Businesses across the globe were quick to adopt remote-working when COVID-19 hit, leaving behind fun office perks such as freebie lunches and company-wide foosball tournaments.
However, it turns out that free meals and company culture quirks aren't quite enough to retain staff. The so-called "Great Resignation" has seen many workers reassess their careers, with countless people resigning from their roles; in fact, as many as 4.5 million Americans quit their jobs in November 2021 alone, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
As a result, employers have been left desperate to fill job openings. Obvious salary incentives aside, many businesses are now offering their team a range of other perks, with the hope that a focus on wellbeing and the work-life balance will encourage staff.
With that in mind, click or scroll through our gallery to discover the US-based companies that are doing their best to attract and retain the very best workforce.
Facebook has long been known as an employer that offers all sorts of staff perks, from free food and commuter shuttle buses to meditation spaces and generous parental support.
In March 2022, however, its parent company Meta announced that it would be reducing some of the perks that staff had enjoyed pre-Covid, including freebie laundry and dry cleaning.
Valet services are also set to be cut, while the time of the last shuttle bus is due to change, meaning that employees will miss out on a free dinner if they rely on the transport service to get home.
However, it's not all bad: Meta has also announced plans to increase its employee wellbeing stipends from $700 to $3,000.
Microsoft reopened its Washington-based offices in February 2022, and welcomed employees back with live music, beer and wine tastings, and even a terrarium-making class.
US-based employees can receive up to $1,200 in reimbursement for wellness expenses, including gym memberships, weight-loss programs, massages, and financial management advice. There is also on-site health care, including a full-service pharmacy at the company's Redmond location.
Employees don't need to leave campus for restaurants, shops or even a trip to the library. The tech giant also brings in world-famous speakers to inspire its staff, with the likes of Brené Brown and Trevor Noah having taken to the stage in recent times.
Microsoft also supports staff who are looking for a more flexible approach to where or when they work, and says on its website that it has a "hybrid workplace where every employee can do their best work by working the way they work best".
When your mission is to provide honest and accurate reviews of other employers across the US, you need to ensure that you're at the top of your game. So it makes perfect sense, then, that San Francisco-based Glassdoor strives to offer its own employees some great perks.
Glassdoor offers 100% coverage of employee premiums for medical, dental and vision treatments, as well as 80% for the partners and dependents of staff. It also has specialist providers for mental health, fertility, and pregnancy support, and provides free memberships to platforms such as ClassPass for unlimited on-demand workout classes.
Even before the pandemic, Glassdoor offered flexible working options, including remote and hybrid arrangements. Workers who are in the office can reportedly enjoy free snacks and meals, and can also receive vouchers to help cover the cost of commuting.
As it gradually began to reopen its offices in summer 2021, employment-themed social network LinkedIn announced that its staff could choose between full-time remote work or a hybrid option.
For employees who spend time in the office, there's an on-site gym as well as fitness classes. Regardless of where they log-on from, staff get one Friday every month to focus on "yourself, our company, or the world", and there's also reimbursement for higher education expenses. LinkedIn will also match charitable donations made by employees.
Staff can also benefit from the company's Speaker Series ("giving professionals access to inspiring ideas and innovative thinkers from around the globe") and, naturally, get free access to a Premium LinkedIn account, too.
Cloud storage company Dropbox was once renowned for its fabulous HQ in San Francisco, which offered fancy catering and a karaoke bar. In the wake of the pandemic, however, the firm has rebranded its offices to "studios".
The studios, which reopened in July 2021, are flexible spaces where teams can meet as and when they please. There's no expectation for a studio to be an employee's primary workplace and remote work is the default for all staff, with Dropbox explaining that it is intentionally not pursuing a hybrid model.
In exchange for the bygone office perks, employees can access $7,000 to cover the costs of home office equipment, food, and more. Staff are also allowed to take 32 hours of paid time off to volunteer, and the company also has a generous vacation policy that allows for up to four consecutive weeks of paid time off.
Google started calling employees back into the office in April, with a private outdoor concert by pop star Lizzo just one of the incentives used.
The tech giant has adopted a hybrid-working model that means Googlers are typically required to come into the physical office three days a week, with four "work from anywhere" weeks also thrown into the mix.
Other benefits reflect this new flexible approach. While Google still offers on-site meals and gyms, there are also at-home fitness and cooking classes for employees. Staffers have free access to mental health apps, back-up childcare, and financial coaching, and there's even a medical advocacy program for transgender employees.
On top of all that, staff have access to top tech, are encouraged to embrace self-development via educational reimbursement, and can even bring their dogs ("dooglers") into the office.
Want to celebrate the festive season without worrying about work? Aerospace company Boeing provides a winter break for most of its employees, giving them the week off between Christmas Eve until New Year's Day.
