Revealed: Best work perks offered at 30 top Aussie companies
From dog parks in the office to sporting and cultural leave, take a look at the best employee benefits offered by some of Australia’s biggest companies.
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Pet-friendly offices, sporting and cultural leave, employee share schemes and corporate discounts are the best job perks being offered by Australia’s biggest companies.
According to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data, nearly one in 10 Aussies have switched jobs in the past year alone, leading top-performing ASX 200 companies to ramp up employee perks in an effort to retain their workers.
Many organisations are also offering a variety of customised leave such as gender affirmation leave, public holiday swap, career break, defence force leave, and domestic violence leave.
Jo Jakobs, Director of Professional Talent at recruitment firm Randstad, believes Australian workers are prioritising personalisation of perks more than ever before and advises that companies ditch a “one-size-fits-all” leave policy.
“We are a country of people that like to take holidays and enjoy down time, so that is certainly something that’s more tailored more,” Ms Jakobs said. “Some employees may need extended parental leave, while others might prioritise mental health days or additional annual leave. Providing a leave bank where employees can choose the types of leave that best suit their needs fosters autonomy and wellbeing.”
A new Workmonitor survey from Randstad showed almost a third of workers are on the move and looking for better conditions, with a further 19 per cent considering doing so.
The results also revealed that employees are looking for happiness over security, with work-life balance ranking higher than pay.
Ms Jakobs says that purpose-driven work is also a major motivator with 39 per cent of Australians willing to take a pay cut for a job that contributes positively to society. Her advice to organisations is to empower employees to make an impact by allowing them to direct corporate donations to charities of their choice or take paid volunteer days.
As for flexibility in the workplace, Ms Jakobs believes hybrid working - a mix of remote and in office work days - is the “best of both worlds”.
“In the mind of employees, hybrid is what they want. At Randstad, we’re very much about hybrid. We know that the work we do requires us to be in the office, working with our colleagues, for at least two to three days a week,” she said.
“Other organisations have moved very much to a mandated approach. I think that might bring what I would call ‘passive resistance’ - people will do what they’re told, but not with happiness, not with joy. For a lot of people, they’re having to rearrange what they thought would be their norm. Families and working parents are generally most affected.
“So it’ll be interesting if the job market shifts again, back to what we would call a talent-led job market, then we would expect to see a pick-up in people leaving or making choices if they can get a similar role or similar pay that offers more flexibility.”
Some other work perks are: Qantas employees get access to heavily discounted standby flights, including 25 per cent off confirmed Qantas flights, and access to exclusive discounts on hotels and holiday packages, CBA employees get five days of ‘life leave’ a year as an incentive for people to recharge, Santos employees work on a nine-day fortnightly roster for its Australian-based staff in a bid to increase work-life balance and wellbeing, and Whitehaven Coal employee receive an impressive referral bonus of up to $4000 for referring successful new technical and operational employees.
Findings from independent research commissioned by Amazon Australia found that for one in five of Australian employees, cost of living concerns are discouraging them from changing companies.
Late last year, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy announced the work from home era was over, mandating five-days in the office for all corporate staff.
However, Director of HR at Amazon Pritho Saxena says the mandate does not mean there is no flexibility.
“It sounds like an approach which limits flexibility but that’s not the case. Flexibility has been built into each role,” Mr Saxena said.
“You would follow a commonsensical approach which is, ‘Hey, I have a sick child at home and so I need to be at home’ or you have a tradie visiting your home and you need to be there. If you need some deep research time and you want to spend time in a less distracting environment, do that from home.
“We are also a global company and interact with colleagues across time zones. We all have to manage our own schedules with that. So that’s where the flexibility comes in.”
One of the employee benefits that Mr Saxena is very enthusiastic about is the ‘Dogs At Work’ program, which was launched in 2022.
All Amazon corporate offices around Australia are dog friendly, and the company has even opened dog playgrounds in their offices.
“I have a four month old puppy and he can join the many dogs that come to our office on a regular basis,” Mr Saxena said. “We’re on the 10th floor (of Sydney’s Amazon headquarters on Market Street) and we have a dog park.”
Aside from this work perk, Amazon also offers commuter benefits, where the company subsidies their monthly office parking costs or public transportation costs for eligible employees.
Amazon also offers their workers and eligible family members subsidised health insurance for hospital cover and extras, like dental or physio. Other benefits include life insurance, salary continuance insurance and up to 20 weeks paid parental leave.
