Has anyone actually worked at place where Employers work very hard to keep employee happy?

[FullArmor]

I worked at just such a place back in 2001. It was a smaller electronic component supplier. I never should have left, they treated me so well I was excited to get to work every morning. The boss was probably one of the nicest guys I ever met as well.

[annabanana123]

I worked for a startup that was like this. Free soda, food, coffee and beer or wine on fridays. I asked for another monitor for my home office, it was delivered the next day. Travel was always top notch. But I got paid in peanuts and worked upwards of 80 hours a week so...not worth it.

[BostonMike7]

My current company here is pretty good. One of the reasons why I've remained here for 12 years. I'm a mech engineer. They have been growing and made the Forbes top 100 growing companies a few times. Valued at 1.5 billion right now with locations all over the world.

We've had a 3-4% raise EVERY year I've been here along with myself earning two promotions along the way. I get paid competitively for my experience and skills and have 5 weeks of vacation time.

Good benefits overall, but work life is pretty good. I typically work a 35-40 hr week and the company does try to do extras for the employees by bringing in catered lunches, or various other food services where we get a 1hr break or so to comingle and relax.

As a smaller workcell, we also frequently get treated to lunch off-site, and also other team-building activities such as go-karting, or escape rooms or other outside activities that aren't just about food. All paid for by the company.

I really have no complaints at all about this place and enjoy going to work every day. Everytime someone tries to talk me into leaving I have to think long and hard about if I would get treated the same way.

[roodd279]

Our company provides bonuses each year, a summer picnic, a Holiday Party, 3 weeks of paid time off to start, flexible work hours (within reason), at least six paid holidays per year (which is not a lot, I realize), and regular reviews, raises, and free coffee.

I know many of you think this is odd - but we have four competitors - just locally - and I have worked at all four of the other places. ALL OF THEM had these conditions, some of them were better. Certainly some paid more, some paid less.

Regarding Kinkos - sorry for your luck there - but here's my thought on that:

I used Kinkos daily at one point, for home and work. Then one day - I didn't need to. It was that simple. My story matches millions of others.

They didn't close because of greed. (I'm not denying there's greed.) They closed because no one needed them anymore. All the intermediate transactions and business decisions, good or bad, were going to be futile. They weren't able to save the blacksmith.

[MSchemist80]

The company I work for takes it very seriously, they take polls, compete in best workplaces, pay pretty well, good benefits, social events etc. Of course then they let HR off their leash and make everyone miserable with junk science which then undermines all the positive morale they worked so hard to create so...

[vision33r]

Professional sports. You have manager go on their knees if they have to get players to agree or play for them.

[scorpio516]

Happy is a hard concept. What the OP suggests is happy means the lack of hygiene problems - money, safety, job security. Hygiene factors don't lead to happiness. Lack of hygiene factors lead to quitting and absenteeism.

Motivators lead to happy employees. Such as the nature of the work, additional responsibilities, advancement, and recognition. Motivator factors make for happy employees.

Perks are a totally different thing. I've never had a professional job that didn't have good perks.
- One job had fancy coffee makers and a coke fridge
- one job, the boss took everyone (12 people) to a nice bar every Friday at 4 pm
- one job they catered a happy hour every Friday
- one job, the boss bought everyone lunch every Friday and had drawers in the kitchen full of snacks