If you have a hankering to go back to school, the Illinois-based corporation offers a wealth of career development tools and resources, with funds available for books, tuition, and other fees associated with degree and professional certificate programs.
Boeing will also help you find the best repayment solutions for previous student loans, as well as pay for up to 80 hours of educational tutoring for school-age children. Flexible work options are available, as are a wide range of health and dental benefits.
The pandemic hit global travel review site TripAdvisor hard and they were forced to lay-off 900 people in April 2020. The firm has since seen business pick up as people begin to travel again, and has jobs to fill – and plenty to offer in return.
US employees can take advantage of personal travel discounts and concierge services, with generous paid vacation time to boot. Workers can benefit from up approved educational programs worth up to $5,000, and there's also an annual spending account that can be used for personal travel, wellbeing and family support, among other things.
In addition to this, there are back-up child and adult care services, as well as a personal assistance service to help find and pre-screen caregivers.
Before the pandemic began, high-tech information provider Bloomberg was known for the catering and well-stocked pantries it offered staff at. When many employees shifted to working from home in 2020, the company adjusted its offering to safely provide to-go meals for those who needed to be in the office.
There are on-site health services at its New York and New Jersey offices, as well as a telemedicine service that staff can access 24/7. Anyone covered by the Bloomberg medical plan can access a lifetime benefit covering fertility treaments and IVF, including unlimited coverage of prescription drugs.
It's good news for parents-to-be, too: Bloomberg offers up to 26 weeks of 100% paid parental leave for a primary caregiver of any gender, as well as access to a free maternity nurse before and after pregnancy.
Streaming service Netflix doesn't have a set 9-to-5 workday, nor does it have prescribed time-off policies. Instead, employees can work the way that best suits them, with the company's philosophy revolving around working smarter, not harder.
Netflix leads the way in the US with its parental leave too, offering up to 12 months of unlimited paid leave for new moms and dads in the first year after a child's birth or adoption. Like many of its tech counterparts, it also helps to cover the costs for fertility and family planning treatments.
In addition to paid time off, professional finance services firm Deloitte also offers staff a sabbatical program. Women are entitled to 26 weeks of paid maternity leave, while flexible medical insurance is available for employees, as is a short-term counseling program that staff can access to help with anything from dietary issues to marital problems.
For senior-level employees and above, the perks are even juicier, with car leases (including insurance) and high-end mobile phones both up for grabs.
As you'd hope from an online travel agent, Expedia encourages its employees – and their friends and family – to explore the world, offering enticing discounts and reimbursements for vacations.
The company announced in February that it would be taking a hybrid approach, with no less than 50% of work expected to take place at its Seattle headquarters.
And of course, Expedia HQ is no ordinary facility. The campus boasts bike trails, green spaces, and sports fields, as well as a fitness center and in-house nutritionist. There's even reliable outdoor WiFi. Need we say more?
Online language learning resource Duolingo offers all sorts of fun perks for team members, including on-site gym facilities, massages, and game rooms, while staff lunches are prepared daily by an expert team of in-house chefs.
Parental and adoption leave is fully paid for by the company, which also provides employees with help for sourcing caregivers. Employees in the US can enjoy 20 days of paid time off a year, plus two additional weeks for winter break.
All full-time employees get to enjoy an annual international retreat, while those who work from the company's Pittsburgh HQ can also enjoy a first-time home buyer bonus.
Even part-time employees get to take part in the stock equity reward programme at coffee giant Starbucks. For those in the US wanting to combine work with study, eligible staff can get a bachelor’s degree (with full tuition reimbursement every semester) through Arizona State University's online degree programs.
In addition to standard benefits, every employee can claim a free pound of coffee or box of tea a week, as well as a 30% discount on food and drink, a free Spotify Premium subscription, and a huge range of affiliate discounts.
Toy giant Mattel offers plenty of perks, including, fittingly, on-site childcare facilities and product discounts.
Unlimited paid leave and a hybrid work model are just two more reasons to consider the business for your next career move, and it also offers a huge range of healthcare and financial-related support. Free counseling and advice services are also available to staff.
Lifestyle Brands, the subset of SC Johnson that includes household cleaning ranges like Method and Ecover, is predominantly based in San Francisco.
Employees can benefit from a wealth of perks, including a health insurance package, competitive vacation offering, and three days of paid volunteering. There's even the company's Global Ping Pong Tournament Prom – because who says corporate (and cleaning) can't be fun?
As is to be expected from a global sports giant, Adidas's North American HQ in Portland, Oregon, has not only a soccer field but also a yoga studio and a gym. There's also a juice bar and a cafe if you fancy a post-workout refresher, as well as a roof deck for soaking up the view.
