What employee "amenities" would you expect at your workplace?

[marbel]

Amenities probably isn't the best word.  I'm thinking of things that companies have for their employees to make the work life a little more pleasant. This got long so my actual question is bolded at the bottom. 

I started working last summer after 20 years at home, and I was shocked by how different things are.  I might have been spoiled by previous employers - my last one was a high-tech company during the boom of the early to mid-90s, when everyone was making a lot of money and companies could afford things like onsite gyms.  

Now I'm thinking of more basic things.

Like, ready access to good drinking water. When I started at my company, there were some hot/cold water dispensers around so people could fill their water bottles or cups. (When I started there were plastic cups available, but those disappeared within my first week.) Then the hot water stopped working.  Then, the dispensers disappeared altogether. I thought they would be replaced, but they haven't been. So water options are $1.50 bottles from a vending machine or a fountain by the bathroom, outside the security doors, with a faucet that allows me to fill my 20-ounce bottle only about halfway. So I fill two water bottles at home every day and keep them at my desk.

Other things.. .readily available, inexpensive (I don't expect free though it would be nice) coffee, tea, hot water.  We  have a weird little cafe area that has coffee and tea in single serve pods (not keurig) for $2.25 a pop.  It isn't good coffee.  If we want to bring our own tea or instant coffee (hot cider mix, whatever), we can use the microwave to heat water in a mug. Oh, yeah, there is water and ice available in a dispenser there, but again the dispenser is not tall enough to fill a water bottle, just a mug or an 8-ounce cup. 

A refrigerator to keep lunches cold if needed.  Or, sometimes the company brings in lunch at about noon. But we also have a night shift.  Several times I have come in at 5pm to find a sandwich that was delivered at noon on my desk. Um, thanks, but... no.  A refrigerated sandwich is not my favorite, but at least it would be edible. 

OK I guess this turned into a vent.  But I'm really curious - am I unreasonable in my thinking that easy, quick access to god drinking water, hot beverages at a reasonable price, and refrigeration should be standard in an office building?   This is not a JAWM - I do want to know.  Like I said, maybe I am spoiled, but I'm not asking for a full-service gym or a nice subsidized restaurant on site. But I'm also curious what other things are standard in your experience. Or what you think should be.  

ETA: Maybe I should add: this is an office, a customer-service call center with well, I don't know how many employees; many people are temps working on various short and long-term projects. Probably at least 50 people regularly working, more at other times. 

 

Edited January 27, 2019 by marbel
added a little more detail for clarity

[EmseB]

I would think a break room with a fridge, sink, microwave and a coffee pot would be pretty basically minimum. Maybe some vending machines somewhere. But it also depends how big the building is, who is going to be responsible for maintaining/cleaning those things, etc. Because a break room that belongs to no one in particular gets gross pretty fast.

I worked in an office of about 10-15 people on a larger campus/complex. So there were breakroom facilities, vending machines, even a small cafe available if we wanted to walk to them. But when we wanted a mini-fridge for our office, we all put money in and bought one. Same with a coffee maker and coffee supplies; everyone put money in for those things so we could have our own. 

[JenneinCA]

We live in Silicon Valley.  The employee perks can be extreme depending on the company.  (Extremely good).  But what you are describing is appalling.  No company here could keep employees in those conditions.  

Edited January 26, 2019 by JenneinCA

[almondbutterandjelly]

I think you all are a bit spoiled.  Bathrooms with faucets are good for refilling water bottles that you brought from home.  Or use a mug and the water dispenser they provide.  It is not "appalling."

The coffee thing is a bit different, but they do provide a water dispenser and a microwave.  I don't see the problem.

You have a refrigerator to use.  

It may not be Silicon Valley standards, but it is pretty common in the rest of the country.

[Selkie]

Based on my experience working in offices, I would expect to bring all my own beverages (including water) and food, and I wouldn't assume there would be access to a fridge or microwave. 

[PinkTulip]

I am totally spoiled in this regard, but my office of 10 employees has a full-sized fridge, pebble-ice machine, microwave, sink, toaster, Kuerig, hot & cold water dispenser, and then lots of drawers and cupboards full of snacks (single-serve cookies & crackers) and paper goods. They also keep the fridge stocked with whatever soda or drink you request. 

