Does your workplace offer any cool perks?

Does your workplace offer any cool perks?

  • Yes – we have awesome perks and benefits

    Votes: 29 16.0%

  • Some – a few nice extras here and there

    Votes: 37 20.4%

  • Not really – just the basics

    Votes: 43 23.8%

  • No – nothing beyond the salary

    Votes: 39 21.5%

  • I’m self-employed / freelance

    Votes: 29 16.0%

  • Other

    Votes: 4 2.2%
  • Total voters
    181
Lupus said:
Mine normally happens when driving, or walking to the loo or some other way. People will request things I'll be like nope can't do it right now, but give me some time to think of something and if I can't it's a definite no. Cause the definite nos I used to give, people have moaned that I say no and like two days later I'm like well you know that request? If we did it this way we could pull it off, but not like you wanted exactly.
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100%. If I had a nickel for the number of times I've gotten up at 2am to write something down that just occurred to me that solves some problem at work...
 
porchrat said:
100%. If I had a nickel for the number of times I've gotten up at 2am to write something down that just occurred to me that solves some problem at work...
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I had it on holiday this year, wife wasn't happy. I'm like I didn't bring my laptop so I'll just jot it down. When I got home I quickly did it
 
porchrat said:
Yea man being a developer is stressful at times. Sometimes you need that moment to step away and recentre, then come back and darn near instantly figure out some issue you're dealing with.

There is research floating about saying developers and musicians use similar areas of the brain. It's a similar weird mix of structure and creativity. So we're all encouraged by management to play some sort of instrument. They even used to offer free lessons.
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I agree with this, you are right
 
Lupus said:
Sounds really awesome actually :-). Pricing is really good, even for the chefs meal, plus the choices are good. We've got two canteens here, run by different companies, I frequent the cheaper one, the other is more like a mugg and bean and honestly costs more.
When I worked at a bank the canteen (the managers had a more larney area) was like that, though SAPPI used to have one of the best canteens, you used to buy tokens for like 50c a token and most meals were like 4 tokens and a drink was 2 or something like that. But this was 25 years ago now.
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Yeah, can't really complain about it. They catch you on cold drinks, snacks and the like, as it is quite a bit more expensive than buying it at the shops, but price of the food is good.
 
thestaggy said:
Yeah, can't really complain about it. They catch you on cold drinks, snacks and the like, as it is quite a bit more expensive than buying it at the shops, but price of the food is good.
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They do need to make their money somewhere :-)
 
When I started working here we had our own bowling alley, outside bowls area, swimming pool, golf course, squash courts, sports club with pub lunches, we had home based workstations, discounted car purchases and discount insurance. We had subsidized meals, or had breakfast delivered and so on.

Forward to today?
1. I no longer have a desk, have a hotdesk and can not leave a mug or anything here or it gets stolen.
2. I had to pay for my own work laptop. I can work remotely 2 days but have to pay for my own 200mbps internet speeds. I also had to pay out of pocket for my own work software.
3. All the sport facilities are gone. Food subsidized is gone, I have to pay for parking.
4. I pay far more for insurance, I pay now a hefty surcharge for medical aid, etc.
5. There are no benefits to working at all for the company. Instead its become a place of political infighting, stabbing in the back, empty promises, exec meetings where they prefer to answer what coffee they had today compared to real staff questions. And the fact that only 10% of your performance contract is based on your own performance. The rest is based 50% on senior management's performans and 40% your manager's performance. So if you rate them badly during a review of your manager, well you will be directly punished for it.
6. They release articles how expensive things is getting and how people must save more, and how 10% annual increases are too little. The CEO gave himself a 35% salary increase....but the staff? 4%. Thats it.
7. Come Christmas time there are no Christmas bonuses or functions etc. Well there are functions but you must pay for yourself. This while the senior execs have lavish functions on yachts or Mauritius or wherever. The staff has to pay themself.
8. When an exec leaves....the staff has to tally up and buy them something like an latest Apple Watch or so. When someone that has retired after 40 years leaves...Well not even a function for them. In matter of fact all one staff member got for being here 25-30 years was a question by the Execs, why are you here? So the staff member resigned and left. Not even an automated email to say congrats or anything. Sadly for the company it was a senior developer and their brand new software solution was 80% built by him, and when he left, the whole new system imploded costing tens of millions.

So yes, honestly if youre thinking of working harder, or working weekends without pay to keep your company afloat. Dont unless they actually will be paying more they are just using you and wasting your time. Just do your work till you can leave and then go home. Because most companies dont give a sh-t.
 
Corelli said:
When I started working here we had our own bowling alley, outside bowls area, swimming pool, golf course, squash courts, sports club with pub lunches, we had home based workstations, discounted car purchases and discount insurance. We had subsidized meals, or had breakfast delivered and so on.

