8 quirky employee benefits and what you can learn from them

Ever heard of hangover leave or taking time off because your favourite celebrity couple got married? Some companies take perks to a whole new level to keep their teams happy!

We’ve compiled some of the most unusual employee benefits out there and consider what small businesses can learn from them.

Behind these eyebrow-raising ideas, lies an important lesson for any business seeking creative ways to keep their employees happy, without paying a premium.

Do you need help with more conventional employee benefits? Our friendly award-winning team gives clear advice and no-obligation quotes across health insurance, life insurance and many other employee health and protection schemes. Contact 01273 222805 or [email protected].

1.   BrewDog

BrewDog is the leading craft beer company in the UK. The Scottish brewery gives employees a week off when they get a new dog because bonding with a pet is important! It also gives dog owners the chance to house train their pups.

”Pawternity leave” takes away the stress of leaving a new dog home alone, because pets are family too!

Consider this! Is there anything you can do to support your animal-loving team members?

2.   TrustRing

TrustRing is a Japanese tech company that likely has the quirkiest employee benefits! The company offers hangover leave because sometimes last night’s fun can affect today’s productivity.

They also introduced celebrity news leave, so employees can take time off when their favourite celebrity has a major life event like marriage or the release of a new album.

TrustRing’s employee perks are a great way to attract and retain staff, especially when they’re not always able to raise salaries due to financial limitations.

Consider this! By getting to know your team’s hobbies and interests, perhaps you can offer a unique benefit they’re sure to love?

3.   Patagonia

Outdoor apparel brand Patagonia encourages employees to go surfing during their lunch breaks. Their California HQ fully supports lunchtime surfing because being outdoors leads to fresh ideas in the workplace.

While this might not work in rainy UK, the “Let my people go surfing” principle is what matters. Encouraging employees to enjoy life outside of work can make your team more productive in the long run.

The company also has strong family values and offers on-site child-care at some of their branches with monthly child-care stipends. This family-based benefit leads to high employee retention rates, especially among its female employees. Patagonia can also boast that about a dozen of their employees attended their on-site child-care centres as infants!

Consider this! Can you do more to encourage mini outdoor excursions during lunch breaks?

4.   Ben & Jerry’s

Imagine being paid to take home three pints of ice cream a day! That’s exactly what happens at Ben & Jerry’s. Their employees also get to enjoy a daily scoop of ice cream at the in-house scoop shop, and if they feel like snacking, they can taste test new flavours being developed at the in-house test kitchen.

Ben & Jerry’s aren’t just about ice cream, though. At the company headquarters, employees can make use of the red slide in the middle of the office, because stairs aren’t as fun. In addition, the office is pet friendly, so expect to see many furry friends at every corner.

Consider this! Is there a service or product you sell that you can offer to your employees too?

5.   SC Johnson

Ever wish you could outsource your chores? Well, if you’re an employee at SC Johnson, you can use their concierge service to take care of your housework, laundry, dishes, and dry cleaning.

But that’s not all! The concierge service is also available to run errands for you, so you don’t have to waste your time with life’s daily responsibilities. The household cleaning supplies manufacturer believes this service will free up their employees’ time to focus on productivity and achieve a better work-life balance.

Consider this! Can you think of any creative ways to help your staff achieve a healthy work-life balance?

6.   Amerisleep

When the dreaded afternoon slump kicks in and productivity drops, you will do anything for a comfy bed and some ZZZ. But when you’re at work, this can be difficult.

Amerisleep understands the benefits of sleep and encourages its employees to catch some shut-eye when needed in one of their designated nap rooms.

While the US-based mattress company is all about a comfortable sleep, it also encourages an active lifestyle. Their headquarters has several activities to keep employees fit, such as racquetball, swimming pool, an on-site gym, and more.

Consider this! As sleep is so important for anyone to be at their best, is there anything you can do to help your staff?

7.   Starbucks

Starbucks employees can get their caffeine fix at home for free simply by being employed by the coffee giant. They get to take home a free pound of coffee or a box of tea every week!

That’s alongside discounts on food and drinks and even a Spotify Premium subscription. This is the perfect employee benefit for caffeine lovers!

Consider this! If you employ remote workers, why not consider delivering perks straight to their door?

8.   Hooray Health & Protection

Let’s end with us. At Hooray, we believe that Fridays should come with a little extra joy. That’s why we run a weekly Friday afternoon quiz to bring the team together. And at 4pm, the beer fridge swings open! It’s a simple, low-cost way to boost morale and end the week on a high note.

Consider this! Can you give your staff something extra to look forward to at the end of the working week?

What can businesses learn from these quirky ideas?

As a business owner, you don’t need a massive budget to offer unique perks that offer something meaningful to your staff.

• Think about what you sell: can your services or products be used as inspiration for the benefits you offer? As an employee benefits broker, we naturally offer health insurance to our team. Meanwhile, Starbucks offer free coffee. So, what can you offer your team?
• Do some outlandish brainstorming: Think outside the box. What will put a smile on your employees’ faces? What will genuinely help them? Unleash your creativity and you might end up with some ideas that your employees would love.
• Make it personal: What do your employees love? Pets? Music? Food? Tailor perks to your team’s interests.
• Encourage work-life balance: Sometimes simple benefits like an extra day off or weekly social event can make a difference.
• Think about the whole team: Everyone’s into different things and have different needs. So, make sure you employee benefits do a little bit of something for everyone.

It’s time for action! See if you can think up a benefit that makes your workplace the one everyone wants to be a part of!

While Hooray can’t help set up a ‘Pawternity Leave’ policy, we can help you get quotes and advice on health insurance, life insurance, sick pay cover and many other health and protection policies. And our services come at no extra cost. Contact: 01273 222805 or [email protected].