101 Creative Employee Benefits Ideas for All Budgets

Looking for new ways to appreciate, reward, and attract employees? We’ve got a comprehensive list of creative employee benefits ideas beyond the traditional options (think medical, dental, life, etc.) you already offer to your employees. Pick one or as many as you want, or survey your staff for their top choices! We have tips for all budgets and sizes, and don’t forget to contact Austin for advice on implementing benefits of a traditional or non-traditional nature! That’s how we’re revolutionizing benefits and simplifying HR for our clients.

Download the New 101 Creative Benefits Ideas E-Book by filling out the form below.

Wellness

1. Gym membership reimbursement*

2. Bike to work reimbursement

3. Free health trackers (Fitbit, Garmin, etc.) or reimbursement up to a certain amount

4. Free “deskercise” balls

5. Convertible or Standing desk options

6. Free ergonomic desk accessories

7. Free Smoking Cessation Program* (try adding an incentive)

8. Healthy vending machine

9. Free Healthy Snacks* (we like almonds or trail mix)

10. Free Healthy office lunches (think outside the pizza box, try a salad bar or wraps in place of subs)

11. Preventive Doctor Visit Incentive

12. Health Screening On-site

13. Flu Shot Clinic On-site*

14. Incentives for meeting personal health goals

15. Stipend for at home fitness equipment

16. Annual Wellness Fair

17. Premium reduction for wellness participation

18. Biometric Screenings

19. Sponsor Employee Participation in 5K/10K/Marathons*

(Austin Team @ The Walk for Alzheimer’s at the Detroit Zoo)

Employee Recognition

20. Rewards for Years of Service

21. MVP/MIP/Rookie of the Year Awards

22. Quarterly lunch/dinner with the boss

23. Birthday/Anniversary Parties*

24. “Fancy Office” Rotation/Prize

25. Penny Pincher Awards*

26. Mistake of the Month Awards*

27. New Hire Welcome Packages

Family-Friendly

28. Maternity and Paternity Leave

29. In-office daycare

30. Allow children to be brought to the office in case of emergency, loss of babysitter

31. Employee and family Summer Picnic

32. College Scholarship/Saving Program

33. Rent Out Movie Theatre for Employees and their families

34. Holiday Savings Program (and Matching!)

35. New Mom or Dad Welcome Back package

Big Budget

36. Use of company car(s)*

37. Tuition Reimbursement

38. Company-wide destination vacation or retreat

39. Home-Loan Assistance

40. Gender-reassignment assistance

41. Adoption/Fertility assistance

42. Hybrid/Electric Car Incentive

43. Company Performance Bonuses for All Employees

Community Involvement

44. Personal Volunteering PTO days

45. Day of Service – company shuts down to do a volunteering activity for the day

(Austin Team & Family Cooking Spaghetti & Lasagna Dinner for South Oakland Skelter Residents)

46. Charity Donation Matching

47. Take Shelter Dogs for a Walk Day

Culture Hits

48. Flex Time*

49. Telecommuting/Work from Home

50. Bring your pet to work day (or every day!)

51. Relaxed or no dress code

52. Office DJ or Dance Days*

53. Office Olympics

54. Office Mini Golf or Putting Green*

(Austin Team’s First Annual “Austin on the Green” Mini Golf Challenge)

55. Nap room or pods

56. Pet Insurance (Read More: Voluntary Benefits Guide for Employers)

57. Offsite staff morale/team-building activities

58. Company sports teams

Time Off Options

59. PTO on Your Birthday

60. Summer Fridays (Leave early or take off a certain amount of Fridays during slow periods)

61. Extended time-off around holidays

62. Unlimited Vacation (Can require a certain amount of time to be taken each year)

63. Get Out of the Office Free Cards

64. Snow Days

Convenient Time-Savers

65. Car Detailing or Wash (Free or at Discount)

66. Credit/Discount for house cleaning/dry cleaning

67. Telemedicine Center On-site

68. Valet Parking

69. Free/Discounted Tax Consulting Service On-site

70. Free/Discounted Mani/Pedi

71. Employee of the Month Parking Spot

Stress Relief

72. Yoga at Work

73. Massage Therapy at Work

74. Acupressure at Work

75. Stipend for Mental Health services

76. EAP services

77. Office Game or Relaxation Room

78. Stress Management Courses on-site

79. Provide fresh flowers/plants on each desk

80. Rotating Office Artwork

Invest in Your Talent

81. Office Free Library/E-readers

82. Paid sabbaticals

83. Lunch and Learns (Read More: The Best Ideas for Well-Being Lunch & Learns)

84. Mentor program

85. Work in Another Department for the Day/Week/Month

86. Business Wardrobe Signing/Promotion Bonus

87. Free smartphone for business and personal use

88. Stipend for professional development

89. CPR training/certification

90. Employee referral program*

91. Financial Wellness Training (Read More: The Connection Between Financial & Physical Wellness)

Miscellaneous

92. Employee discount on mobile phones/service

93. Free coffee and tea*

94. Carpool/Bus/Train Incentive

95. Negotiate local area discounts (join Chamber of Commerce)

96. Mileage reimbursement*

97. No-interest loan to purchase home office technology

98. Offer your products to employees for free

99. TGIF surprise giveaways (randomly or regularly)

(Fresh Fruit Mondays @Austin Benefits Group | Download this Poster HERE!)

100. Free breakfast bar options daily (fruit, oatmeal, granola, smoothies, etc.)

101. Community Garden

*An Austin Team Favorite

Which perks do you think would be most popular in your office? Ready to implement some of these creative employee benefits? Check out our article on how to promote all types of benefits within your office!