Perhaps even more enticingly, staff can enjoy a substantial 50% off on Adidas products at the employee store, making it the perfect place for sports lovers to work.
Apart from the high renumeration and great standard benefits it offers its staff, Bain & Company isn't your typical global management consultancy firm. Rather, it's big on company culture and hosts its annual Bain World Cup sports tournament, which sees more than 1,000 employees descend on a global destination for a whole lot of fun.
At the company's Boston office, staff with musical skills can join the Bain Band to get to know their colleagues better and can even perform at company events.
Other perks include opportunities for sabbaticals, working in a Bain office abroad, and "externships", which allow employees to work at another firm or non-profit for six months.
Financial software company Intuit surveyed its employees and found that while the overwhelming majority enjoyed working from home during the pandemic, they also missed collaborating in person.
In response, it's reopening its offices with a hybrid working model. On-site employees can take advantage of a range of sports facilities, including basketball and sand volleyball courts. For the days when they're WFH, staff can keep up the exercise with freebie access to on-demand virtual fitness classes.
Other benefits include reimbursement of up to $30,000 for adoption costs and up to $60,000 in surrogacy expenses, as well as back-up care for children, elders, and pets.
American Express is a great choice for family-focused workers. The company offers a fully-paid parental leave period of up to 20 weeks for regular full-time and part-time employees, which covers moms and dads who have welcomed a child through birth, adoption or surrogacy.
As well as that, new parents have free 24-hour access to certified lactation consultants, and breast milk shipping is also available for mothers who are traveling on company business.
There are numerous other family-related benefits available, too. Up to $35,000 in costs for adoption or surrogacy can be reimbursed, as well as $35,000 for fertility treatments. As well as enjoying flexible working arrangements, parents also have access to up to 20 days of back-up care per year.
Global job search website Indeed has an unlimited paid time-off policy, meaning that employees can take as much leave as they need for sickness, personal days, and travel.
Along with comprehensive personal health care for themselves, "Indeedians" can also get free pet insurance for their four-legged friends. There's also potential for cash bonuses via the Friends Indeed employee referral program if you think your buddies would make a great fit for the team.
Need some time away from the daily grind? IKEA has introduced a sabbatical program that allows its employees to "refresh and engage in personal and professional growth and development".
The Swedish-born furniture brand also recently improved its parental leave policy, and now provides up to four paid months for mothers and fathers, including adoptive and foster parents. You only need to work 20 hours a week to be eligible for the full benefits package, which includes a tempting 15% discount on products.
When CEO David Solomon announced in March that staff at investment bank Goldman Sachs would return to the office five days a week, he angered many employees. Flexible work options are available but with the approval of a manager.
However, working in person at Goldman Sachs does come with some definite perks. Some of the bank's offices come complete with on-site fitness centers, health services, child care facilities, and mother and baby rooms.
The bank has also introduced a range of new team benefits that focus on wellbeing, including extended leave for bereavement and miscarriages, and the option to take a sabbatical.
Online retail giant Amazon offers up to 20 weeks of paid leave for birth mothers, and another eight consecutive weeks of flex and partial work hours when they return via the company's Ramp Back program. Parents who adopt can expect six weeks of paid leave.
Parents can also access resources if their children are facing developmental disabilities, and can also receive help with finding care for children and elders. The company has also pledged $1.2 billion to fund pre-paid college tuition, GED, and English as a Second Language courses for hundreds of thousands of its staff.
As a biotech company, the majority of Genentech's staff were unable to work from home during the pandemic, and many of the employees that could WFH have yet to return.
Prior to COVID-19, the firm was known for offering a range of perks at its San Fransico campus, including freebie car washes, haircuts, sushi, day care services, and fitness centers.
Employees can benefit from a wide range of perks, covering everything from pensions and fuss-free transport to counseling and museum discounts. Whether they're putting in the hours at home or in the office, team members are also entitled to a six-week sabbatical after every six years with the company.
As an Airbnb employee, the world is your oyster – or at least the global travel company's directory of locations is.
With a $2,000 annual stipend, employees can stay at any property listing worldwide, with 30 days of paid annual leave available after two years of service.
In the aftermath of the pandemic, the holiday rental giant has scaled down its offices, though its San Francisco HQ still offers staff free gourmet breakfast, lunch, and dinner options.
Elon Musk's space exploration company offers employees free dinners, coffees, and fro-yo, as well as massages, an insider told Business Insider in early 2018.
Other out-of-this-world perks offered by SpaceX include the chance to attend free private talks by well-known names such as Star Trek actor George Takei, as well as viewing parties for spae-themed movies such as Gravity and The Martian.
Paid leave, health insurance, and mentorship and developmental opportunities are also available, giving staff the launchpad they need to rocket up the career ladder.
Now discover what the average US worker earns in every state.