5 ms·

Taking your definition of frivolous to be anything not directly related to my work, no, I don't find it insulting. Being happy at work makes you more productiv

by jward 19y ago

Taking your definition of frivolous to be anything not directly related to my work, no, I don't find it insulting. Being happy at work makes you more productive. For me this comes first from having a sense of purpose and importance. After that, the little things start to matter. I'd be happier working for a company that had an on site gym, free food/beverages, and weekly draw for some gizmo like an iPod. Some things may strike me as a waste of money on occasion, but never insulting. It's not like they're holding a can of jolt over your head asking you to sit. They're trying to make you happier at work and carve one more notch to differentiate them from another employer.

amichail 19y ago
It's almost never the case that you would have two companies that would give you similar sense of purpose and importance. There's always one that's better in that regard and that's the one you should pick regardless of perks. And so the perks are irrelevant, and indeed, insulting.
- paul 19y ago
  Nonsense. The "perks" have a lot to do with improving the culture and atmosphere of a place. I've worked at a number of companies with different "perks" (MS, Sun, Intel, and Google), and I can tell you that it is very important. At this point, I would say that any tech company that _doesn't_ offer things like free on-site food is stupidly shortsighted.
  - amichail 19y ago
    You would need to perform a controlled experiment. It may be that some places were better simply because they had smarter employees or more interesting work irrespective of the perks. Moreover, you would need to define the sort of "culture and atmosphere" that you would like to obtain and consider its impact on individuality.
    - paul 19y ago
      The smart employees will go to the places that have a better atmosphere, so those places will have both things. It really isn't that complicated. It's like asking whether you'd rather spend your time in a maximum security prison, or a tropical resort (with good internet access).
      - amichail 19y ago
        I can't really relate to this. I'm pursuing my own startup precisely because the sort of work I do is infinitely more important than atmosphere or any other perk.
        rms 19y ago
        But if you HAD to work for someone else, wouldn't the perks make it better? You're comparing the infinite satisfaction of working for yourself to doing banal work for the man. Even with the free food, your startup will offer vastly more personal satisfaction to you. Forget startups. If you're an employee and choosing between two companies, all other things being equal, why not take the free food and gym and childcare? I love those $4 a bottle pure fruit juice drinks. I certainly wouldn't find it insulting to be allowed and even encouraged to drink as many of those as I wanted. What's the problem here?
        budu3 19y ago
        "Do they think they can buy me with $4 juices? Mmm But I must admit this free juice really tastes nice..."

by jward 19y ago

amichail 19y ago

It's almost never the case that you would have two companies that would give you similar sense of purpose and importance. There's always one that's better in that regard and that's the one you should pick regardless of perks. And so the perks are irrelevant, and indeed, insulting.

paul 19y ago
Nonsense. The "perks" have a lot to do with improving the culture and atmosphere of a place. I've worked at a number of companies with different "perks" (MS, Sun, Intel, and Google), and I can tell you that it is very important. At this point, I would say that any tech company that _doesn't_ offer things like free on-site food is stupidly shortsighted.
- amichail 19y ago
  You would need to perform a controlled experiment. It may be that some places were better simply because they had smarter employees or more interesting work irrespective of the perks. Moreover, you would need to define the sort of "culture and atmosphere" that you would like to obtain and consider its impact on individuality.
  - paul 19y ago
    The smart employees will go to the places that have a better atmosphere, so those places will have both things. It really isn't that complicated. It's like asking whether you'd rather spend your time in a maximum security prison, or a tropical resort (with good internet access).
    - amichail 19y ago
      I can't really relate to this. I'm pursuing my own startup precisely because the sort of work I do is infinitely more important than atmosphere or any other perk.
      - rms 19y ago
        But if you HAD to work for someone else, wouldn't the perks make it better? You're comparing the infinite satisfaction of working for yourself to doing banal work for the man. Even with the free food, your startup will offer vastly more personal satisfaction to you. Forget startups. If you're an employee and choosing between two companies, all other things being equal, why not take the free food and gym and childcare? I love those $4 a bottle pure fruit juice drinks. I certainly wouldn't find it insulting to be allowed and even encouraged to drink as many of those as I wanted. What's the problem here?
        budu3 19y ago
        "Do they think they can buy me with $4 juices? Mmm But I must admit this free juice really tastes nice..."