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> Catered lunch, free food in the kitchen, kegs onsite, etc. Without getting into the relative availability of these things (I think you are underestimating ho

> Catered lunch, free food in the kitchen, kegs onsite, etc. Without getting into the relative availability of these things (I think you are underestimating how available they are in big companies). These are extremely cheap to provide. The perks that cost a lot for companies to provide, health insurance, better pay, better retirement options, education reimbursement, etc. Are where real comparisons between perks should be made. In my experience those are systematically more common in big companies than small ones (that is governmental policy makes it easier for big companies to provide these).

shostack 10y ago
Don't forget work/life balance. As I've gotten more experienced under my belt, I increasingly value my free time. I no longer have any interest in burning the midnight oil because a company is constantly in crunch mode due to poor planning, understaffing, etc. Larger companies often can provide a better work/life balance because they have more resources to do so. Now, that isn't always the case--many of them abuse the hell out of their employees because they can, but there often isn't the same "working 80hr weeks" you get at startups. I've found that increasingly the dollar value of my free time is one of the most valuable "perks" a company can provide.
- jly 10y ago
  Yeah, this is 100% true. The best 'perk' is working for a company where it's expected that you will work normal hours most of the time instead of as the exception. As I get older and have a family and more interests outside of work, this becomes the most critical factor. A lot of the classic startup perks seem designed to keep you in the office.
cx1000 10y ago
I might be. I work at a well established and funded "startup" with the same benefits as the big company I came from, but with a bunch more perks. I see a lot of replies insisting that big companies have the same perks as startups plus the standard benefits, and that's great. It makes happy for the legions of employees working there (and me if I end up back there someday). Our experiences are anecdotal, so I wonder if this is actually a widespread thing at large companies. I doubt it, but I hope I'm wrong.

shostack 10y ago

Don't forget work/life balance. As I've gotten more experienced under my belt, I increasingly value my free time. I no longer have any interest in burning the midnight oil because a company is constantly in crunch mode due to poor planning, understaffing, etc. Larger companies often can provide a better work/life balance because they have more resources to do so. Now, that isn't always the case--many of them abuse the hell out of their employees because they can, but there often isn't the same "working 80hr weeks" you get at startups. I've found that increasingly the dollar value of my free time is one of the most valuable "perks" a company can provide.

jly 10y ago
Yeah, this is 100% true. The best 'perk' is working for a company where it's expected that you will work normal hours most of the time instead of as the exception. As I get older and have a family and more interests outside of work, this becomes the most critical factor. A lot of the classic startup perks seem designed to keep you in the office.

cx1000 10y ago

I might be. I work at a well established and funded "startup" with the same benefits as the big company I came from, but with a bunch more perks. I see a lot of replies insisting that big companies have the same perks as startups plus the standard benefits, and that's great. It makes happy for the legions of employees working there (and me if I end up back there someday). Our experiences are anecdotal, so I wonder if this is actually a widespread thing at large companies. I doubt it, but I hope I'm wrong.