Granted, a lot of the employees are putting in 10-hour days, but it’s still pretty great! 

[Wheres Toto]

The last office I worked at had a kitchen area on every floor with a instant Keurig-type machine, 2 full size fridges, water machine, some snacks, sink, toaster, microwave, paper products.  Water fountains were in the hall by the bathrooms and their were vending machines every other floor.   They also provided bagels and spreads every Monday morning for the entire office.  We had about 500 people working in that building I think.

Every place I've worked, large or small, at least had a coffee maker, a microwave, a refrigerator and a sink.  The smallest office I ever worked in had about 15 employees but only 4 of us were in the office on a regular basis.

[Liz CA]

Even in smaller non-profits, I have seen little fridges and a coffee machine for free coffee or a little collection jar to help with the purchase of the next can of coffee.

I am frequently on the road so I have all my bottles of hot/cold bevs with me as well as food and snacks. Honestly, I would not spend money on bad stuff but bring my own. You may have to  invest in a good thermos and some containers but it would be worth it to me.

[Faith-manor]

At my current workplace, being in community arts, my expectations are rather low. But, I have high expectations for clean and neat, well stocked for the bathrooms, and they haven't disappointed me. Safe water to drink, and coffee station were my others as well as adequate office space to perform my duties. They have the water and coffee, but I'm crammed into an office with two other people, and have to go outside to turn around, LOL. They are aware of the situation and have a meeting with the committee to discuss reallocation of space.

If I were a university instructor, or working for a for-profit music/arts entity, I'd have higher expectations. I'd also be paid better!

[Murphy101]

I would hope for a sink with hot and cold water faucet and a microwave.  Anything beyond that would be considered a bonus.

Maybe I'm more germaphobe than I consider myself to be bc I would not take anything I'm putting near my mouth into the public bathroom.  So I'd either fill my water elsewhere or bring enough.

It sounds like they have water available, just not of a practical use for things like thermos and bottles.

General rule of thumb is that the office will have whatever the bosses want to use.  At places like call centers, the real bosses often don't even work on site and are super strict about profit margins.  A frig and coffee maker and such are unlikely in any my husband has worked at.  A microwave and a basic sink in a small break room is usually it.

[marbel]

OK, so it seems that what I am experiencing is not unusual.  Good to know. 

I do bring all my own stuff - 2 bottles of water which I drink at room temperature (which is fine), a thermos of coffee or tea, lunch in a bag with ice packs, snacks, etc. The cost of things in the automated lunch room are crazy high and there is no other place to buy food within the 30-minute lunch time.  So what I do is pretty much what everyone else in the place does. 

FWIW, the owner of the company and all the highest-level managers are in the office most days.  I do see one of the high-level managers cleaning out her coffeemaker in the restroom.  Maybe people with private offices have mini-fridges, I don't know as I've never been in one.  

And yes, @Murphy101, they are super strict about costs, to the point that I've checked out the legality of some of their requirements (such as having to arrive at least 10 minutes early to log into systems in order to be ready to take calls when paid shift starts). 

It's been very eye-opening for me after working in - apparent - comparative luxury in the past!

 

Edited January 26, 2019 by marbel

[Murphy101]

None of my kids or anyone else hanging out here today have more than a small microwave and a sink.  No frig or tea kettle or provided supplies.  Production for commercials, a machining shop, clothing retail, security, call center,  drafting office... all the same. A small microwave and sink. That's it

[brehon]

Government agency, public service here. 

In our main building we have 2 break rooms (1 upstairs, 1 downstairs). Each break room has 2 frigs, sink, microwave, coffee makers. 

In your situation I’d probably invest in a good thermos and a decent sized soft sided cooler. 

[historically accurate]

I haven't worked in many years, but honestly, your set-up sounds standard for my area. Heating water in a mug is how it's always been done in the offices I worked at. At a couple of offices where customers came in, there was a coffee pot by the receptionist that you could use (for free). A break area/kitchenette with microwave and a sink (maybe able to fill water bottle, maybe not depending on faucet style), possibly a vending machine is pretty standard. I like having a fridge available, but 1 office I worked didn't have it (weirdly, every retail store I worked at had one though). 

