Are you taking advantage of all of the free perks that your workplace provides? Many free perks of the job aren’t advertised. The company leaves it up to the employees to find out about these freebies, either by reading the employee handbook cover to cover, browsing through obscure parts of the company’s internal website, visiting the HR department, or finding out through word of mouth.
Other freebies are a bit more obvious but still not utilized.
One important thing to understand about freebies at work, is that while you should feel free to use these perks, since they are provided, you still don’t want to be a bad steward of them. For example, if you take a freebie when you don’t need it, or with no intention of actually using it, well, that isn’t in the spirit of frugality.
Food
Depending on the company, you may be able to have everything from a cup of coffee to a full lunch for free. Some company’s provide free snacks to the employees to keep up those energy levels.
Gym Memberships and Health Perks
it costs less to insure a healthy person, and thankfully, many companies recognize that. They may underwrite or pay a part of the cost of a gym membership, a smoking cessation program or even a diet program.
Merchandise
No, stealing office supplies is not a perk, but depending on where you work, there may be merchandise samples or even gift baskets available. Sometimes employes are not allowed to accept gifts from clients or suppliers, so they are made free to employees for the asking.
Parking or commuting costs
Many employees don’t realize that their parking and commuting costs may be able to be paid by their employer. Most companies that are located in an urban center or large city offer this type of perk.
Search service
If you need to find anything from a plumber or a psychologist, you may have a free search service at your disposal, thanks to your company paying for this service. The potential help from a paid service is usually prescreened and rated, so you can save a bunch of money here.
You can read more blog posts by Mary Ann Romans here!
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