30 TOP AUSSIE WORK PLACES
News Corp has compiled an index of the best work perks offered by some of Australia’s top-performing ASX 200 companies.
BHP
BHP’s Shareplus plan enables employees to become a shareholder, and for each share purchased and held after three years, the company will match it on a one-for-one basis. BHP also doubles personal donations made by employees, and provides 24/7 confidential counselling and support service, as well as flexible working arrangements. From an educational perspective, BHP’s FutureFit Academy (located in Western Australia and Queensland) provides a pathway for new employees to join Minerals Australia through an accredited maintenance and production traineeship or a trade apprenticeship.
COMMONWEALTH BANK
CBA offers a vast array of rewards, starting with flexible working arrangements, including hybrid working and tailored working hours. On top of the normal annual leave of four weeks, the organisation offers extra leave options such as parental leave, additional purchased annual leave (up to four weeks), career breaks, carers leave, sorry business leave (bereavement leave for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, which often involves cultural ceremonies), pet leave, gender affirmation leave, family planning leave, community service leave, study leave, compassionate leave and paid volunteering leave. There is also five days of ‘life leave’ a year as an incentive for people to recharge and use their annual leave allowance within the year it’s allocated. Additionally, employees could receive up to $1,000 in CommBank shares every year and are able to enjoy a range of discounts on credit cards, personal and home loans, and insurance. Salary sacrifice can be used to purchase $5000 of additional shares, cover some child care fees, motor vehicle and parking. There are also discounts across a number of products and services from TVs to hotels.
NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK
NAB staff can access a range of leave options, including defence, sport, volunteer or pre-natal leave. For parental leave, new parents are offered up to 24 months of primary parental leave of which up to 12 weeks is paid and a return to work bonus is offered. There is access to discounts on NAB products, competitive rates and discounted fees on home loans, credit cards, insurance, financial planning, as well as private health insurance, entertainment and retail. Salary sacrificing is offered to potentially access up to four additional weeks of annual leave, motor vehicles, extra super contributions and carparking. NAB also offers hybrid working, with flexible work options including job sharing, working from home, flexible start and finish times and extended leave.
WESTPAC
Like NAB, Westpac provides flexible hours, remote-work, part time work, or job share. The company also offers 16 weeks full paid leave (or 32 weeks at half pay) to be used flexibly until the child’s 2nd birthday, plus four paid Culture, Lifestyle and Wellbeing days each year. Employees can also purchase up to 12 weeks of additional leave each year to pursue other passions and could be eligible for a 3-to-12-month career break to work on personal goals or just take some time to rest and recharge. There are also discounts on a wide range of Westpac Group’s banking and wealth products and services, and offers and discounts from more than 80 well-known brands.
ANZ
Staff get discounts on ANZ banking, lending, credit cards, financial planning, as well as car and home loans. There is access to the Qantas club, discounts on travel, health insurance, flowers and other products and services. Staff benefits also include salary packaging and employee share schemes. There are a variety of leave entitlements, including paid parental leave of 20 weeks for the primary carer regardless of length of service and up to two years unpaid leave. In terms of flexible working, ANZ offers part-time arrangements, flexible hours and locations, as well as the option to top up annual leave with additional purchased leave.
MACQUARIE GROUP
Macquarie Group offers hybrid working arrangements, but admits “There are some roles that require you to be in the office every day.” Employees are offered discounts on home loans, retail, insurance, as well as onsite gyms and fitness classes. Leave entitlements include one wellbeing day a year, volunteer days and 10 paid days of emergency volunteer leave, and up to five additional days of leave based on length of service. Employees can purchase up to four days of additional leave and take up to three months of unpaid leave. Primary carers can access 20 weeks of paid parental leave, as well as 12 paid transition back to work days (i.e. work four but get paid for five over 12 weeks or a variation). Co-parents can access up to six weeks paid leave.
SANTOS
After a successful trial, Santos has permanently implemented a nine-day fortnightly roster for its Australian-based staff in a bid to increase work-life balance and employee wellbeing. Santos staff also get super paid at a rate of 10.5 per cent, as well as salary continuance insurance if unable to work for an extended period. There are performance-based incentive programs and service anniversary gifts, as well as employee share plan, discounts on insurance including private health, and financial study assistance. The company offers 18 weeks’ paid parental leave and up to 52 weeks unpaid leave after one year of continuous service, where super will also be paid for the duration of leave. There is also a childcare subsidy for primary carers returning to work of 50 per cent out of pocket costs up to $10,000 per child per year for up to three years. There is also access to salary packaging and social club, which includes discounts for a variety of goods and services.