I interviewed at one place back in the 90s that I probably looked like an awe-struck tourist when they gave me the tour - there was on-site laundry services, on-site gym, on-site childcare, a 2 story waterfall in the entryway, etc. I was used to companies with the standard break room.  

[ktgrok]

35 minutes ago, Liz CA said:

Even in smaller non-profits, I have seen little fridges and a coffee machine for free coffee or a little collection jar to help with the purchase of the next can of coffee.

I am frequently on the road so I have all my bottles of hot/cold bevs with me as well as food and snacks. Honestly, I would not spend money on bad stuff but bring my own. You may have to  invest in a good thermos and some containers but it would be worth it to me.

I've never worked anywhere, large or small, without at least a refrigerator and neither has my husband. Usually a coffee pot too. 

[Murphy101]

18 minutes ago, marbel said:

OK, so it seems that what I am experiencing is not unusual.  Good to know. 

I do bring all my own stuff - 2 bottles of water which I drink at room temperature (which is fine), a thermos of coffee or tea, lunch in a bag with ice packs, snacks, etc. The cost of things in the automated lunch room are crazy high and there is no other place to buy food within the 30-minute lunch time.  So what I do is pretty much what everyone else in the place does. 

FWIW, the owner of the company and all the highest-level managers are in the office most days.  I do see one of the high-level managers cleaning out her coffeemaker in the restroom.  Maybe people with private offices have mini-fridges, I don't know as I've never been in one.  

And yes, @Murphy101, they are super strict about costs, to the point that I've checked out the legality of some of their requirements (such as having to arrive at least 10 minutes early to log into systems in order to be ready to take calls when paid shift starts). 

It's been very eye-opening for me after working in - apparent - comparative luxury in the past!

 

If the log into the computer is also how you clock in, then they can do that and most such places do.  But otherwise, they can’t make you show up earlier than scheduled to for the shift you are being paid to work.

I made a boss mad bc he would always try to do evaluations after my shift ended. And he’d specifically tell me to clock out and then meet in the conference rooms. I refused. This is directly work related time and either pay me for it or don’t expect to have my time for it. I didn’t last long there and I’m okay with it. 

[marbel]

33 minutes ago, Murphy101 said:

If the log into the computer is also how you clock in, then they can do that and most such places do.  But otherwise, they can’t make you show up earlier than scheduled to for the shift you are being paid to work.

I made a boss mad bc he would always try to do evaluations after my shift ended. And he’d specifically tell me to clock out and then meet in the conference rooms. I refused. This is directly work related time and either pay me for it or don’t expect to have my time for it. I didn’t last long there and I’m okay with it. 

Logging in and out is how they verify our time (we turn in a time sheet for payroll), but if, say, my shift starts at 8, I have to start logging in no later than 7:50 to get all systems up and running to take my first call or chat. I start getting paid at 8:00 even if I log in earlier.  That appears to be legal in my state as far as I can tell - requiring up to 10 minutes unpaid time to prepare for the work day.  

That's something else I also had to get used to; I was a salaried worker for most of my pre-kid career. The call center life is new to me. I'm using it as a stepping stone to something better and 6 months on, am finishing updating my resume to start the search soon. 

Edited January 26, 2019 by marbel

[hippiemamato3]

DH works in tech. They have free coffee/tea/soda/water/ice and snacks in break rooms, free popcorn in the afternoon and occasionally free lunch purchased for them. They have a gym and rec facilities also. 

Edited January 27, 2019 by hippiemamato3

[Rachel]

My husband’s current and previous company had water brought in, coffee, tea, and a fridge stocked with whatever beverages people in the office prefer (soda, sparking water). 

His previous company had a fruit bowl with apples, bananas, and oranges. They took that and sodas away when there was a buyout. It was one of those little things that really affected morale even though not everyone partook on a daily basis  

His current company also has a fruit bowl and light snacks like granola or protein bars. When there is a meeting they usually order in for the entire office, not just those in the meeting. It’s a satellite office with maybe 6 people when everyone is there and he is the only non-contractor employee, so it’s his job to keep the kitchen stocked. 

