It's a good list with a lot of sense. My one minor nit is that they don't stock soda because it's not healthy. Let people be themselves and make their own decisions: you should provide something to drink and it should be what the employees want, not necessarily what you want.
“Anti-perks”: what our startup doesn't want in our office
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Re: “Anti-perks”: what our startup doesn't want in our office
#42"I’m sure having a pet visit the office once would be a treat, but every day quickly can become a burden on the team." Would people who are burdened by an office dog please share your experiences?
Allergies == burden
Re: “Anti-perks”: what our startup doesn't want in our office
#43Most in-office catered lunches are a lot more healthy than a burger or pizza.
I think the point was that just getting up and going somewhere is healthier than sitting in one place all day, regardless of what type of food you're eating.
Re: “Anti-perks”: what our startup doesn't want in our office
#44Unfortunately, sounds like they fail at the minimum criteria for a sane workweek. In particular: "our team tends to work long days".
Who cares about anti-perks or perks if you're expected to work crazy hours?
Re: “Anti-perks”: what our startup doesn't want in our office
#45The one "perk" I think is uncommon but should be standard is nap rooms. There are just so many people who are happier, healthier, and do better work with a brief nap during the day. Unless you are walking distance from work, splitting your workday like that is infeasible without an office culture that supports it. And consequently unlike most perks, it can't be offset by a simple salary increase.
The one "perk" I think is uncommon but should be standard is nap rooms.
Or just respect for sleep (and other forms of tuning out), on- or offsite, period.
Including such forms as "I came in at 11 today, because there were no meetings scheduled. And for some reason my body wanted me to stay under until 9 or so this morning, instead of the usual 7-730a, and to chill for a bit and rise gently instead of jumping out of bed. So that's what I did. Being as this is clearly the way our species was designed to operate, if we are to achieve long-term optimal performance."
"But then again, it's not like I have to explain that to you. We're all adults here, so as long as work gets done no one thinks twice about, or even stops to notice really, what time people come in in the morning."
Re: “Anti-perks”: what our startup doesn't want in our office
#46Re: “Anti-perks”: what our startup doesn't want in our office
#47Thank you for not allowing pets. I both dislike and am allergic to dogs, and it annoys me when people think it's no big deal to bring their dog into the office. This is not your home, this is a professional workspace that we all share.
I'm also very surprised by this "perk" that seems to be so widespread in the US. I sometimes feel like "dog people" can't internalize the fact that just because they like dogs, not everybody does! :)
Our office is "dog friendly", but we have some rooms where dogs are forbidden to make sure allergic employees have a space to go to. Still don't really like this policy.
Re: “Anti-perks”: what our startup doesn't want in our office
#48Most in-office catered lunches are a lot more healthy than a burger or pizza.
I used to work for a company that would cater dinner for anyone who wanted to stay late (culturally it was encouraged to go home but some people liked starting at 2pm). While the options seemed healthy on paper (e.g. spaghetti, broccoli beef, etc), the food was full of preservatives and extremely low quality. It wasn't much better than going to McDonalds. I think it depends a lot on how much the company is willing to spend on the catered lunches/dinners.
Re: “Anti-perks”: what our startup doesn't want in our office
#49Thank you for not allowing pets. I both dislike and am allergic to dogs, and it annoys me when people think it's no big deal to bring their dog into the office. This is not your home, this is a professional workspace that we all share.
Especially small yappy dogs.
Re: “Anti-perks”: what our startup doesn't want in our office
#50"I’m sure having a pet visit the office once would be a treat, but every day quickly can become a burden on the team." Would people who are burdened by an office dog please share your experiences?
I've worked at UK army bases where dogs are routinely brought on site. In some places the owners have to fit gates to their office doors to stop them randomly wandering around, and I've not seen dogs in open plan environments. In some places, in principle, the owners have to gain consent from others (those with allergies or nervousness). But I've not seen specific problems.
At least the cavalry types no longer ride their horses to work.