WHITEHAVEN COAL
Employees get 26 weeks paid parental leave for primary caregivers, plus super contributions for both paid and unpaid leave. Other benefits include cash and equity incentive plans for eligible roles and a $1000 annual Share Gift Plan, development programs including study assistance, mentoring and leadership training, mobility and relocation packages to live in the vicinity of Whitehaven Coal workplaces, and salary packaging opportunities including novated leases and remote area housing benefits. Additional perks include an employee referral bonus of up to $4000 for referring successful new technical and operational employees, diversity and inclusion initiatives, recognition awards and retail discounts for all employees and insurance, cars, and mobile phones for certain roles.
REA GROUP
REA Group in Australia offers 20 weeks leave at full pay for the primary carer (inclusive of annual leave accrued during this time) and six weeks paid as a lump sum on return to work, plus six weeks paid leave for the secondary carer. Superannuation is paid for the entire period of leave - paid and unpaid - for up to 12 months, with an offer of a flexible return to work for four weeks at 75 per cent of agreed work hours, but at full pay. REA emphasises a hybrid approach to working, with days in the office and days of remote work. Employees also receive discounts across food, entertainment, shopping, travel and corporate health cover, and there are regular staff events, like fortnightly Thursday socials, end of year celebrations, and regular team off-sites. The company also offers a health and wellbeing program, which includes health coaching, yoga, massage and regular fitness challenges. A dedicated space in the Melbourne office allows workers to bring their dogs into work with them.
RIO TINTO
Rio Tinto provides 18 weeks of paid leave for both primary and secondary carers, regardless of gender, plus comprehensive medical benefits including subsidised private health insurance for employees and immediate family. There are career development and education assistance programs to further technical or leadership ambitions, and exclusive employee discounts such as banking, accommodation, cars, retail and more.
WOOLWORTHS GROUP
Woolworths offers flexible working options, ability to purchase additional leave, exclusive team member savings from across Woolworths Group and partners, and access to free and confidential support 24/7. Employees are invited to salary sacrifice one portable computing device per FBT year and have free membership to PlusClub, with exclusive discounts and benefits. There is also an online community for Woolworths Group team members to taste, rate and review a huge range of brands for free.
MINERAL RESOURCES
Employees can purchase MinRes shares and, subject to certain conditions, the company will double them after two years. They also receive 18 weeks paid leave for the primary carer, and 4 weeks paid leave for the secondary carer, plus compassionate, carer’s and family or domestic violence leave. Other benefits include free services like skin checks, quit smoking coach and health checks, support from the in-house psychologist and Employee Assistance Program, opportunity to salary sacrifice eligible flights, airport parking, novated lease, superannuation contributions and remote area benefits, and discounts and exclusive perks on travel, accommodation, retail, insurance and health.
RESMED INC
ResMed offers flexible working arrangements, with remote and hybrid styles available. Employees interested in purchasing stock can do so at a discounted price of 15 per cent less market value. Other benefits include a pre-purchased leave scheme, 20 weeks paid parental leave, compassionate leave, two days paid volunteer leave, free counselling/therapy services, private health fund discount, death/total and permanent disablement (within superannuation) insurance, income protection insurance, access to a financial advisor for general financial planning on all financial matters, and family and friends discount on ResMed products.
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RAMSAY HEALTH GROUP
Ramsay Health Group provides a flexible working environment, with flexible rostering, including self-rostering available. There is also flexible leave, purchase of additional leave, leave at half pay, job sharing and banking hours or time in lieu. The company also offers scholarships and education assistance plus salary packaging, including novated vehicle leases, fees for in-house childcare and gym, education and professional expenses and more. Other perks include corporate discounts with a variety of benefits partners, and access to discounts when employees or members of their immediate family are admitted to a Ramsay Health Care facility in Australia.––––
COLES GROUP
Coles offers up to 12 weeks of paid Parental Leave for primary caregivers and four weeks paid Parental Leave for eligible secondary care givers. Employees also receive discounts across all of the company’s internal brands, product and service discounts courtesy of Coles’ partners, flexible working options and regular salary sacrifice deductions to purchase Coles Group shares. From a learning and development perspective, Coles provides a variety of career development programs and job-specific training for those seeking to enhance their skillset. There are also inclusion initiatives, led by the business and team member networks, including talent programs for team member network leaders and more.