When I worked in retail, a university setting, and a non-profit setting all I cared I had was access to a fridge, microwave, water fountain, and clean bathrooms. Only the university consistently had clean bathrooms.  I do see how the little perks are very nice to have but I don’t think they should be expected in all settings. 

[Wheres Toto]

My last job did have a gym on the premises but it was for the whole building, not just my company, although all employees could use it free.  We had pick-up/drop-off dry-cleaning/laundry service for a good price but you did have to pay.   Lunch/snacks were ALWAYS brought in for meetings and left-overs would be put in the kitchen areas after the meeting was over.  Part of my job was setting up/cleaning up after the meetings for my department.  Dinner would be ordered if people worked after hours, birthday parties/showers/celebrations were fairly frequent with food and sometimes booze brought in.  

I had a mini-fridge under my desk (I supported the VP/head of the department) and it often had a 6 pack of beer in it.   Our NY office had a drink cart that came around on Fridays.  

[Farrar]

I'm not in a ton of traditional office workplaces, but I can't think of the last time I was in one that didn't have a decent way to get water. I'm sorry, but a bathroom sink where you can't fill a water bottle? I do think that's not sufficient. And that's an amenity that would be expected around here.

[Bluegoat]

I would say the minimum here people expect is generally some kind of indoor break room if employees can't stay in the work area for break, a source of clean water, and a clean toilet.  They usually get at least a semi-clean toilet or water area, and a break room - it's too cold for people to out in winter.  Many places, even at entry level jobs, also have a sink and microwave and a fridge.

Nicer kinds of jobs tend to have correspondingly nicer stuff beyond that.

[G5052]

I work for a major department store, and our break room has a sink, a water cooler, three vending machines, two refrigerators, two microwaves, and an electric kettle for tea/instant coffee.

Most people bring a water bottle to fill up at the cooler and their lunch. A few buy lunch in the mall, but most can't afford it. The pay is poor, even for full-timers.

[Arcadia]

5 hours ago, marbel said:

ETA: Maybe I should add: this is an office, a customer-service call center with well, I don't know how many employees; many people are temps working on various short and long-term projects. Probably at least 50 people regularly working, more at other times. 

 

When I worked for HP customer service and there was about 60 or more in just my dept, there was: 

a small refrigerator,

microwave,

kettle,

instant coffee,

tea bags,

sugar and creamer packets.

The location did not have space for a pantry due to the layout. The entire high rise office building was rented by HP. I think they had a water dispenser instead of a water cooler. The staff restroom is part of the office.

Other customer service offices that I worked in had a pantry built into the office space for any tenant. So each unit has their own pantry room which has space for a large two door refrigerator, as well as tables and chairs for staff to eat at the pantry.

My husband’s office pantry is very well stocked but they do expect lots of overtime even though his official hours are 8am to 5:30pm. They work until pass 9pm during project peak season. They are well stocked with aspirin, DayQuil, energen-C and other first aid stuff in the pantry room. 

Edited January 26, 2019 by Arcadia

[Wheres Toto]

36 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

.

My husband’s office pantry is very well stocked but they do expect lots of overtime even though his official hours are 8am to 5:30pm. They work until pass 9pm during project peak season. They are well stocked with aspirin, DayQuil, energen-C and other first aid stuff in the pantry room. 

This reminded me that the last job also had a first-aid box in each of the kitchens with little packets of every possible medication you could imagine.  Tylenol, Advil, all the OTC allergy and cold medicines, ice packs, band-aids, etc.   No excuse to go home early.  

[SKL]

I think your basic expectations are reasonable, but on the other hand they are not guaranteed.  🙂

Our current office does offer all of those to our employees.  But, everyone shares one office including the owners; we also entertain some customers there; and the fridge is also used for some of our business stuff (e.g. drink mixers for when we have an event with alcohol).  Not sure if we would have all of it just for employees if they were segregated.

I have definitely worked in offices where tap water was the only "free" water, and you brought your own water bottle or mug to drink from at your desk.

Coffee, I think has always been available for free in office locations, though it is possible I may be forgetting some exceptions.  (Not counting Utah where caffeine is frowned on.)  We were expected to take turns making the coffee if we were drinking it (also cleaning the pot).  Of course, a pot of coffee was less expensive in those days.

