Tag Archives: Forbes

Closing the deal

I am self-employed. I’m my own boss.

So do I complain to me that my company doesn’t offer outrageous perks to keep me on the payroll?

Even in these tough times, employers are getting more and more creative in the perks they offer to attract — and keep — top talent.

Remember when we used to get excited about free soda in the break room?  Child’s play.

Take a look at some of the fun stuff that CNN & Forbes report is out there now:

  • Abercrombie & Fitch offers employees electric scooters to travel around the corporate campus.
  • Google offers employees free breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks at 16 gourmet cafes on its campus.
  • American Century Investments covers employee adoption expenses and fertility treatments up to $10,000 per year.
  • Cliff Bar has a 40-foot bouldering wall, fitness center, dance studio, two massage rooms and a staff of certified trainers and nutritionists.
  • S.C. Johnson gives retired employees lifetime memberships in its fitness center.
  • Smucker grants employees a 100 percent college tuition reimbursement, with no ceiling.
  • Genentech sends ergonomics specialists to examine employees’ work desk and gear.

Wow.

Well…there’s always Diet Snapple in my frig!

That’s rich

You learn something new every day.  I know I do.

Take Forbes.com.

When I think of Forbes, I think of lists — lots of ‘em, all about money and investing.  The best colleges to attend to get a job.  The best companies to work for.  The best investments that money can buy.

Basically, they know a lot more about money than I ever will…and probably take it more seriously.  That’s it — I think of them as being serious.

Well, when I’m wrong, I’m wrong.

Turns out Forbes.com has a sense of humor.  In fact, they have an entire “Fictional” section of their website.  Fictional lists.  Fictional interviews.  Still in their wheelhouse of jobs and money, but purely imaginary.

Their latest is “The Forbes Fictional 15” — a list of the wealthiest fictional characters, based on info gleaned from the source material and valued against real-world commodity and share price movements.

They update the list every year — how have I missed this — and the 2011 collection includes characters old and new.  For example, Russell Brand’s new version of Arthur Bach came in at #10, but Beverly Hillbilly Jed Clampett is still holding strong at #5.

And who’s Number #1, you ask?

Well, last year’s t0p dog, Dr. Carlisle Cullen, the patriarch of the Twilight film saga, slipped to #2.  (Bella’s getting married; no doubt vampire weddings cost a pretty penny.)  Which means our new number one is an oldie-but-goodie…

Scrooge McDuck, estimated by Forbes.com to have a net worth of $44.1 Billion.

This fictional character biz appears to pay pretty well.  Wonder what ya gotta do to get that gig?