QBE INSURANCE
QBE encourages a hybrid working arrangement and prides itself on a family-friendly workplace. The company offers purchased leave, career breaks, family domestic violence leave and volunteer leave. Financial perks include matched super contributions, super on paid parental leave and for any unpaid parental leave taken during the first 12 months of parental leave, employee insurance discounts, goods and services discounts, financial coaching, and income protection and death and disability insurance. Health and wellbeing benefits include wellbeing coaching, access to confidential counselling service, discounted private health insurance, flu vaccinations, mental health first aiders, and access to the company’s family DV first responders network. Other perks offered include career development, financial and leave assistance for further study, payment of professional fees and opportunities for local and global secondments.
SUNCORP
Suncorp embraces a hybrid working model, meaning employees can balance their time between working in the office and from home. Currently, 84 per cent of the workforce take advantage of the various flexible working arrangements. Suncorp also provides a minimum of two days paid flexible leave, and up to four days after three years of employment. All permanent full-time and part-time employees who are primary carers are offered 20 weeks parental leave, with secondary carers offered four weeks paid leave, and the option to nominate between being primary and secondary carer. Suncorp also provides employees paid volunteer leave and unlimited paid emergency response leave for employees who support communities during national emergencies. The company also offers paid military service leave for up to 10 days for each year of employment. Workers also enjoy exclusive offers on more than 400 of Australia’s large retailers and discounts across Suncorp’s brands including AAMI and GIO.
ASX LTD
ASX supports a range of flexible working arrangements and the opportunity to purchase annual leave. Primary carers will benefit from 18 weeks paid parental leave, and 4 weeks for secondary carers, and no eligibility period. Super contributions will be made while the employee is on parental leave, up to a maximum of 52 weeks. ASX is an accredited Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace, with up to one hour of paid leave a day for lactation breaks. ASX partners with Sonder, a confidential support service that offers employees 24/7 access to wellbeing and safety features. There are also special deals on professional, home, car and travel services, plus entertainment and shopping. Other benefits include income protection insurance, salary packaging and superannuation salary sacrifice. An employee share plan provides all eligible employees with an annual opportunity to purchase discounted ASX shares.
APA GROUP
APA offers flexible working hours, including hybrid working for office-based workers (with 40 per cent of time working from the office hub across a month), job share or work-from-home arrangements. The company provides 18 weeks of fully paid leave, or 36 weeks at half pay, to all new parents, regardless of primary or secondary caregiver. Like ASX, they are a breastfeeding-friendly workplace. Superannuation is paid on all parental leave, up to 52 weeks, and there is two weeks paid leave for anyone who suffers a pregnancy loss whether it happens directly to them, their partner or their surrogate mother. In terms of career development, there are talent programs, leader development, technical training, graduate/intern/apprentice programs and formal education financial and study assistance. Other benefits include counselling services, online health and fitness programs and exclusive access to a discounted fitness membership.
INSURANCE AUSTRALIA GROUP LTD
IAG is committed to flexible working conditions, with options to work from home, a main IAG site, or from an IAG hub in either NZ or Australia. Employees can work up to 30 days annually on either side of the Tasman from their normal work base. Other perks include an extra five days leave (for anything) on top of annual leave, job sharing and secondments, and other forms of leave like sorry business leave, public holiday swap, career break and defence force leave. IAG offers paid parental leave at 20 weeks full pay, or 40 weeks half pay, as well as carers leave, gender affirmation leave and family domestic violence leave. Wellbeing perks include free access to confidential physical, medical and mental health care, up to 50 per cent discount for eligible policies across a range of products, and retail discounts for exercise equipment, gym memberships, active wear clothing and more.
QANTAS AIRWAYS
Qantas employees get access to heavily discounted standby flights, including 25 per cent off confirmed Qantas flights, and access to exclusive discounts on hotels and holiday packages. There are also discounts through the company’s shopping, food, wine, insurance, wellbeing, leisure, and entertainment partners. For paid parental leave, employees can access 18 weeks of primary carer’s leave and 10 weeks of secondary carer’s leave, with both paid and unpaid leave receiving superannuation for up to 52 weeks. Other leave options are offered too: personal and carer’s leave, leave without pay, leave for specific outside commitments (e.g. Defence Force or SES leave), and in some roles, the option to buy additional annual leave.
