Work perks; Some Central Oregon businesses offer unique employee benefits
When people interview for jobs at Deschutes Brewery, the Bend company’s human resources director always mentions the health insurance policy.
“I get the nodding of the head and, ‘oh, that’s great,’ ” Pat Gerhart said. “and I get to the beer benefits, and boy, it’s jaw-dropping. ‘Oooh, yay!’ ”
Each Deschutes Brewery employee can take home a free case of beer — that’s 24 12-ounce bottles — once a month and 12 kegs per year at a steep discount, Gerhart said.
“When I first came to work here, I said, ‘I can’t drink that much beer,’ ” she said. “but I tell you, my neighbors trip over themselves to do favors for me to get a six-pack of beer. It’s pretty cool.”
Deschutes Brewery and several other companies in Central Oregon stand out for their out-of-the-ordinary employee perks.
Lifestyle-enhancing benefits have become famous at big West Coast tech companies such as Google. the search giant’s long list of benefits includes free food for lunch and dinner, shuttle service in the San Francisco Bay Area and complimentary child care in certain circumstances.
The company even reimburses workers for adoption-related costs.
“We strive to be innovative and unique in all services we provide both to customers and employees, including our benefits and perks offerings,” states Google’s benefits philosophy, located on its website. “… our priority is to offer a customizable program that can be tailored to the specific needs of each individual, whether they enjoy ice climbing in Alaska, want to retire by age 40, or plan to adopt three children.”
The spirit of catering to employee needs — or just giving them free beer — is alive and well at some Central Oregon companies, too.
At the Bend online-marketing company G5, employees don’t work on Friday afternoons in the summer. They’re encouraged to go outside.
“the whole purpose behind it is, we live in a great place with wonderful activities outdoors — go out and enjoy the outdoors,” said the company’s vice president of marketing, Amy Foster Trenz.
During companywide meetings every Wednesday at 4 p.m., and on Fridays after 3 p.m., employees can pour pints from a keg filled with locally made beer.
On National Watermelon Day — Aug. 3, for the uninitiated — watermelon vodka shots are available for the taking, said G5’s recruiter, Carrie Percich.
An exercise class at the Bend Downtown Athletic Club or another location one day a month also comes free of charge, she said.
“Snow days,” or days off when powder appears at Mt. Bachelor, are part of the benefit package at Spadout, a Bend company that aggregates online deals for outdoor gear.
There’s a video game room at Facebook’s data center in Prineville.
The six full-time employees at the Longboard Store and the Skateboard Store in Bend rarely have to work on Fridays, even during the busy holiday season.
Scott Seelye, who owns the two online retailing sites, had worked at bigger companies before starting his own in 2006. He knew he wanted his companies to be different.
“Three-day weekends would be really nice for everybody,” he recalled thinking back then.
The employees tackle their workloads in 32 hours each week, generally, and get compensated as if they work 40, Seelye said.
“the guys come in, they do what they do, they’re happy, they get it done and they get to go home, and they don’t lose any pay,” he said.
Navis, a Bend company that develops software and takes reservations for hotels and resorts, rewards employees every month based on performance.
The employee who generates the most revenue for clients gets to spin a wheel of prizes, said Bill Schlosser, Navis’ vice president of marketing.
What’s on the wheel?
Everything “from iPods to movies to dinner to, just, you know, a whole bunch of stuff,” Schlosser said. “Days off.”
A profit-sharing plan pays each employee a bonus every year. sometimes employees take home fun office props such as beach balls and tiki torches.
Schlosser said the company’s leaders believe deeply in the golden rule.
“We’re constantly trying to figure out new ways to make people want to come to work,” he said. “That’s always been something we strive for. the culture, to us, is so important. If you don’t have happy employees, it’s going to show in the way you treat your clients.”
— Reporter: 541-633-2117, jnovet@bendbulletin.com
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