Employee perks, often referred to as fringe benefits, are non-wage offerings given to employees that extend beyond salaries and benefits (like health insurance, dental, vision, etc.).Perks are ways to support the employees beyond the standard salary and benefits and include purchasable, programmatic, and environmental perks. Purchasable perks include catered lunches, books, fitness stipends, pet insurance and student loan forgiveness. Programmatic perks are policy-driven advantages to working at a company such as remote work opportunities, being pet-friendly, or offering Summer Fridays. Environmental perks are the ways in which you set up your office including meditation rooms, slides, and the overall space.What perks are not:Perks are not health care, dental, or vision package.Perks are not essential company hygiene factors like mission, vision, values, fair pay, or a strong/ethical team.Perks are not equivalent to company culture, but rather a component of it.And while it's really great if you work close to where you live, it wouldn’t be considered an employee perk. Read full definitions of compensation, salary, benefits, perks, perk stipends, and more here.