Forget 401(k)s and free coffee.  Yeah, companies still offer them, but in today’s “I want it now culture,” retirement benefits and caffeine are not enough to lure high-quality candidates to your company. It’s a been a job seeker’s market for a while, and expectation for company perks have become much more exotic.

Businesses are realizing that if they want to keep employees, they have to offer people company perks they can use right here and now.  The “new normal” has become perks like free beer on site, spa services like massages, and even all-expense-paid international company retreats – to name a few. While those big-ticket items may seem like a lot of money for a company to spend, many business owners see them as a better long-term financial strategy than to constantly spend money recruiting for replacement candidates.  In fact, the current job-hopping culture costs the U.S. economy $30.5 billion per year, and companies spend an average cost of $4,100 per new hire in training.  It’s no surprise that happy employees like to stay with companies longer, and most of them are more productive – 20 percent more, in fact. 

FitSmallBusiness.com, the digital business publication, researched the hot new perks percolating (pun intended) in workplaces across the country.  The publication assessed data from a variety of key sources such as Glassdoor and Angel.co, and determined which perks are growing in popularity. 

You can find the full list and study here.

15 Coolest Emerging Company Perks for 2019

1. “Pawternity” – time off to raise your little fur ball

2. Egg freezing and fertility treatments

3.  Life coaching and counseling services

4. International retreats  – company bonding time

5. Free beer on-site

6. Spa and wellness services

7. Nap rooms

8. Elder care – assistance with aging parents

9. Required time off

10. Service sabbatical – helping others on the company dime

11. Pet bereavement policies

12. Farmers’ markets– markets come to your office

13. Weather-based flextime

14. Wedding leave

15. Pet health insurance

“A lot of companies believe they won’t attract the best employees with just standard benefits packages and perks like free coffee,” says Eric Noe, Editor-in-Chief, Fit Small Business. “To stay competitive, they’re offering creative perks employees can use right now – from simple fun things like time off for new pet owners, to bigger picture benefits that support health and wellness. They figure spending extra on these up-front perks will save them money by keeping staff happy and reducing turnover.”