6 awesome ways that companies have rewarded their employees

LinkedIn recently rewarded all of their employees' hard work by giving each of them an iPad mini on Valentine's Day. Not only was this a great way to reward their employees for their hard work, but this provided LinkedIn with a lot of free publicity, as well as no doubt encouraging more people to apply for jobs with the company. Service awards are great ways to show employees that they are appreciated. Such regular reward programs can also encourage employee retention and really give your company a real boost. But LinkedIn is not the only company that has realized this. Here are six other ways in which some well known companies have rewarded their employees.

Google

Google has become famous for treating its employees right, but at the end of 2010 they went above and beyond, reportedly rewarding every single employee with a $1000 cash bonus, and a 10 percent raise. But then again, when you work in a place that is already equipped with slides and ball pits, who needs cash?

SAS

Analytics company SAS has made it their business to make their employees comfortable, rewarding them with access to a free gym with tennis and basketball courts, a weight room, and a heated pool. There is also an on-site health care clinic, staffed by physicians, nutritionists, physical therapists, and psychologists. Employees are also treated to free snacks and treats.

Wegmans

Wegmans has an employee turnover that is surprisingly low for a grocery store chain, at just 3.6 percent. Part of the reason for this is that they reward their employees regularly with gift cards for good work.

NetApp

Web storage company NetApp has a long list of rewards and benefits that it offers its employees, but on of the most impressive is that the company's vice chairman will ask for recommendations of people who are doing a good job, and then he calls 10 to 20 employees every day to thank them for their good work.

Hilcorp

Energy company Hilcorp has made a promise that they will reward every single employee with a check for $100,000 if they reach their goal of doubling their production rate by 2015. If you do not think that they will follow through, consider that they have already rewarded 400 employees with $10,000 towards a new car.

Ultimate Software

Ultimate Software rewards its employees regularly with a range of benefits, including fully paid-for health and dental plans, a massage service, dry-cleaning service, indoor basketball court, exercise and salsa classes, Weight Watchers group, birthday celebrations, inter-departmental bowling contests, periodic breakfast, lunch, and ice cream treats, and a holiday every two years, all on the company's dime.