From fresh veggies to pet insurance, companies are reaching out beyond the usual perks

Human resources is all about the perks these days, especially when it comes to younger workers at this year’s Top Workplaces.

At CardConnect in King of Prussia, fresh, locally grown produce is delivered to the company headquarters every other week during the growing season. When the 100 boxes of free food come through the doors, employees line up for the taking.

“It’s like Black Friday in here when the boxes show up,” said Jen Ireland, vice president of human resources. The offerings are so popular that employees now share recipes, especially for unusual vegetables and fruits they haven’t tried before.

The payment processing firm, with 475 employees nationwide, also offers gym memberships and on-site yoga, acupuncture, and massage as part of its benefit package.

Clemens Food Group, producer of Hatfield Quality Meats, has not only basketball and volleyball courts but also a Wellness Center, with a physician on staff to treat employees and their families. “It’s very convenient for team members,” said Keith Stahler, director of communications. Doctor appointments typically are less expensive than at an outside provider and the company offers free blood workups and other lab tests, he added.

Pet insurance is a popular perk, too. At Brinker Capital in Berwyn, “pawternity” leave allows employees to receive three paid days off to care for a new pet. The program just started in January, and already three employees have taken advantage of it. “Pets are part of the family,” said Sharon Horvath, Brinker’s vice president of human resources.

“Most couples are dual income,” Horvath noted, so the stress of also caring for young children or elderly parents can be high. “To attract the talent, you have to offer a culture that has work-life balance.”

And that includes more opportunities for time off, or time to work from home when the need arises, as well as attractive medical, dental, and other insurance packages. Stock options and retirement benefits also are important. But it’s the little extras that may entice a new employee or keep a long-term worker from leaving.

Many companies offer free meals or dessert days, as well as on-site gyms or gym memberships. Ping-pong and cornhole tourneys, as well as free tickets to sports games or concerts, are also popular. And more firms allow employees to take paid time off for volunteer service.

Top Workplaces offer all kinds of perks in addition to traditional insurance and investment options. Here’s a sampling:

The firm develops commercial modeling and analysis software to plan missions and monitor land, sea, air, and space objects. Its 244 employees enjoy a host of extra benefits, including free breakfast, lunch, and dinner – “three free meals a day which you can take with you,” said Maggie Handler, marketing communications specialist for AGI. Dry-cleaning drop-off and pickup, on-site haircuts, and on-site oil changes and car detailing help employees focus on work instead of chores.

“It’s great. We attract top talent,” Handler said. “It creates a very family-oriented and friend-oriented culture that a lot of people enjoy.”

The systems integrator/engineering company that develops automation and information solutions for food, beverage, and other industries offers its 60 U.S. employees a ping-pong league, 14 annual parties, and flexible work arrangements with no set maximum number of paid days off, said Mary Negron, manager of human resources and administration.

The specialized engineering services company offers an annual incentive for employees to meet its wellness program requirements, money that’s applied toward their health-care or flexible spending account. The firm also has monthly lunch-and-learn seminars on wellness topics, and employees can speak with a nutritionist and a health advocate. The company offers pet insurance and commuter reimbursement, and its social committee organizes activities like Phillies game trips, a fall picnic, and nature walks.

In addition to the on-staff primary care physician, Clemens’ CFS Cares provides chaplains, counselors, and a benevolent fund to assist employees facing difficult situations, said Keith Stahler, director of communications.

The communications and media giant offers a variety of traditional perks, including medical, financial planning, and insurance programs, including pet insurance. Its central location near public transportation makes commuting easier for employees. A very popular perk is free XFINITY TV and Internet service, as well as discounts on other communications products. Comcast NBCUniversal employees also have access to backup child-care programs and four free tickets a year to a Universal Studios theme park. “We’re big on providing tools to solve work/life balance for [employees] and the people they love,” said Bill Strahan, executive vice president for human resources, Comcast Cable.

During the tax season and in the fall – the two busiest seasons for the public accounting firm’s 187 employees – free dinners are available Monday through Thursday and on Saturdays. As part of its multifaceted benefits package, the firm also offers flexible hours adjusted around a core, five-hour day to meet client needs. For example, on Friday afternoons in the summer, employees can get an early start on their weekends. The firm also offers cash incentives to participate in wellness programs, a dry-cleaning pickup service, and free Netflix movie rentals.

Have too much vacation time or not enough? In addition to its health plans and investment options, the maker of specialty lubricants for metal manufacturing allows employees to buy extra vacation weeks or sell them back to the company, said Melissa McClain, communications manager. Quaker also offers two paid vacation days for volunteering and has a free gym and hot-meal cafeteria for its 145 local employees, among 2,400 workers globally.

A flexible work schedule is one of the noted features of TD Bank’s benefit package. Its Job Partnership program “allows two staff members to share responsibility for one full-time position,” said Jamie Mosser, TD human resources associate at the bank’s U.S. headquarters in Cherry Hill. Other options include telecommuting, a condensed or extended workweek, and part-time employment. The bank, which employs 85,000 people globally, including 26,000 in the U.S., also offers up to 16 weeks’ paid maternity or adoption leave to either parent.