A Cool Perk

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A Cool Perk

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Adrian Nichols-360275 SSCertifiable Points: 7694 More actions · Answer 1

"The best perk of all would be for "corporate management" to understand and value what their IT departments CAN do for them..."

Outstanding answer Robert! I've only worked or about 5 different companies but that has never been present.

Ade

A Freudian Slip is when you say one thing and mean your mother.
For detail-enriched answers, ask detail-enriched questions...[/url]

ChrisM@Work SSC Guru Points: 186127 More actions · Answer 2

No kidding, doc, that's really stinjy (okok I don't know how to spell it).

I did a 6-stretch for Barclays Bank last year, signed up as a temp. Even as a temp, I had 30 days holiday per year pro-rata. That was nothing...they gave extra vacation days for every few years service...it wasn't unusual for long-term permies to have 8 to 10 weeks per year vacation.

^{“Write the query the simplest way. If through testing it becomes clear that the performance is inadequate, consider alternative query forms.” - Gail Shaw}

For fast, accurate and documented assistance in answering your questions, please read this article.
Understanding and using APPLY, (I) and (II) Paul White
Hidden RBAR: Triangular Joins / The "Numbers" or "Tally" Table: What it is and how it replaces a loop Jeff Moden

Chuckles T Pornstar Grasshopper Points: 15 More actions · Answer 3

I worked at a couple of really cushy jobs back during the .com boom. At Hewlett Packard we had an amazing cafeteria with short order cooks, and a salad, soup and sandwich bar (pay by weight). There were frequent boozy afternoon parties to celebrate product releases, etc.

Then I worked at a smaller .com that had a gym, basketball and racquetball courts and, most importantly, full locker rooms with multiple showers.

Now that I ride my bicycle to work (in sweltering Dallas), the one thing I ask for every time I get a chance is a shower in the office. I love my job and we have lots of "perks" (free soft drinks, snacks, expensive car washes, etc.), but when we moved into our new space, I begged and pleaded for a shower. They said the couldn't afford it because of all the building code regulations that came with it. BAH!

So, I still "shower" in the bathroom sink after my ride.

ChrisM@Work SSC Guru Points: 186127 More actions · Answer 4

It's summer here in the UK, showers are outdoors.

^{“Write the query the simplest way. If through testing it becomes clear that the performance is inadequate, consider alternative query forms.” - Gail Shaw}

For fast, accurate and documented assistance in answering your questions, please read this article.
Understanding and using APPLY, (I) and (II) Paul White
Hidden RBAR: Triangular Joins / The "Numbers" or "Tally" Table: What it is and how it replaces a loop Jeff Moden

Joe Middleton SSC Enthusiast Points: 106 More actions · Answer 5

Let's be honest...

A kegerator in the empty cublicle next to the boss' office.

jack-64275 SSCrazy Points: 2017 More actions · Answer 6

paying for my gym memborship which I use everyday at lunch... or at least helping out with the cost or giving a break on heath insurance. Unfortunately I work with a bunch of FA old IB_ers that would rather eat donuts and drink free coffee.

michanne SSCrazy Points: 2329 More actions · Answer 7

I tend to agree that there is usually a higher than normal expectation in companies with lots of perks such as game rooms. I would rather have fantastically trained managers and team members so my work is pleasant. More vacation and the return of stock options would be great too.

We have a cafeteria. Common perhaps except the company is green therefore it offers really healthy >and delicious< food all day at a significant discount. This is good.

Loner SSC-Insane Points: 21279 More actions · Answer 8

I have 15 days time off every year but it includes vacation and sick days. I think it is unfair.

Definitely more vacation time !!! At least give me back some comp time, I work at least 45 to 50 hours a week on average.

Kristin Echols SSC Veteran Points: 264 More actions · Answer 9

Working for the government, I have great benefits such as paid holidays, vacation, sick leave, health insurance and retirement (sure I have no choice in paying into it). But what I appreciate most about my department is the flexible scheduling. I work a 9/80 schedule (I work a 9-hour day then have every other Friday off), and I can telework with VPN as needed (like those days when the cable guy says he will be there between 7AM and 7PM, approximately).

They can keep their free (yucky) coffee. Trusting me to work from home and flexibility are key for me.

SQL51F1 SSCommitted Points: 1959 More actions · Answer 10

I have the standard deal (for permanent roles in Australia) when it comes to leave (per year): 10 days sick leave + 20 days annual leave. I understand that quite a few businesses are renaming 'sick leave' to be 'personal leave' where an employee may be required to stay at home to care for a sick spouse or child and not take time from their holidays. A smart idea on the part of the business as most call in a sick day anyway when this happens.