Fridge - I'm not really sure.  I am having a hard time picturing the fridge in some of my old workplaces.  There was one in the last "big" workplace I worked in, but that was a "Big 6" accounting firm, and they probably had more amenities than many employers.

[Clemsondana]

I spent my working years in academia.  Since you couldn't take any food into research areas, newer buildings had a room on each floor, or a table in an alcove, for people to eat.  In older buildings, people left their lunch boxes outside the lab and then either ate in the hall or outside.  The newest building that I worked in had a fridge in the break room.  In other places, there was sometimes a fridge and microwave that might seem like an amenity, but, having been the first set of students in a new lab, I learned that many of the amenities were just things bought by previous lab members.  I think that one of the professors bought the microwave, and I know that we grad students pooled some $ to buy a used full-size fridge from a faculty member who was moving.  We always got water from either a sink or water fountain.  My husband has worked at national labs, and he says that they have a fridge and a microwave and, in the city with bad water, a water cooler.  He said that his offices have had places where people could pay some money and make coffee, while we always brought stuff from home.  The difference probably is that his labs had more administrative support staff and maintaining that was part of their job, while in my jobs everything was DIY.  

[Jyhwkmama]

3 hours ago, Farrar said:

I'm not in a ton of traditional office workplaces, but I can't think of the last time I was in one that didn't have a decent way to get water. I'm sorry, but a bathroom sink where you can't fill a water bottle? I do think that's not sufficient. And that's an amenity that would be expected around here.

Yes. I can't even think of doing food/refreshment things in the bathroom.  🤢

[G5052]

5 hours ago, marbel said:

Logging in and out is how they verify our time (we turn in a time sheet for payroll), but if, say, my shift starts at 8, I have to start logging in no later than 7:50 to get all systems up and running to take my first call or chat. I start getting paid at 8:00 even if I log in earlier.  That appears to be legal in my state as far as I can tell - requiring up to 10 minutes unpaid time to prepare for the work day.  

That's something else I also had to get used to; I was a salaried worker for most of my pre-kid career. The call center life is new to me. I'm using it as a stepping stone to something better and 6 months on, am finishing updating my resume to start the search soon. 

 

I'm under the same sort of thing for the first time in forty years. Every other job had an attendance check-off, or you logged in once a week and reported your hours. My work as an online professor isn't timed; I just get a set rate based on number of sections and section side.

At my retail job, they pay hourly with time recorded to two decimal points. I worked this morning, and the door lock was apparently malfunctioning so my key card didn't work. Two of us were there five minutes before our shifts started, and we had to wait ten minutes outside until someone was free to let us in. We weren't paid for those ten minutes.

We're also supposed to get a break in addition to lunch, but the production quotas are so insane, you can't meet the quota if you take a break. Everything we do is timed and measured.

Needless to say, I'm still looking too! 

[Bluegoat]

As far as not being able to totally fill a water bottle at a fountain or faucet or ice-machine  - I'd just use a cup and pour it into the bottle if I wanted to.

[Shoeless]

Breakroom with tables, chairs, fridge, microwave, sink, coffee pot with a hot water tap on it.  The last place I worked had all that, and they supplied the coffee, tea, sugar, and creamer, and also had a stash of cups, mugs, dishes, and flatware for the employees to use.  We also had a dishwasher, and the cleaning person would make sure it was run every day.  Most of the staff was pretty good about putting their used dishes in the dishwasher so the night time cleaning staff didn't have to load the dishwasher.  We also had a water dispenser.  

I once worked in an office that also had a stand-alone ice maker.  That was pretty nice, but maybe that is more typical in the south (it was in Alabama). I never had that when I worked up north. 

At my husband's office they have soda fountain drinks that are free for the employees, plus the usual coffee, tea, etc.  He doesn't utilize a lot of the corporate amenities, so I'm not totally sure of what they have available other than the sodas and standard breakroom tables, chairs, microwaves.  

Edited January 27, 2019 by MissLemon

[marbel]

24 minutes ago, Bluegoat said:

As far as not being able to totally fill a water bottle at a fountain or faucet or ice-machine  - I'd just use a cup and pour it into the bottle if I wanted to.

