A big dumb idiot once said, “If you find a job doing something you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” In reality, work is tough. It can be tiring, frustrating, and challenging; it can make you sore, wear you down, and downright exhaust you. If it was fun and enjoyable all the time, they’d call it “Super duper holy cow incredible fun time.” But it’s not, so they don’t. They call it work.
The good news is that some jobs make the “work” part as painless as possible by offering some pretty outrageous perks. Oh… You want an example? Well, don’t mind if we do! Here are seven companies offering incredible perks at work:
Thai Boxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at LinkedIn:
LinkedIn is a leading resource for professionals and companies to connect and collaborate with one another. If it sounds pretty dorky and sterile, that’s because it is. But the LinkedIn offices, located in San Francisco? Not so much. The company offers its employees Thai Boxing classes twice a week, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu once a week. We can’t really think of a better way to utilize an in-house gym, even if we do imagine all your employees walk around with pocket protectors.
Free Oil Changes and Car Washes at Google:
Everybody knows that Google—aside from the outstanding pay—offers their employees some of the most righteous perks in the world, but the quirkiest of them all absolutely has to be the free on-site oil changes and car washes offered to employees. Or maybe it’s the on-site haircuts or primary care physicians? Hmmm…
Traveling Anywhere with Airbnb:
One of the most revolutionary travel booking websites ever conceived, Airbnb is a pioneer in an emerging industry of less structured, more community-driven travel. And when it comes to employee travel, the San Francisco-based startup certainly practices what it preaches. Each employee is given $2,000 every single year to travel anywhere in the world.
Get Some Tasty Waves with Patagonia:
Patagonia is a Ventura, Calif.-based clothing company whose products are geared for those who live for adventure. Their founder, Yvon Chouinard, is an avid thrill-seeker who does everything from rock climbing to kayaking, but his specialty is surfing. In fact, he named his memoir Let My People Go Surfing.
And these personal beliefs are reflected in the company, whose employees benefit from open surf sessions in the middle of the work day (outside of setting their own work hours, munching on locally sourced organic snacks, and riding around on their “company bicycles,” of course). They take it so seriously that in their Ventura offices, they post daily surf reports to make sure their employees are catching the best waves at the best times.
A Spin on the Company Yacht at iCracked:
Apparently, the market for fixing, reselling, and protecting iPhones is booming. iCracked, a company that specializes in fixing and selling broken phones, has a company headquarters located next to a communal dock in Redwood City, Calif., and they let their employees casually take the company yacht out for a leisurely spin to enjoy the sights and sounds of the Redwood Shores. Not bad for a company founded by a bunch of broke college kids!
Fly-Fishing at Discovery:
With a jam-packed stable of fun and adventurous shows in its possession (think MythBusters, Deadliest Catch, Dirty Jobs, etc.), it shouldn’t really surprise anyone that the folks over at Discovery Communications are always pushing their employees to do cool new shit and keep growing. They offer free classes and events that include learning how to fly-fish, but also include things like chocolate-making seminars, African dance classes, and even improv classes.
Catering to Your Every Goddamn Whim at Facebook:
As far as company-wide perks are concerned, Facebook might very well be at the top of the list. Their employees are damn near pampered, and benefit from things like free transportation and dry cleaning, a company gym, an on-site candy shop, and A FUCKING VENDING MACHINE FILLED WITH FREE COMPUTER ACCESSORIES. Like, who does that?! Zuckerberg; that’s who.