I also found out that the company I work for also has 'moving leave' where you can have 1 day per year (pro rata) if you need to move house. This is on top of the usual leave entitlements for serving in the defence forces (Reserves)/State Emergency Service/Coast Guard training/etc.

Being private organisation, we have no flex time but that is a small price to pay for being out of government. They're very flexible and good-natured people that I work with and if I have something pressing that I need to do then I can take off. I generally do between 45-50 hours a week even though I only need to do 37.5

Have to agree on the crappo coffee of a previous post. Instant coffee is just bloody disgusting unless you're so hard up for caffeine that you'd grind up your own shoe to make a blend

A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine.

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1003857 More actions · Answer 11

4 day work week... would cut my hours from 60 to only 48

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

SQL51F1 SSCommitted Points: 1959 More actions · Answer 12

Jeff,

Maybe do 13 hours a day for 3 days a week and you will get the greatest perk of all while still holding a job and maintaining a career: the 4-day weekend!

Bit of a bummer though if you're like the bloke who has to travel 3 hours each way to get to work

A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine.

eye_speye Old Hand Points: 357 More actions · Answer 13

I think we could do with showers at work. A lot more people would come to the office by bike or even running if they had the chance to freshen up and change clothes. Good for the body, even better for the environment.

Come to think of it: having a locker room where you can change could invite people to travel to work by motorcycle instead of the car, which would really cut down traffic jams over here in the west of the netherlands.

The average commute to work over here is more than an hour, of which you spend 45 minutes crawling along bumper to bumper. Locker rooms and showers could change all that.

ChrisM@Work SSC Guru Points: 186127 More actions · Answer 14

Hi Matt

I do two hours each way, but when I read this...

http://www.sqlservercentral.com/forums/shwmessage.aspx?forumid=61&messageid=378449

...it don't seem too bad. My predecessor was surly and uncooperative, couldn't handle the workload even though he spent an inappropriate amount of time surfing, and his work had errors so colleagues were constantly double-checking any output they received. We had a two-week handover during which time I re-wrote many of the migration scripts, before he was shown the door. I've taken on a lot of reporting in addition to the regular loads. As a consequence of this, my colleagues are quite happy with my work. Overall they're a hard-working, disciplined bunch but we all make time for a bit of a laugh, on alternate fridays the "bacon butty fairy" arrives with goodies from the local greasy spoon, and we occasionally go out for drinkies on the company. Working here is a perk in itself.

I'm sure there are one or two posters on the above thread who would do more than two hours each way for this!

Cheers

ChrisM

^{“Write the query the simplest way. If through testing it becomes clear that the performance is inadequate, consider alternative query forms.” - Gail Shaw}

For fast, accurate and documented assistance in answering your questions, please read this article.
Understanding and using APPLY, (I) and (II) Paul White
Hidden RBAR: Triangular Joins / The "Numbers" or "Tally" Table: What it is and how it replaces a loop Jeff Moden

David le Quesne SSCertifiable Points: 5229 More actions · Answer 15

Hi,

when I first started work in IT, I worked for a University in the UK which had previously been a polytechnic (a local governement vocational HE college). Because we had local government pay and conditions, we all got 25 days annual leave a year, plus a couple of days official holidays (Queen's Birthday, 'walking day'). In addition, we all worked flexi-time, so once every 4 weeks we could have an extra day off if you put the hours in. In total, I had 40 days leave a year plus bank holidays.

It was a great first job, there was no commercial imperative, every failure could be blamed on lack of management funding/commitment/braincells, and nobody missed us if we disappeared to the pub for the afternoon.

We were also on local government pay scales, in addition to the annual % pay rise, we all got a scale increment every year, and IT staff got an additional fast-track increment. Employees therefore naturally drifted to the top of the pay-scale for their post. The problem was that the university was funded on mid-point of each posts pay-scale, resulting in chronic under-funding. The solution was to encourage experienced employees to leave by imposing a glass ceiling between each pay-scale, so that the post could be filled by a Noob at the bottom of the pay-scale, and the accounts could be balanced.

I left because I had ambition, but many employees were quite happy living in this ivory-tower fantasy land. I know that some of my ex-colleagues are still there, shuffling around the corridors doing the same job they were doing 20 years ago

David

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