Sure. It's just easier, less of a hassle, to bring my own rather than fiddle with a cup and s bottle. Breaks are short, our pay is docked if we take more than 2 5-minute breaks (aside from our unpaid lunchtime) during an 8 hour day.

[Bootsie]

6 hours ago, Faith-manor said:

At my current workplace, being in community arts, my expectations are rather low. But, I have high expectations for clean and neat, well stocked for the bathrooms, and they haven't disappointed me. Safe water to drink, and coffee station were my others as well as adequate office space to perform my duties. They have the water and coffee, but I'm crammed into an office with two other people, and have to go outside to turn around, LOL. They are aware of the situation and have a meeting with the committee to discuss reallocation of space.

If I were a university instructor, or working for a for-profit music/arts entity, I'd have higher expectations. I'd also be paid better!

As a university professor, I have experienced situations with much less work place amenities. For a number of years I worked in a building with no breakroom, no refrigerator, no microwave, no coffeemaker, and no hot water access.  There was a bathroom and a water fountain that you had to walk through a maze to get to (and it seemed like 50% of the time I went there it was "closed for cleaning").  I could go down three floors, across a courtyard, past the library, through another building and then up to the fourth floor to go to a microwave or a kitchen sink to wash a cup.  That was the same place I had to go to make a copy.  It was at least 10 minutes one way--so if I had a student who needed a copy of an assignment, it would take at least 20 minutes to get that done.  There was no workplace coffee maker--you could go stand in long line with students at the campus Starbuck  If you left campus to get something, you would have to drive, and you would have difficulty finding a parking space again (although I was paying $850 per year for a parking permit!)  

[Acorn]

I have some job sites without running water. So I think my current flush toilets are great. We also have a fridge and microwave. Our day technically starts 15-20 minutes without pay before “on clock” hours, and also has 20-30 min. unpaid at the end of the day.

[Jaybee]

I didn't realize I had it so good. Office setting, with a kitchenette area that has a microwave, sink, and full-sized fridge. Maintenance man starts the coffee pot (coffee is free), and fills the cooler with crushed ice. There's a Keurig usually available in another room as well, and a water cooler in that room. Then my boss has a mini-fridge in his office with some soft drinks that I can have if I want (I don't usually, but it's available). There is usually a conference room open where we can eat, and there are also several walkable restaurants nearby, if we don't bring a lunch.

ETA: If I didn't have these available, and there was room, I would supply my own mini-fridge and small coffeepot, but I realize not all settings would make this practical.

Edited January 27, 2019 by Jaybee
ETA2 because I put in fridge twice.

[Guest]

Before DH’s company closed the local office and he went to working remotely, his company had a refrigerator carbonated drinks, a coffee maker that also did hot water, tea bags, and a water cooler. They had a refrigerator and microwave, and two machines to buy snacks and stuff like that. They also had legos and Lincoln logs, and what was basically a division little free library. His prior company  (pre-buyout) had two kitchens (one kosher and one not) and employees had family memberships to the Jewish Community Center, which had an amazing pool and gym and other activities-and was next door. When there were multiple people with young children, we had a Pack and Play, toys, diapers, and other supplies, so parents who needed to bring a young child with them, could. 

The new office in Atlanta is supposed to have a lot of nice amenities, but we’ve never been there.

 

Having said that, 60 hour weeks are normal. 

[EKS]

I would expect a restroom.  A fridge would be nice but not necessary.  I would assume that one could get water at the restroom sink.  If not, I'd bring my own.

[Bluegoat]

I did work for a while in a place with no water at all, no sink, and to get to a toilet you had to walk to an outhouse that could be 15 min away at times.   

[Arcadia]

6 hours ago, marbel said:

Logging in and out is how they verify our time (we turn in a time sheet for payroll), but if, say, my shift starts at 8, I have to start logging in no later than 7:50 to get all systems up and running to take my first call or chat.

That's something else I also had to get used to; I was a salaried worker for most of my pre-kid career. The call center life is new to me. 

