As the era of human physical labor winds to a close, some of us (who haven’t already been replaced by algorithms or mechanical arms) can take comfort in the cushy work environments and delightful extras our handlers use to keep us inside the office, away from the frivolous distractions of the outside world.
But if you think wearing your Crocs to casual Friday or receiving a birthday card signed by your work friends constitutes a pretty decent motivational perk, it’s time to think again—here are 15 of the best and most thoughtful job perks from companies around the world, so you know exactly what to drop in the “suggestions” box on your next trip to the office water cooler.
1. A Month At Large
It’s a shame when you love your work, but hate going to work. “Man, this job would be great,” you tell yourself, “if only I could do it from a beach in Tahiti.” After completing a year of service to the company, lucky employees of Software Advice get to spend a month working from anywhere in the world they choose.
2. Getting Flemish
After five years at the New Belgium brewing company in Colorado, workers are taken on a group trip to Belgium to experience the frite-loving, hard-drinking monarchal culture that inspired the company’s creation. Employees don’t have to get the Tintin tattoo at the end, but if you don’t, your co-workers will never really respect you again.
3. Non-Profit Motive
At Patagonia, you can relive the carefree, youthful intern lifestyle all over again, with all of the fun and none of the poverty. The company’s employee internship program allows workers paid time off to pitch in at an environmental non-profit of their choice.
4. Tea and Sympathy
At Xero, an online accounting firm in New Zealand, the staff takes a daily group walk to a local coffee shop. Bosses encourage employees to use this time to mingle and get to know each other, thereby strengthening their bond as a team, and finally giving Cathy from sales a chance to chat up Carlos the handsome controller.
5. Present Perfect
Sartre once said that “hell is other people,” but most people don’t know that the full quote is actually “hell is other people who are not, at this moment, giving you some kind of present.” In considering these words of wisdom, YuppieChef, a Cape Town start up, makes their workplace a little less hellish by giving employees a budget for their co-workers’ birthdays, and by encouraging them to “desk-bomb” the birthday girl or boy’s workspace with gifts.