NORTHER STAR RESOURCES
Benefits at Northern Star include a parental leave policy with up to 20 weeks paid leave, health insurance subsidy, short term incentive bonus, a quarterly cash bonus based on the gold price on the ASX share market, the option to salary sacrifice on novated leasing as well as be provided with income protection insurance, an employee share scheme, free counselling and wellbeing services and five weeks annual leave for FIFO employees.
ORIGIN ENERGY
Benefits include 20-weeks paid leave for primary carers without any qualifying time period, part-time return to work options, and “pass the baton” leave options to split leave between primary and secondary caregivers. For those going through the process of affirming their gender, Origin has a range of support measures in place including 6-weeks paid leave (or 12-weeks at half pay) for those undertaking a medical affirmation. Employees are offered flexible work options, including part time work, job sharing, remote or hybrid working, and career breaks. Origin also offers financial benefits such as salary sacrifice, an employee share plan and a referral program. There are also career development and wellbeing programs.
THE LOTTERY CORPORATION
The Lottery Corporation provides up to 18 weeks of fully paid parental leave to be taken within the first 24 months of the child’s birth or adoption, with no qualifying period and leave can be taken by all new parents, regardless of gender. There is also FlexiLeave (where employees can take time out to help balance work and personal life), cultural leave, volunteer leave, and purchased leave. The company also offers gender affirmation support and domestic and family violence support, as well as training and wellbeing programs.
TREASURY WINE ESTATES
High performance is recognised and rewarded through performance-based rewards and recognition schemes at Treasury Wine Estates. Other perks include access to discounts from across the business, leadership development, one paid day per year to volunteer, an employee share plan, and free, professional and confidential counselling service.
TPG TELECOM
TPG offers leave options to study, take a career break, care for family, start a family, volunteer or even just take an extended holiday. They also offer four weeks paid leave for anyone looking to change their gender identity, and 16-week parental leave benefit and return-to-work benefit scheme. Eligible employees are provided with four days annually to help achieve work-life balance, focus on their wellbeing, and celebrate cultural or religious holidays. Of course, workers have access to a free mobile plan, a free NBN 100 plan as well as corporate partner discounts. TPG provides Super Bump (two payments of $250 per year into Super) which helps boost women’s Superannuation balances, since they are adversely affected by the gender pay gap. The company embraces a hybrid working style.
LENDLEASE
Lendlease adopts a flexible working arrangement, including work from home days, and differing start and finish times. They also offer an additional three days volunteer leave, 26 weeks of paid parental leave regardless of gender (where the company pays superannuation on the first year of parental leave), the flexibility to swap three public holidays for days that have more cultural and religious significance to the individual employee, six weeks paid gender affirmation leave, 10 days paid cultural leave to all full time and part time First Nations employees per calendar year, post parental leave support, additional leave purchase through salary sacrificing, rebates for child care or sick or dependant care, share plans, leadership programs, wellbeing leave, and access to preventative health programs and discounted private health insurance through partnered providers.
AGL ENERGY
AGL offers flexible ways of working, including hybrid work week, flexible start and finish times, compressed working hours and job sharing. Employees have access to discounts on energy, mobile, and nbn plans, with discounts also available on a broad range of AGL products. Benefits include 20 weeks of paid parental leave and two weeks of paid partner leave, superannuation guarantee contributions on paid and unpaid parental leave for primary caregivers, and parent rooms at various sites - the company is accredited as a Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace, four weeks of annual leave plus access to personal, carers and compassionate leave, purchase up to six weeks of extra leave each year, training programs and health and wellbeing initiatives including speakers, activities and webinars.
TELSTRA
The telecom giant offers hybrid working, salary packaging, access to wellbeing programs, learning and development programs including access to over 17,000 accredited online learning programs and endless on-the-job learning opportunities, flexible leave options, paid volunteering days off, 30 per cent off Telstra products and services, savings on health insurance and access exclusive discounts from over 240 partner brands and an online reward and recognition program.
JB HIFI
The company’s employee benefits includes team member discounts, with staff discounts across the JB Hi Fi and Good Guys brands, as well as sales commissions and incentives. An employee assistance program confidential counselling, coaching and support, and some elements are also available to immediate family members. JB also supports its staff with training and development programs, 12 weeks paid parental leave and flexible working arrangements.
Originally published as Revealed: Best work perks offered at 30 top Aussie companies
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