 

When I was working at the customer service call center at HP and 3Com, I was a salaried worker. Work starts 15mins before our login to the system (some start at 7:30am, some at 8:30am) and overtime is paid if we have to work past 5:30pm because system stop the incoming calls at 5pm.

The login and logout was to verify tardiness which affects performance appraisals and to verify overtime pay. Mine was a multilingual tech support center though and we sometimes meet the clients if it can’t be resolved through phone.

[SKL]

I meant to include - the expectations for a non-professional-office work site were often a lot less.  Coffee was not really a thing where I worked in a factory, grocery store, or nursing home.  Fridge definitely not.  Water was the fountain next to the restroom.

[Tap]

I think we have lockers, a microwave, a single fridge, tables, mismatched chairs, a coffee pot (but no coffee so the pot is in the cupboard unless someone brings their own), tap water. Sometimes expired products from the store are put on the table for employees to eat (donuts, bakery items etc).  Bathroom within a reasonable distance from the time clock so you still have a few minutes of break left if you want to use it on your break.

I am changing jobs soon and at the new job, I expect the same. A break room with tables and chairs, tap water, bathrooms. 

Edited January 27, 2019 by Tap

[Hilltopmom]

I’m a teacher.

we have one faculty restroom (single toilet) to share on our end of the building- there’s always a line, a water fountain in the hall to fill bottles in- it is the new kind that has a spot to fill a water bottle (I usually use the sink in the classroom though), a shared fridge to put lunch in.

Definately no coffee, snacks, or meals provided by administration. Oh fire code made us remove microwaves from classrooms but there is one in the teacher room on the other side of the school.

i don’t get a lunch break- I only get paid for time with students, so I work all day & eat when my kids eat with them

I pull students out for sessions (I’m a sped teacher) & sit on the hallway floor or at a tiny student table in a storage closet- so I suppose I have low standards 🙂

Edited January 27, 2019 by Hilltopmom

[DawnM]

I have never had the perks you are talking about (public education), but DH's work always has some fancy hot drink dispenser thing to make lattes, teas, coffees, etc.....and they often bring in meals for their employees or take them out to eat.  He is in the corporate world.

My cousin works for a film company.  They get access to free breakfast and lunch and several choices in their huge cafeteria (they have a Greek bar, an. Italian bar, a grill for burgers, a salad bar, espresso maker, etc.....). And each of the individual buildings have an instant coffee machine, a fridge with drinks, and snacks sitting out, all day long, whenever they want them.  We visited him last summer, it was awesome!  They even have a free doctor to see on the property.

[wintermom]

For the OP, couldn't you ask what happened to the water dispenser if they had one but it disappeared? I would think that access to drinking water is a basic expectation, and one that was available when you were hired. 

I've worked in a lot of different settings, from hourly wage to office building. Clean, drinking water is a basic and necessary condition for a workplace.

[marbel]

14 minutes ago, wintermom said:

For the OP, couldn't you ask what happened to the water dispenser if they had one but it disappeared? I would think that access to drinking water is a basic expectation, and one that was available when you were hired. 

I've worked in a lot of different settings, from hourly wage to office building. Clean, drinking water is a basic and necessary condition for a workplace.

I did. My boss said he didn't know, and he didn't offer to find out.  I had been bringing my own bottle to fill up so it wasn't a huge deal to just get another bottle and bring them both, filled, from home.  The water from the fountain isn't good tasting water (very hard water in the area) so I'd rather just bring my filtered water from home.

I would have expected a communication from the head of the company, via her admin, about it, but nothing was ever said and at this point (5 months later) I'm sure there will be no new water dispensers. People have adjusted.  I just thought it was odd based on my (long past) experience, which is why I was curious what other people experienced in this regard. 

Since the focus here is on keeping the phones answered, it would seem to make sense to keep the water convenient to people who have to talk all day.  But of course if my day's supply of water is stored at my desk, that removes one reason to walk away from the phone.  :-)

Edited January 27, 2019 by marbel

[ktgrok]

Realized I didn't clarify the kinds of places I worked. 

Public library (back in the early 1990s) - break room with a couple couches, table and chair, sink, microwave, coffee pot, it's own restroom. Not sure if there was a fridge, I honestly don't remember but I think so. 

