4 ms·

Companies aren't trying at all. Just go look at the job ads and see what pathetic items they list as "benefits". - natural sunlight - monthly social events -

by borplk 8y ago

Companies aren't trying at all. Just go look at the job ads and see what pathetic items they list as "benefits". - natural sunlight - monthly social events - snacks - ping pong table All either basic workplace expectations or intangible irrelevant gimmicks. People are not that dumb. If you want to avoid paying people tangible benefits and what they are worth they will dump you and no amount of sunlight and social events and catered lunches is going to change it.

MrBuddyCasino 8y ago
> natural sunlight Is that a US thing? Never ever seen that in Germany, sounds like "free oxygen" too me.
- ahartmetz 8y ago
  There are regulations for that in Germany.
  - MrBuddyCasino 8y ago
    Seems there is, there must be direct line of sight to the outside world: https://www.komnet.nrw.de/_sitetools/dialog/5278 https://www.komnet.nrw.de/_sitetools/dialog/5278 The more you know.
    - tudelo 8y ago
      Wait, as in you can't be stuck in a cubicle farm without a view of a window?
- borplk 8y ago
  US and many other countries. It's a sad brag that shows just how low the expectations have come down to.
- vonmoltke 8y ago
  I have yet to see that listed in a job ad here. I ignore California openings, though, so maybe it's an SFBA thing.
- pnutjam 8y ago
  To be fair, when I started in IT, around 2001, it was common for IT to be in the basement or sub-basement. It probably still is at larger companies or government contractors.
Xcelerate 8y ago
To be fair, natural sunlight is actually a massive deal to me. I can’t focus without it and I get weirdly claustrophobic in rooms without it. I wouldn’t take a job in an office without windows, even if my salary was doubled.
- borplk 8y ago
  Yeah I'm not saying it's not important but it's still sad and embarrassing to brag about it at the top of the list of your company benefits. So the deal is "salary that isn't going up + a bunch of gimmicks". In fact many of the "benefits" are designed to benefit the company such as social events outside work hours that is basically free team building activity for the company. Or other gimmicks to trick employees into working longer hours. Then they wonder why people hop. Because there's nothing else other than that salary going and someone next door is offering 10-20% more. Real and tangible benefits takes some guts to offer and they don't have it. It could be things such as extra paid leave days, highly paid overtime or no overtime culture, shorter work days for usual market pay (say 9 to 4), private offices. Employees will sure as hell miss a 9 to 4 job a lot more than your snack-packed kitchen and beer on tap.

by borplk 8y ago

MrBuddyCasino 8y ago

> natural sunlight Is that a US thing? Never ever seen that in Germany, sounds like "free oxygen" too me.

ahartmetz 8y ago
There are regulations for that in Germany.
- MrBuddyCasino 8y ago
  Seems there is, there must be direct line of sight to the outside world: https://www.komnet.nrw.de/_sitetools/dialog/5278 https://www.komnet.nrw.de/_sitetools/dialog/5278 The more you know.
  - tudelo 8y ago
    Wait, as in you can't be stuck in a cubicle farm without a view of a window?
borplk 8y ago
US and many other countries. It's a sad brag that shows just how low the expectations have come down to.
vonmoltke 8y ago
I have yet to see that listed in a job ad here. I ignore California openings, though, so maybe it's an SFBA thing.
pnutjam 8y ago
To be fair, when I started in IT, around 2001, it was common for IT to be in the basement or sub-basement. It probably still is at larger companies or government contractors.

Xcelerate 8y ago

To be fair, natural sunlight is actually a massive deal to me. I can’t focus without it and I get weirdly claustrophobic in rooms without it. I wouldn’t take a job in an office without windows, even if my salary was doubled.

borplk 8y ago
Yeah I'm not saying it's not important but it's still sad and embarrassing to brag about it at the top of the list of your company benefits. So the deal is "salary that isn't going up + a bunch of gimmicks". In fact many of the "benefits" are designed to benefit the company such as social events outside work hours that is basically free team building activity for the company. Or other gimmicks to trick employees into working longer hours. Then they wonder why people hop. Because there's nothing else other than that salary going and someone next door is offering 10-20% more. Real and tangible benefits takes some guts to offer and they don't have it. It could be things such as extra paid leave days, highly paid overtime or no overtime culture, shorter work days for usual market pay (say 9 to 4), private offices. Employees will sure as hell miss a 9 to 4 job a lot more than your snack-packed kitchen and beer on tap.