Do you get free company products where you work?

I work tech support for the university. I don’t really get free products, but sometimes my bosses will give out industry swag during our monthly training sessions. I also hear about new network services faster – of course, so does everyone else that works for IT.

If I ever turn this into a salaried position in IT at the university, I could take work-related courses with the approval of my boss. Not sure of the limit, but I think it’s 6 credit-hours’ worth.

When I first worked for the Bell System, I got nothing. After divestiture, when there was competition in long distance, we got I think the first $50 of long distance free and 50% of the next $50, or something like that. We also got discounts in phone stores. Where I work now, a computer maker, I get nothing. I got T shirts during the bubble. :slight_smile:

My wife used to be quality control director of a vegetable cannery. They had to open cans for samples, and she got to take home large buckets of beans. Good beans, but still.

I work at the corporate headquarters for a retailer (actually, it was mentioned somewhere above) and I get some free stuff from vendors, some company labelled stuff, and store discounts. They also have a deal with a bunch of other retailers where I get discounts from them, too, I don’t know how that works.

I work for a local government agency. They won’t even let me take home an empty cardboard box for moving.

I work for a newspaper. I get a free newspaper subscription and free classifieds advertisements, and half off paid obituaries.

I like it better when I work through the media network - all kinds of free gadgets and video games to review. :smiley:

Also, I get a lot of free swag when I work conventions as a stage hand, but that’s more from the vendors than from my employer.

~Tasha

Every ski industry job I’ve held came with a free ski pass. Which was pretty much the whole reason I started working in the ski industry in the first place. As for my current job, I have no need for medical malpractice insurance, and it’s so hard to re-gift.

I am not an employee of Google, but my contract work as a Google Answers Researcher has garnered me some neat Google merchandise. As bonuses, I’ve received t-shirts, a wristwatch, a cap, a blanket, a mousepad, a CD caddy, a beach towel, a caller-ID display, an umbrella with a lighted handle, and a Lava Lamp (all bearing the Google logo).

I work in a museum.

Occasionally a donor will drop off a box of “junk”* and tell us if we don’t want it, throw it out. When they don’t want to add it to the collection, they let anyone who wants it take it home. I’ve gotten some really cool old newspapers and a lovely set of six lace curtains that way.

  • My curator jokes that we should add the slogan, We’re half of the distance to the dump! to our sign.

I work in a dermatology office, and I get all kinds of swag. Lotions, creams (cosmetic and medical), shampoo, conditioner, soap, laundry detergent, anti-fungals and antibacterials, acne medications, office visits, surgical excisions of moles or skin cancer or what have you, laser treatments on red things, all that stuff and much more is free. Discounted are Intense Pulsed Light treatments, which can help with a variety of cosmetic skin problems and permanent hair removal.

From drug reps come pens, note pads, mouse pads, clocks, snacks (our office doesn’t permit meals from them but my old office had free lunches 3 days a week), trade-size bottles of lotions, etc., t-shirts, hats, socks, chapstick, and whatever else they have in their bags for us.

Yep, 3 cases of beer a month. And a fourth case the month of your birthday. You would think that I would have cases of beer stacked 12 deep in the basement, but somehow my friends help to keep me from having that problem.

New goal: get job at brewery.