gone so far as to make sure her writers were paid before she was paid in the early days of the business.(The issues that caused that have been resolved. People pay, THEN we write.)

If I were to make a web page(which I am working on) the company would promote it at cost.(We're talking marketing for less than $10)

I can write at any time of day as long as my writing is in before midnight CST.(So I usually stay a day "ahead" so I can write at night.)

My editors know my style, and rarely ask any changes to be made to my articles and blogs. (There was a few adjustments for the client I am now writing for, but he's repeat business and I know what he wants now.)

Once I write for a client if they give repeat business to the company I am given the option to write for them again or pass before they post the package info up on wall.(The wall is basically "We have these packages that need writers, who wants them?)

I get to talk shop with my best friend.(I got her involved with the company when she had cancer and was unable to go to work. She could write a couple hours a day though.)

My land lady is REALLY impressed that I'm a writer. She tells everyone who comes to the house and sees me going about my business.

[Dave1982]

At the Hobby Shop, we got 40% off just about anything we wanted, and we were allowed to build models on the clock when it was slow. That actually worked to the store's advantage, because it allowed us to demo techniques for customers, as well as provide inspiration, which would in turn boost sales. More than once, someone saw something i was building (or had built and put in the display case) and bought the same kit so they could have one of their own.

At my previous store, once a month we got a free catered lunch courtesy of the furniture store across the street as compensation for allowing their employees to park in our lot.

At my current store, there isn't quite as much. Sunday is automatically considered overtime, but that's because of Massachusetts regulations rather than a company "perk." However, with the exception of Captain Jellico and California Boy, I really like the crew we have there. We all get along VERY well with each other, to the point that some of us have gone out for drinks together after work a few times, and I once organized a dinner party a a nice restaurant for the afternoon/evening crew and we all had a blast. Tonight I treated two co-workers to a drink, and a few weeks ago our Awesome Sales Manager - Focker - came with us for drinks and sprang for a round of Cabo Wabo shots (I don't do tequila, so instead he covered the cost of one of my drinks).

So - even though the company continues to screw me over - I'm still much happier at my current store than I ever was at my old store.

[Iris Kojiro]

At the Medicine Hat:

Good benefits for full time workers.

Marginal: The ability to shop on the clock at reasonable times, though that's partly due to the fact we don't often get to take 15 minute breaks (we do get our lunches, though).

I've been told that I was a good employee before, though.

At the Night Place:

The ability to mouth off to rude customers in hilarious ways (though this is an unofficial perk as the drunks and other night time asshats won't bother to complain. (Hey...I think I've got a story for the SC section...)

A kick-ass immediate boss.

Ummm...that's about it.

[Midorikawa]

Host of Blue keeps 4 refrigerators stocked with foods for us to eat. Sunday workers do a potluck (I don't work sundays though. :-(), I get free web hosting, an enjoyable job, and a great paycheck for working as an L1 tech (not so great at upper levels though)

Add to that catered food on a decently regular basis, and various other perks, like an arcade machine in the break room, and expensive giveaways every few months (2 40"HDTVs, 3 XBox360s, a PS3 and a few other smaller things.) :-D

...And of course, "The customer is always right" doesn't fly here. If a customer is being an idiot I can (politely) put them in their place.

[Green_Fairy]

#1...

...being told in an honest, personable fashion, that you are a good employee and are appreciated.

that is quite possibly the best perk anyone could ever ask for

[unholypet]

The first would be the generally awesome upper management, who can tolerate if not always appreciate my humor.

The free pasta, salad, pizza, dessert, and appetizers every shift (we all enjoy the leftover spoils of the buffet).

If you work a split shift all day, double above AND a free meal.

Half off when you work/leave work.

25% when you come in or order a whole lot.

Coupons + discount = massive savings.

Learning pizza lore and all sorts of interesting food facts.

The hilarious stories from my co-workers' youths.

Sometimes, when work was epicly busy, we get a free meal and/or Sonic.


#1...

...being told in an honest, personable fashion, that you are a good employee and are appreciated.

[Green_Fairy]

job perks...hm
well, i get all the coffee drinks i want while i'm at work. hell, i get all the drinks for free.
...actually, if i bring in my own cup, they're free while i'm not working, too.
if one of our breakfast sammiches is past the "sell by" date, they get tossed into a fridge in the back and we can have 'em. hell, most of our past date food ends up there. 'cept for the stuff we donate to a shelter, but i have no problem packaging that stuff up.
i get to listen to pretty awesome music all day.
my coworkers are the *best.* sooooo funny
most of the customers aren't really that bad...it's the rare few that are special
my boss doesn't let *anyone* give us crap. she'll kick their asses out if they mouth off to us.
we get tips...oh, and full time bennies for working part time.
mmm...i heart my job
oh, i tested printers for a while. we had to test all sorts of paper from around the world. japan has the best paper (sounds weird, i know). rather, the best stuff that comes with paper. open a box and sometimes there'd be adorable notebooks with reeeeeally hilariously bad engrish, or cute little note pads, wash cloths, packs of tissue...random little treats. it was pretty awesome. got to dress how we liked, and since it was a night shift, there really wasn't anyone around to care what we did as long as the job got done (then it all went to hell, but that's another story for another thread)