We talk a lot about what makes a good office environment: ergonomic chairs, free cereal, ping pong tables. Little things (or big things, for the offices with slides and saunas onsite…) that make each working day more bearable.

But what about when 5pm hits? When computers are shut down, mugs are piled up in the sink, and the automatic lighting switches off - not to be disturbed until the next morning?

A work-life balance is important, but it doesn’t mean you can’t show you care about your team’s lives as a whole - not just when they’re contracted to listen to you. Here’s a couple of big ways companies do just that:

Extra time off

Some years, those 20-odd days off will do the job. But, life happens. That’s why BrewDog offers a week of ‘pup’-ternity leave (sorry) to enjoy your new bundle of fur, and to adjust to 3am howling sessions, while UKFast gives you an extra week off when you get married.

Other companies can be pretty generous with keeping that balance, too. Body Shop offers its staff five paid volunteering days per year, so they can make a difference without sacrificing downtime, while Epic Systems rewards five years of service with a month of paid holiday. Nice!

Paid-for life experiences

You can have all the time off in the world (and some businesses do offer unlimited leave!), but if you don’t do anything meaningful with it then what’s the point?* Some employers go a little further than extra holiday time - by paying for the holiday itself! TransferWise treats the whole team to a fully-funded trip overseas every year, and Airbnb employees get a cool 1.4k to spend on travel. And some go more wholesome than that - Adobe funds further study for its staff, paying up to $10,000’s worth on tuition and books.

*Though it is, in our opinion, entirely valid to book an extra long, Dominos-fuelled weekend to binge watch a new series, or for a game release.

Discounts

And we’re onto maybe the simplest way to make everyday life a little better for your staff - discounts! Help their salary go further, with money off everything from cocktails to Disneyland packages. Yahoo offers discounts on ski resorts and amusement parks, VisitBritain gives out free West End theatre tickets and Skyscanner has a staff discount at the local boozer. We’d take that…

Real talk: some of these ‘out of office’ perks may be living in the realms of fantasy. But we’ve got a take-home-with-you treat that it is realistic, refreshing and a really good way to make sure one part of your team’s life is always perfect: their coffee consumption!

Companies that get their office coffee from Pact Coffee for Business get a little bonus - their employees can take world-class coffee home with them (and requiring no subterfuge involving sandwich bags…).

Your team will get £1.50 off every single bag when they sign up to a Pact Coffee home plan - so they’ll know you care (about their coffee supply, at least!) whether they’re off sick or stuck in meetings. Register an interest here!