Planit's sleek orange floors in the lobby lead to a sweeping view of Baltimore's Inner Harbor. The trendy-looking bar table in front of a gigantic refrigerator is filled with beer, wine, energy drinks and other beverages. A few short steps deeper into the 15,000-foot-space reveals colorful art, funky chairs, a slew of gumball machines filled with a mix of candies, a pool table, a couple of guitars and a ukulele.
Planit isn't a swanky lounge. It's an advertising and marketing agency. And while the workplace — especially in these tough economic times — might not conjure images of lively happy hours, flip cup and pool tournaments, Planit, and a number of area businesses, continue to provide free perks and discounted benefits to workers. The employees love the treats. And management says that the extras help foster a productive environment that thwarts turnover.
"It helps work morale," said Brent Hoffman, a Web designer for Planit. "A lot of us work late hours. When you spend a lot of your life in the office, it helps to have fun things to do. It makes people more relaxed."
Companies throughout the region such as Under Armour, a sports apparel maker, gkv, a communications agency, PayPal, the e-commerce giant that maintains offices in Hunt Valley and Timonium, have perks such as: farmers' markets for employees, on-site concierge service, access to box seats at Ravens games and periodic happy hours on the company's roof top deck.
And these Baltimore workplaces aren't unique. Companies across the country roll out the red carpet for employees. In Arizona, one company's CEO rewards the employee of the month with his parking space and car — a Maserati — for the month, according to Marcia Rhodes, spokeswoman for WorldatWork, a global HR association, which has offices in Scottsdale, Ariz., and Washington.
Google is considered the creme de la creme of employee perks. It gives employees with a newborn $500 a month for takeout food; employees can bring pets to work, there's also an onsite dry cleaner and doctors, a gym and a gourmet cafeteria.
"When everyone looks to perks they look to Google," Rhodes said.
Rhodes says she's not surprised that a number of companies continue to offer perks despite the current economic climate.
"With all the pay cuts, freezes and layoffs, employers can't give pay raises," she said. "They have to give [employees] reasons to remain motivated and engaged. If you can't get them motivated it is not good for business. Employers are coming up with ways to motivate the employees that they do have."
Rhodes' company just released results of a survey that shows that 60 percent of employees plan to pursue new job opportunities if the economy improves this year.
"That is why employers are doing all they can to maintain their employer brands," Rhodes said. "When times get tough that is when their true colors come out."
With 890 employees at its Baltimore location, Under Armour is one of the region's larger businesses to offer such widespread, lavish perks.
The sports apparel company offers a discounted membership to its state-of-the art Combine Training Center. Meals are also discounted at the newly opened Humble and Hungry Cafe where employees are served specialty foods such as gluten-free pizza, bison burgers and sushi.
On "Sweet Treat Thursday" the company foots the bill for desserts including ice cream, snowballs and smoothies. During the World Cup, employees watched games in the cafeteria — and when games involved the U.S., the company provided food.
The company also offers a concierge service for everything from discounted tickets to concerts and sporting events to restaurant reservations.
"It is a true concierge service," said Melissa Wallace, senior vice president of talent for the company.
Twice a year the company hosts an Armour Day celebration — think super-sized pep rally — that culminates with free tickets for all employees to a game at Camden Yards.
Once a week the company hosts a farmers' market where local food and produce are sold. Employees who volunteer for a day receive a day off work in exchange. Under Armour encourages a casual dress code every day.
"Our brand is certainly the biggest attraction of what we have," said Wallace. "It provides inspiration, enthusiasm and excitement. It separates us from our competition. This [the perks] puts the cherry on the whipped cream."
The benefit to the companies, including Under Armour: a low turnover rate.
"I don't know of as many businesses our size who can make the same claim," Wallace said of her company's turnover rate of less than 10 percent.
At PayPal's Hunt Valley office, the company's 400 employees benefited from a spontaneous perk two weeks ago when the company brought in a Good Humor ice cream truck and let the workers chow down. PayPal workers in Hunt Valley are treated to weekly farmers' market type sales, free yoga lessons, reduced price membership to Maryland Athletic Club and Ravens box seats. Meals are often provided, and free sodas, coffee and tea are everyday fixtures. The office has a number of lounges outfitted with comfy seating, club tables, couches. Employees look forward to annual Halloween parties and picnics, where families are also invited.
The fact that many of the perks revolve around family is a perk in and of itself, according to Sara Parker, a spokesperson for PayPal, a national e-commerce company that allows for online transactions and payments.
"I think what is wonderful is that we are a very family friendly environment," Parker said. "This is really important. You are able to bring our children to a Halloween event or a family picnic. That does wonders for morale. Even our colleagues without children get involved in decorating the department and giving the kids candy. For those of us who juggle family and work, it is wonderful."
At some companies, perks are interwoven into everyday job duties.
The music division of the Rams Head Group, based in Annapolis, might have some of the best perks a live music lover could want.
Besides all the free concerts, employees regularly rub shoulders with major musical acts such as Snoop Dogg, the Goo Goo Dolls, Adam Lambert, Drake and Timbaland.
"The concerts are more than enough for enough of us," said Sarah Sample, marketing director for Rams head Live and Pier Six Pavilion. "Access to these shows is all that we really want."
The concerts are not restricted to Rams Head Live and Pier Six Pavilion. Employees can basically get tickets to virtually any other venue in the region through their contacts.
"There is always someone with tickets to something," Sample said.
gkv, a communications company based in Baltimore, is one of the region's older businesses to consistently offer perks.
Besides a ping pong table, CD jukebox, popcorn machine and periodic happy hours on the company's rooftop deck, it pays for in-office wedding and baby showers, and tacks on extra days off around Christmas and Thanksgiving.
The agency is also known for its annual Halloween party where clients, employees and the families of employees are invited for a day of candy, food and beverages. In fact, the company opened its doors the Halloween of 1981.
gkv's chairman and CEO, Roger Gray, has surprised employees in the past with a trip to Pimlico where each employee was given $100. [The employee who won the most money was given an additional $1,000.] Two years ago, Gray gave each employee a $200 gas card to offset rising gas prices.
"You need to have times throughout the week for people to have fun and relax," said Gray, who also accepts suggestions by employees for companywide perks. "We try to be supportive as much as possible."
The Planit perks, many of which can be traced to the company's launch 16 years ago, are tied to the co-founders desire to have fun in the workplace.
"It's a very hard place to work — it's intense and there are long hours," explained Ed Callahan, co-founder and creative strategist for Planit. "We try to build a very collaborative environment from the top down. We are not these ivory tower executives."
Callahan is standing near the office's computer server room, which also serves as a wine cooler refrigerator. Nearby, the office's break room is adorned with large posters of employees dressed in elaborate Halloween costumes. The company rewards costume contest winners with additional paid days off.
"People want to come work here," Callahan said. "We typically don't ever use a head hunter."
The perks in Baltimore are among the most distinctive Rhodes has heard of nationwide — especially Planit's stocked refrigerator and in the office happy hour culture.
"I find that so unusual," she said with a laugh.
While Rhodes can appreciate the effort, she warns employers about offering perks.
"When you give those perks, it is hard to take it away," she said. "Employees get used to it."
john-john.williams@baltsun.com