Latest news with #workplaceperks
Daily Mail
11 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Sad state of Australian offices revealed as weary employees share what 'work perks' look like in 2025
Forget bean bags, barista coffee and ping pong tables - for many Aussie workers, having a functioning microwave or a string on their tea bag is the real luxury. A grim Reddit thread has highlighted the 'sad state' of offices in 2025 after a public sector employee sarcastically celebrated their workplace's short-lived filtered water supply. 'In the public sector, we don't get Tim Tams. We get filtered water on tap and we're grateful for it,' they wrote. 'But our Zip tap broke and management decided against replacing it. No more filtered water for us.' Thousands chimed in to share their own tales of stingy workplaces, broken appliances, and wildly inconsistent snack offerings across industries. 'Mate, your office sounds amazing with its filtered water. Our built-in microwave died ages ago, and instead of fixing it, an employee just dumped a dodgy bench-top one in its place. 'We've got a Zip tap that doesn't do hot water, or cold water, or any water really. The filter light has been flashing longer than some staff have been employed,' one wrote. That wasn't the end of it. 'We've got three toilets, but only one that actually flushes properly. And even then, the cubicle door doesn't shut properly. You can make full, uncomfortable eye contact with someone mid-dump. 'At this point, I reckon prisoners are doing better than us in local government,' they added. While some offices offer modest perks like shared fridges and basic beverages, others go without the absolute essentials. 'Our fridge has milk for tea and coffee. Everything else we have to bring ourselves,' one person said. 'Dude, we don't even have forks,' said another. One user revealed a shocking turn of events that came from a sarcastic HR survey reply. 'About a dozen years ago my firm acquired another. HR did a culture survey and for sh*ts and giggles, someone responded that they missed Friday Tim Tams since the merger. After that, we got Tim Tams every Friday. Ended up costing the office something like $7k annually,' they said. Others recalled workplaces that tried to be generous - but ended up being unintentionally hilarious. 'At my last workplace we got around ten bananas in a bowl a couple of times a week to be shared between the 200 people on that floor. 'Of course two people always took the lot within five minutes. We once had a banana hoarder call security and demand a CCTV footage investigation to find out who took one of the bananas from their desk,' one woman wrote. Then there are the dream offices. 'We get a fruit bowl topped up twice a day, an assortment of high protein and healthy snacks, an open fridge with soft drinks and beers for Friday, and regular multicultural food days. 'We do have Tim Tams, although I prefer Kingstons. We are also expected to work till 7:30 or 8, so…' Others shared their own strange assortments. 'No Tim Tams. We have those little MasterFood squeeze-on tomato sauces and Milo. Although I'm sure the parents take the sauce and Milo home for their kids because I've never seen anyone use it and it's always being replenished,' a man said. Another revealed, 'My new work doesn't have Tim Tams, but they do have bread, butter and cheese. As well as the usual biscuit jar. But the best thing is every Friday arvo they have a charcuterie board with all sorts of goodies and alcoholic drinks.' Even public hospital workers weighed in. 'I work in a public hospital. I get excited if the tea bag has a string,' one wrote. The thread highlighted just how much - or how little - it can take to make Aussie workers feel valued. Whether it's a cold drink, a working tap, or a humble chocolate biscuit, it seems the small things go much further than they once did.
Washington Post
a day ago
- Business
- Washington Post
Tax law might be coming for your free office snacks
A change in tax law may make companies rethink a popular workplace perk: food and drink. Starting in 2026, companies will no longer be able to deduct the cost of on-site cafeterias or takeout for workers who stay late. And accountants say the change probably applies to office snacks and coffee, too.
The Sun
08-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Millions of workers missing out on pay rise worth £1,000s – the five checks you should do now
MILLIONS of workers are missing out on a pay rise worth £1,000s by not making the most of their salaries and staff perks. Wages have stagnated in the UK since the 2008 financial crisis with pay lagging behind the cost of living. 1 But there are a host of ways to make the most of your earnings or any company benefits and make life financially easier. Sarah Coles, personal finance analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: "When you consider what you get out of work, some people might say positive things about enjoyment or a sense of achievement. "Others might just focus on the salary. "However, the rewards don't stop there, because there are a number of other workplace perks you can make the most of, which could leave you hundreds or even thousands of pounds better off." Cycle-to-work schemes Cycle-to-work schemes are a way of not only boosting your health, but saving money through tax-free contributions from your bosses. They work by your employer buying a bike for you and then your hiring it through them through monthly salary sacrifice payments. But the key thing is that it means you end up paying less National Insurance and income tax on your salary. Sarah Coles said such a scheme could save you around £300 overall on a bike costing £1,000. Opt for salary sacrifice Salary sacrifice lets you give up a portion of your salary in exchange for a higher pension contribution from your employer. Your overall salary may go down but your take home pay doesn't as the process means you pay less National Insurance and income tax on your earnings. Your employer has to fork out less on National Insurance too, and may pass on some or all of the savings to you. Clare Moffat, pensions and tax expert from Royal London, gave an example of someone earning £35,000 and whose bosses share 50% of their National Insurance saving with their employees. Without using salary sacrifice, the employee would see £2,450 go into their pension each year. However, with salary sacrifice, they would see £3,129 go in each year instead - £679 more - with their take home pay remaining at £27,320. It's not an immediate boon, but one that pays dividends in retirement. Make the most of auto-enrolment Any worker over the age of 22 earning more than £10,000 is auto-enrolled into a workplace pension. As well as your own contributions you get a contribution from your employer from the government in the form of tax relief. However, most bosses only pay contributions at the auto-enrolment minimum level of 3%. But, Helen Morrissey, head of pensions and retirement at Hargreaves Lansdown, said you can increase your pension contribution and ask your employer to match it, meaning you benefit from more tax relief. This means you could see more added to your pension pot without having to contribute much more yourself. Numbers crunched by Royal London suggest someone increasing their pension contributions this way by just 2% could add hundreds of thousands of pounds to their retirement pot in the future. Income protection insurance Income protection insurance offers you a regular income if you are unable to work due to illness or injury. It is designed to cover a percentage of your earnings, and can cover as much as 90% although typically covers 50-60%. You can decide to take out income protection yourself, but a lot of employers offer it as a work benefit. If you're not sure whether you have it included as part of your job, it's worth checking your employment contract or speaking to the HR team. Sarah said by the age of 50, you can end up paying as much as £50 a month for income protection, so if your employer offered it, that could save you £600 over just one year. Make sure to compare cover before you take it out. Childcare help Some employers offer targeted help to staff with children. For example, First Direct has two on site childcare facilities at offices in Staffordshire and South Lanarkshire, Scotland. Meanwhile, fashion retailer Next has a purpose-built nursery at its head office in Leicester. What help is available for parents? CHILDCARE can be a costly business. Here is how you can get help. 30 hours free childcare - Parents of three and four-year-olds can apply for 30 hours free childcare a week. To qualify you must usually work at least 16 hours a week at the national living or minimum wage and earn less than £100,000 a year. Tax credits - For children under 20, some families can get help with childcare costs. Childcare vouchers - If your employer offers childcare vouchers you can get up to £55 a week in tax and national insurance savings. You pay for your childcare before your tax contributions are taken out. This scheme is open to new joiners until October 4, 2018, when it is planned that tax-free childcare will replace the vouchers. Tax-free childcare - Available to working families and the self-employed, for every £8 you put in the government will add an extra £2. Insurer Zurich also offers miscarriage support, IVF support and bereavement and compassionate support. You can read a more extensive list of companies o.
