Perks at your lab

[Kalrock]

I have worked at a few companies, but the one I'm currently at makes the employees buy the coffee and they never cater.  My experience is commercial lab will cater sometimes, but contract labs don't.  So I wanted to know if this is a trait associated with contract labs or if it happens are other places too.

[metrologygeek]

We have three "events" per year, the March chili cookoff, the July Tri-tip barbecue, and the Christmas party. The chili cookoff speaks for itself, with those not participating in the competition bringing in sides, and at the July and Christmas parties the management pools their money and gets the center of the plate and the techs bring in side dishes. The  Tri-tip barbecue is this Friday and I'm doing the grillwork...

[Zephyer]

A new contract and a new boss that allows nothing.  Barely let people take their breaks and then the boss hovers to make sure everyone clears the break room.  He doesn't break with his employees either. Anyone in there one minute past the end of the break he screams to get back to the bench.  Previously on a Thursday, there used to be BBQ's or lunch ordered which the employees paid for.  Not anymore.  He won't allow anyone to take the time to cook the food or go get it. Then he wonders why morale is bad?  Lost four techs and can't figure out why he can't hire more.   

[Hoopty]

I don't know Zephyer, but that doesn't sound like any kind of perks that I'd be interested in...

[Winterfire2008]

Is it a perk if your boss lets you go to the bathroom while at work?

[darkness63]

Is it a perk if your boss lets you go to the bathroom while at work?

It's a perk, if he doesn't time you while you are in there.

[OlDave]

Well lets see....flexible work schedule, take a break when you want one, multiple activites throughout the year (with food), on-site gym, treated like an adult, casual dress code....
Pretty good place to work.

[scottbp]

Well, we do have a coffee pot... We also have a soda machine and candy machine. They don't have a set break time, but they do say something whenever too many people congregate in the break area for too long.
We have a Christmas party. We used to have a company picnic during the summer but we haven't done that in a while. No pot-luck lunches either. Actually, whenever we have training, they do bring in lunch (usually pizza or Subway platters). We used to have pizza parties whenever a quota was met (e.g. highest production with fewest QA fails in a period), but I haven't seen that in a while.
Of course, the sales people get the most perks- Their own company vehicle with gas card, expense account, cell phone, laptop computer, etc... Degreed engineers get the least perks- Same perks (or lack thereof) as the technicians, but no overtime pay (and they work us to 50-60 hours a week sometimes).

[Hippie]

Perks? What perks?

[Winterfire2008]

Ahh Dave is trying to make me jealous.....

[CalLabSolutions]

I have a really hot assistant / editor of the magazine!  I guess that is a perk.

I like to give my people a lot of autonomy in their job, that was always my most important perk when I was working for the man.  The usually set their own work schedule.  I don't like to tell them who what, when and how to do something.  As long as at the end of the week the work is done.

[griff61]

Is it a perk if your boss lets you go to the bathroom while at work?

Doesn't that get messy?

[scottbp]

Well, one perk I forgot to add is that the engineers at my lab do get a company sponsored trip to the NCSL conference every year. I'll be there this year.

[Bryan]

We are furnished with Coffee machines, coffee, tea & hot chocolate mix.  We have been getting donuts every other Friday, I work nights so they are pretty picked over and/or stale by the time I get in but it's no skin off my back.  Since we are in the sales business there is a goal set for each month, if we exceed it we get a lunch catered in from an area restuarant, we've managed to make that for the last 6 or 7 months at least.  For the Holidays the company will spring for a main course and employees will bring in sides.  We have occasional hamburger days and at least once last year management served breakfast.  Our company makes considerable effort to promote working together and all that sort of stuff but we do have to bust our asses to get everything done that is expected of us.

[Bryan]

I have a really hot assistant / editor of the magazine!  I guess that is a perk.

I like to give my people a lot of autonomy in their job, that was always my most important perk when I was working for the man.  The usually set their own work schedule.  I don't like to tell them who what, when and how to do something.  As long as at the end of the week the work is done.

This post is worthless without a picture of said assistant.