Small call center on a college campus - no break amenities that I remember,r but people only worked 4 hour shifts there, so no need. 

Pet'sMart - break room with large refrigerator, water fountain, sink, microwave, table and chairs, lockers. Vending machines, and in the same plaza there was a subway, pizza hut, Checkers, etc so plenty of places you could walk to eat.

Small Vet Clinic - no designated break room (no space) but we could and did eat lunch in the treatment area or at a desk that was not used much in kind of a private area. We did have a microwave we could use in the kennel, a refrigerator for employee use only behind the reception desk (other fridge in the kennel and another in the treatment room that were theoretically not for employee use due to OSHA regulations but were often used anyway, with the treatment fridge holding the boss's beer as well, which she would share after we closed up if it was a bad day). We had a coffee pot in the reception area and it was kept brewing for both employees and clients, and a watercolor with hot and cold water, also for clients and staff. For lunch time staff meetings you stayed on the clock and lunch was provided. (she also took us on vacation a few times....she was amazing)

Big Vet Clinic - designated break room with lockers and table and chairs, sink, full size refrigerator, microwave, and a coffee pot that whoever got there first set brewing. Lunch staff meetings were on the clock and lunch provided. Sometimes on the weekends the boss brought in bagels and donuts (most weekends, actually)

My dad's tiny office for people that fixed ATM machines and other bank equipment (when I was growing up) - coffee pot, refrigerator, water cooler. I mean, this was a group of blue collar guys who had grease stains on their clothes and a pin up calendar of questionable taste on the wall, but even they had coffee and a refrigerator! (I don't remember if there was a microwave...those were just coming out really at the time. besides, the guys ate more fast food and sandwiches anyway, but darn it they wanted coffee!)

Edited January 27, 2019 by Ktgrok

[wintermom]

5 minutes ago, marbel said:

I did. My boss said he didn't know, and he didn't offer to find out.  I had been bringing my own bottle to fill up so it wasn't a huge deal to just get another bottle and bring them both, filled, from home.  The water from the fountain isn't good tasting water (very hard water in the area) so I'd rather just bring my filtered water from home.

I would have expected a communication from the head of the company, via her admin, about it, but nothing was ever said and at this point (5 months later) I'm sure there will be no new water dispensers. People have adjusted.  I just thought it was odd based on my (long past) experience, which is why I was curious what other people experienced in this regard. 

Since the focus here is on keeping the phones answered, it would seem to make sense to keep the water convenient to people who have to talk all day.  But of course if my day's supply of water is stored at my desk, that removes one reason to walk away from the phone.  🙂

I guess if you've let it go for 5 months, it's a little late now to try to change anything. Your local manager should have followed up and you could have stated your expectations more forcefully. You do have rights as an employee. It's in a company's best interest, and probably the law, to provide appropriate working conditions. I don't know your local laws, but it sounds like there are enough people in your work place that are either unwilling to comment about work conditions or have no clue about lawful working conditions.

[marbel]

14 minutes ago, wintermom said:

I guess if you've let it go for 5 months, it's a little late now to try to change anything. Your local manager should have followed up and you could have stated your expectations more forcefully. You do have rights as an employee. It's in a company's best interest, and probably the law, to provide appropriate working conditions. I don't know your local laws, but it sounds like there are enough people in your work place that are either unwilling to comment about work conditions or have no clue about lawful working conditions.

Well, there is water available. It's not super convenient and it doesn't taste good to me (others seem to have no problem drinking it), but it is available.  So there is no law-breaking going on here. It would do me no good as a new employee to keep asking about it.  It was disappointing but it doesn't create an unlawful working condition. 

From many of the posts, it sounds as if my conditions are not unusual.  It's not what I was used to but my main experience was 20 years ago in a highly successful high-tech firm in Silicon Valley in the 90s, which may not be the most realistic situation to compare from. 🙂

Edited January 27, 2019 by marbel

[KungFuPanda]

I’m very low maintenance. I need working bathroom facilities, clean tap water, a place to store my purse and cooler, a chair, and an outlet. 

[Lady Florida.]

Not counting high school and college jobs, the rest of my working life was as a teacher. In a profession like that I never expected any amenities and I was never disappointed by getting any amenities. 😂