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First Person Singluar

Perks Other Than Perks

Aroon Sharma
Feb 2010

There has to be something special to a company, which within a year jumps 19 places to lead the pack of the 'Top 100' in the United States of America. It took me to SAS. Located at Cary, North Carolina- “Fortune”, ranks SAS No. 1, as of today. The world's largest privately owned software company was ranked 20th last year. It offers such a basket of benefits other than pay cheques that the fortnightly's brief on them reads: “Some might even think that with all these perks, Goodnight was giving away the store.” (I salivated ).

Goodnight is Jim Goodnight: its co-founder, and the only CEO that the SAS ever had in 34 years. SAS has a 66,000 sq. ft. fitness centre and a natatorium ( a state of the art indoors swimming pool ), a high quality child care at a meagre ( by American standards ) $ 410 a month, pays 90% of the premium on health insurance, offers unlimited domiciliary sick days, backed by a medical centre in office with four physicians and 10 qualified nurses. It also has a lending library and a summer camp for its employees' children.

Out of the 100 top companies, I plumped for 13: each with perks alright, but above the usual, a supra package of perks. Mind boggled, I thought over and over for a tagline ( also this write up's headline ). Finally, I settled for 'perks other than perks' ! For, in my times, I was oblivious, if such perks could or would exist ? The Generation Next may not be that oblivious, having heard bits and pieces from interaction with the NRIs, with these 'Top 100'. It gives India's Generation Next a dream; Generation Next II a hope !

Back to perks ! Go to NuggetMarket, a supermarket chain at Woodland, California, ranked 5th . It offers associates ( a rung below the top employees ), 10 % discounted cards for groceries of $ 500 every month. Then, a mega pat for a mega performance comes as a mega surprise. One such event saw the seniors washing the cars of their juniors. Move on. At the 9th ranked Qualcomm at San Diego, employees an learn surfing, go on kayaking tours and white water rafting, compete at bowling, warm-up around bonfires.

Upped 15th from 23rd rank last time, Zappos at Henderson, Nevada, now a subsidiary of the Amazon.com ( after the tie-up ), gifted a Kindle each to all its employees, and a retention bonus: 40 % of their annual pay. Further down, though CISCO at San Jose has slipped from Rank 6th to 16th , it's still a stalwart of the Silicon Valley, retaining its slot of being America's largest providers of on-site child care ( another is in the offing ) for 800 children, on whom working employee parents can dote on through computers.

At rank 22nd, Johnson Financial Group at Racine, Wisconsin has a rather humane touch to its perks. Employees, who fall on hard times, can count on their employers. Their pay is kept intact whenever an associate is, out of attendance, due to a crisis. Just four ranks behind ( 26th ), CHG Healthcareservices at Salt Lake City, barters benefits with suggested cost saving ideas. It has resulted in an on-site fitness centre, and a fresh fruit basket every morning to everyone besides an annual wellness fair and corporate fun activities.

Scooter Store at New Braunfels, Texas, ranked 38th, ( a returnee to the list of top 100 ), has an envious reputation of having incorporated celebrations as a way of life. Its website talks of quarterly parties and daily birthday parties. It has 2,173 employees on the payrolls, 40 % of whom earn performance based commission. ( I wonder how a company can have 'daily' birthday party unless it has a list: of course, of the employees, their spouses, their children, company's birthday and everyone's pets ! ) Some real innovative idea this !!

Visit Adobe Systems at San Jose, ranked 42nd. Based on a specific period of service, an employee gets a 6-week paid-up sabbatical. Besides, a week in May every year is earmarked as a 'Community Action Week' when across the world, Adobe volunteers divert their energy and efforts to a public service project. And it's the only company which offers privileges to same-sex partners !! ( if my facts are right ? ). PAYCHEX at Rochester, New York, ranked 54th has in-house machines vending healthy snacks and fresh nuts.

And then there is Stew Leonard's at Norwalk, Connecticut, ranked 64th. It takes the cake. At the supermarket operator, employees in their last year of service, put in three days in a week but get paid for five. Its USP: Unique Selling Proposition ( or Point ) during recession was that seniors consented to a salary freeze, to give 4 % to 3 % raise to juniors. And there were no lay-offs at all ! Move on to 92nd ranked Gilbane, a proud-proud fourth generation construction company at Providence. On the very first day of work, an employee gets a laptop. It's a glue to get going !

I round up with a company, I have heard of the most ! It's INTEL, at Santa Clara, California, ranked 98th. The world's largest semiconductor-chip maker has America's most generous sabbatical. Every seven years, a software or a hardware engineer, ( he/she makes a cog in mine, yours and his/her machine ), who assure computer connectivity across seven continents, gets eight paid weeks. Some 6,000 employees have availed of the advantage. Safe to assume, many are wait-listed.

Looking within - till date - I have moved five places - worth a mention. But sans any perks - worth a word. Today, I am on my own. I fiercely protect the only perk I have: The gain on the swing is mine. The loss on the merry-go-around is mine !!

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