Forward to today?
1. I no longer have a desk, have a hotdesk and can not leave a mug or anything here or it gets stolen.
2. I had to pay for my own work laptop. I can work remotely 2 days but have to pay for my own 200mbps internet speeds. I also had to pay out of pocket for my own work software.
3. All the sport facilities are gone. Food subsidized is gone, I have to pay for parking.
4. I pay far more for insurance, I pay now a hefty surcharge for medical aid, etc.
5. There are no benefits to working at all for the company. Instead its become a place of political infighting, stabbing in the back, empty promises, exec meetings where they prefer to answer what coffee they had today compared to real staff questions. And the fact that only 10% of your performance contract is based on your own performance. The rest is based 50% on senior management's performans and 40% your manager's performance. So if you rate them badly during a review of your manager, well you will be directly punished for it.
6. They release articles how expensive things is getting and how people must save more, and how 10% annual increases are too little. The CEO gave himself a 35% salary increase....but the staff? 4%. Thats it.
7. Come Christmas time there are no Christmas bonuses or functions etc. Well there are functions but you must pay for yourself. This while the senior execs have lavish functions on yachts or Mauritius or wherever. The staff has to pay themself.
8. When an exec leaves....the staff has to tally up and buy them something like an latest Apple Watch or so. When someone that has retired after 40 years leaves...Well not even a function for them. In matter of fact all one staff member got for being here 25-30 years was a question by the Execs, why are you here? So the staff member resigned and left. Not even an automated email to say congrats or anything. Sadly for the company it was a senior developer and their brand new software solution was 80% built by him, and when he left, the whole new system imploded costing tens of millions.

So yes, honestly if youre thinking of working harder, or working weekends without pay to keep your company afloat. Dont unless they actually will be paying more they are just using you and wasting your time. Just do your work till you can leave and then go home. Because most companies dont give a sh-t.
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That sounds like Eskom Megawatt Park back in the 90s
 
rustypup said:
IS was good for a bit then went full meltdown ...

Love meeting IS survivors at the various events to hear their stories of the meltdown.
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I'm actually self employed now because I stripped my moer for being told I can work remotely... but when it came down to it they came with stories. Got a "great performance review" after being there like 6 months... and a R200 a month increase. When I had been there like 9 or 10 months they announced retrenchments and kak... so I was like "gee my n pakket".

Bare in mind during my interview I had said "I'm currently working at a place where I go to the office once a week or once every two weeks so if remote working most of the time isn't an option I'm not interested"... was assured I'd be allowed to work from wherever as long as my my kak is done. The managers were cool, joked around, we went to the race track with the one manager... but unfortunately the remote work thing didn't work... I was driving 85 - 90km one way per day... every day. It broke me.

EmmanuelGoldstein said:
My former employer had a chill room. They understood the need for an extra break.
This gulag schitt their pants if you take too long in the toilet even. No such thing exists here.
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I know of a place where you hand your phone in when you arrive at work. You must ASK to go pee... you get the mandated number of coffee breaks per day where you queue to get your allotted amount of coffee/tea, sugar and milk. It's always wild that companies will treat their employees like this... and then still EXPECT loyalty... they are the kind of company that gives you grief when you resign

"jy drop ons nou in die kak Susan... ek hoop jy voel kak" type of thing. TSEK.

porchrat said:
There is research floating about saying developers and musicians use similar areas of the brain. It's a similar weird mix of structure and creativity. So we're all encouraged by management to play some sort of instrument. They even used to offer free lessons.
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Very interesting... looks away from the 3 monitor battle station to the wall containing guitars... hahahaha
 
BCoetzer said:
Does your workplace offer any cool perks?

From simple things like free snacks or coffee, to flexible hours, remote or hybrid work options, extra leave days, wellness or gym memberships, or on-site childcare.
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You dont get sex at work? Try WFH...
 
warrenpridgeon said:
I know of a place where you hand your phone in when you arrive at work. You must ASK to go pee... you get the mandated number of coffee breaks per day where you queue to get your allotted amount of coffee/tea, sugar and milk. It's always wild that companies will treat their employees like this... and then still EXPECT loyalty... they are the kind of company that gives you grief when you resign
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Capitec offices in Bellville does that to the employees
 
Wait! I ticked "just the basics" - what are "the basics?"

We have these coffee machines that are technically bean to cup but jirre, it's so bad...

and there's milk and sugar provided for your coffee / tea
 
warrenpridgeon said:
I know of a place where you hand your phone in when you arrive at work. You must ASK to go pee... you get the mandated number of coffee breaks per day where you queue to get your allotted amount of coffee/tea, sugar and milk. It's always wild that companies will treat their employees like this... and then still EXPECT loyalty... they are the kind of company that gives you grief when you resign

"jy drop ons nou in die kak Susan... ek hoop jy voel kak" type of thing. TSEK.
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I have a brother that did some work at a gold refining plant.

You weren't allowed to come in with any jewelry on. That was a relatively new rule. Apparently before that rule there was a guy who would clock in every day without a wedding ring, and leave every day with a wedding ring on. He was casting a new ring every day on site. He did this for over 20 years before someone caught on, by then he'd left the company and vanished.

Someone should make a movie about it. Absolutely crazy.
 
Yes we have face unlock to get in through the front door. That's about it.
 
Insint said:
Perk: work from home permanently.

Nothing else.
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I had that until I got a bunt for a new manager, and it’s just us working under him that are forced to the office every day.
Lekker discrimination at this gulag I tell you
 
I work 100% from home (Well, 99% because every year or so we have a workshop where we go into the office for a day or two, maybe)

No other perks could ever match that.
 
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