Several companies provide benefits that go beyond the usual to serve their employees.  Some examples include:

• IKEA offers as much as four months paid parental leave to both part-time and full-time employees after working for the company for a year.
• Bain & Company sponsors an annual soccer tournament for employees in different locations around the world.
• Facebook provides healthcare coverage and free housing for interns.
• Starbucks provides full tuition reimbursement for employees for an online bachelor’s degree through Arizona State University.
• Eventbrite offers a monthly $60 wellness stipend for use on expenses such as gym dues and juice cleanses.
• Deloitte offers sabbatical programs. One is an unpaid one-month sabbatical, which can be taken for any reason. Another is a three- to six-month sabbatical for personal or professional growth with 40 percent pay.
• Southwest offers employees and dependents access to Clear Skies, which provides confidential counseling and legal consultation.
• Timberland employees can take up to 40 hours of paid time off per year to volunteer.

For additional information on unique employee benefits, click here.

Teaching Suggestions

• Have students talk to others about the employee benefits they believe to be most valuable for their life situation.
• Have students suggest employee benefits that would be of value for various household and life situations.

Discussion Questions 

1. Describe family and life situations that would be helped by various employee benefits.
2. What are factors people might consider when determining whether to take a job with an organization?