The INSIDER Summary:
• Perks and benefits play a large role in many employees' decisions to take a job.
• Most companies offer basic benefits like health insurance or vacation days, but there are a few companies that go above-and-beyond in what they offer employees.
• From paid maternity leave to wellness stipends, these are some of the best benefits companies offer to their employees.
Most of us spend a majority of our waking hours at work, so it's only natural that we want to enjoy our time in the office as much as we can. And perks help — a lot.
According to career site Glassdoor, more than half (57%) of all workers say perks and benefits are among the top things they consider when deciding whether to accept a job, and almost 80% of employees say they would prefer new benefits over a pay raise.
That's why some employers are raising the bar and going beyond standard vacation days and health insurance benefits to attract new talent.
Companies like Airbnb and Salesforce are offering unique and surprising perks like travel stipends and paid time off to volunteer, while companies like IKEA and Pinterest are stepping up their game for helping new parents.
"Benefits and perks matter because they're an added piece of the total compensation puzzle," says Scott Dobroski, Glassdoor's career trends analyst. "Job seekers should understand what benefits and perks an employer may be offering, and do their research ahead of time to find companies that offer benefits that matter most to them."
Head over to Glassdoor to see the full list of the "Top 20 Employee Benefits and Perks for 2017," and keep scrolling to see some of the employees' favorite perks — the one they rate at least 4.0 out of 5.0 on Glassdoor:
Free intern housing at Facebook
Facebook offers interns free housing with tons of amenities like shuttle service to and from Facebook's Menlo Park campus, or a monthly housing stipend of $1,000.
Overall benefits rating: 4.7 / 5
Fitness classes at Reebok
Employees at Reebok are encouraged to take advantage of the company's full on-site gym and CrossFit box throughout the workday.
Overall benefits rating: 4.1 / 5
Abundant perks for new parents at American Express
American Express offers up to five months of fully-paid leave for both mothers and fathers. Birthing mothers can also receive an additional six to eight weeks for paid medical leave. In addition, parents have access to a 24-hour lactation consultant, and mothers traveling for business can ship their breast milk home for free.
Overall benefits rating: 4.0 / 5
Free burgers at In-N-Out
In-N-Out's employees can treat themselves to a free Double-Double burger and fries during each shift.
Overall benefits rating: 4.3 / 5
Death benefits at Google
Google provides the surviving spouse or partner of a deceased employee 50% of their salary for the next 10 years.
Overall benefits rating: 4.6 / 5
Generous paid parental leave at Netflix
Netflix offers one paid year of maternity and paternity leave to new parents. The company also allows parents to return part-time or full-time and take time off as needed throughout the year.
Overall benefits rating: 4.2 / 5
'Yay Days' at REI
REI encourages its employees to get outside by offering two paid days off each year, called "Yay Days," to enjoy their favorite outside activity.
Overall benefits rating: 4.1 / 5
Paid time off for volunteering at Salesforce
Salesforce employees receive six days of paid volunteer time off a year, as well as $1,000 a year to donate to a charity of their choice.
Overall benefits rating: 4.6 / 5
Global soccer tournaments at Bain & Company
Bain & Company holds an annual two-day, global "Bain World Cup" soccer tournament, which is open to all employees. More than a thousand employees from 50 Bain offices help make it the event of the year.
Last year's event was in Brussels. The 2017 tournament will be held in Los Angeles.
Overall benefits rating: 4.7 / 5
Egg freezing at Spotify
Spotify provides six months of paid parental leave, plus one month of flexible work options for parents returning to the office. The company also covers costs for egg freezing and fertility assistance.
Overall benefits rating: 4.5 / 5
Gender reassignment benefits at Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs has offered coverage for gender reassignment surgery since 2008.
Overall benefits rating: 4.1 / 5
Generous paid parental leave for part-time employees at IKEA
IKEA offers up to four months of paid parental leave to both part-time and full-time employees with at least one year of experience at the company, regardless of whether they work at a retail store or the corporate headquarters.
Overall benefits rating: 4.4 / 5
Travel stipend at Airbnb
Airbnb gives its employees an annual stipend of $2,000 to travel and stay in an Airbnb listing anywhere in the world.
Overall benefits rating: 4.6 / 5
Partial student-loan debt reimbursement at PwC
PwC offers its employees $1,200 a year in reimbursement on student-loan debt.
Read about one 23-year-old employee's experience with this benefit.
Overall benefits rating: 4.0 / 5
New-parent perks at Pinterest
Pinterest provides a unique take on the parental-leave policy by offering three paid months off, plus a month of part-time hours, as well as two counseling sessions to create a plan to re-enter the workplace.
Overall benefits rating: 4.5 / 5
Full tuition reimbursement at Starbucks
Starbucks provides full tuition reimbursement for its employees, covering an online bachelor’s degree program through Arizona State University.
Overall benefits rating: 4.3 / 5
Ski passes and snow days at Burton
Burton employees receive season ski passes and "snow days" to hit the slopes after a big snowfall.
Overall benefits rating: 4.0 / 5
Wellness stipends at Eventbrite
Eventbrite helps keep employees healthy by offering a monthly $60 wellness stipend, which can be used on everything from gym dues to juice cleanses.
Overall benefits rating: 4.6 / 5
Free books at Twilio
Cloud-communications platform Twilio offers employees a Kindle plus $30 a month to purchase books.
Overall benefits rating: 4.1 / 5
On-site acupuncture and improv classes at Twitter
Twitter is well-known for providing perks such as three catered meals a day, but some lesser-known benefits include on-site acupuncture and improv classes.
Overall benefits rating: 4.3 / 5
Sabbatical programs at Deloitte
Deloitte offers two sabbatical programs: an unpaid, one-month sabbatical that can be taken for any reason, and a three- to six-month sabbatical that can be taken to pursue personal or professional growth opportunities with 40% pay.
Overall benefits rating: 4.1 / 5
Free park admission at Walt Disney Company
Walt Disney Company wants its employees to enjoy the "Happiest Place on Earth" — so it offers employees (and their friends and families) free admission to their parks, as well as discounts on hotels and merchandise.
Overall benefits rating: 4.0 / 5
Team-building courses at Evernote
Evernote hosts classes through "Evernote Academy," which offers team-building courses like macaroon baking.
Overall benefits rating: 4.3 / 5
Required time off at Adobe
Adobe shuts down the entire company for one week in December and one week over the summer.
Overall benefits rating: 4.6 / 5
Life- and career-coaching sessions at Asana
Asana employees have access to executive- and-life coaching services outside of the company.
Overall benefits rating: 4.9 / 5
Breast-milk shipping at Zillow
Zillow pays for overnight shipping of breast milk when a new mom is traveling.
Overall benefits rating: 4.6 / 5
Fitness program reimbursement at Microsoft
Microsoft offers an annual $800 "StayFit" reimbursement program to help cover the cost of gym memberships and fitness programs.
Overall benefits rating: 4.4 / 5
On-site pampering at Genentech
Genentech offers unique on-site amenities, including car washes, haircuts, a childcare center, mobile spa, and dentist.
Overall benefits rating: 4.3 / 5
Counseling and consultations for employees and their dependents at Southwest
Southwest offers all employees and their dependents access to "Clear Skies," an employee assistance program that provides confidential counseling, work-life services, and legal consultations.
Overall benefits rating: 4.4 / 5
Generous 401k program at United Services Automobile Association (USAA)
USAA matches employee 401k contributions at 8%. The average US company matches at 6%.
Overall benefits rating: 4.4 / 5
Jacquelyn Smith contributed to an earlier version of this article.
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