Six of the Coolest, Greenest Work Perks

Free bikes and beer for employees. Time off to rock climb or do yoga. Paid sabbaticals. Sustainable practices. It’s absurd to think anyone can find dream jobs with perks like that, right? Wrong, believe it or not.

A growing number of companies across the country are discovering that eco-friendliness and happy, healthy employees can slash turnover, boost productivity, and improve the bottom line.

Check out the six greatest work policies we’ve found, all at green companies that give back.

1. Bikes and Beer
New Belgium Brewing Company (Fort Collins, Colorado)
Play time is on tap at this eco-conscious beer maker, which gives free cruiser bikes to employees after one year on the job.

Staffers enjoy an on-site climbing wall, yoga classes, and a 50-acre cyclo-cross track (for racing and carrying bikes over obstacles). A flexible schedule lets them get their work done, then work out.

The brewery uses wind power, conserves water, runs trucks on biodiesel, and belongs to 1 percent for the planet (donating one percent of revenue to environmental organizations). Oh, yeah, you get to sip Fat Tire after work, too.

2. Hybrid Help and Surfing
Patagonia (Ventura, California)
Employees of this maverick retailer find their bliss while bringing in the bacon. Staffers can check surf conditions on a white board above the reception desk and catch waves at the nearby beach.

Founder Yvon Chouinard—author of the green-business primer Let My People Go Surfing—wouldn’t have it any other way.

Patagonia, an outdoor clothing and gear maker, is renowned for its responsibility to the planet. Employees get a $2,500 incentive for driving a hybrid or bio-diesel vehicle. The company runs on renewable energy, reuses materials, and even encourages customers to return worn out garments for recycling.