Free Food Perks

I just started (two days ago) at a company that not only provides free drinks (soda, coffee, tea) and snacks ($10 credit per week for the vending machines), but they cater lunch from a local restaurant every day. If you don't want what is being served that day, you have a $10 daily credit that can be used at a local deli sandwich shop (and have it delivered).I accepted the job without hesitation even though it's a tiny pay cut over what I was making previously. "little things

Yes the company legendarily known for providing so many amenities its staff don't really need to leave the office is doing this to save a few bucks.

Not if their company provides free food/beer.

Just give me money so I can spend it how I want to, free perks at work aren't actually free

Also they offer:>Hot meals prepared on site, free drinks, fruits and snacksYoung people are dumb and think of dinner at work as a perk, rather than a red flag that the company abuses its employees and steals their personal time.Why have friends and family when you can spend your nights and weekends at the office with your coworkers and manager?

I've worked at plenty of places with free snacks/drinks (some even considered enterprise), but never a place that had ping pong tables or relaxation pods, so casually introducing those to the argument is a tough sell and changes the context enough so that I don't think the rest of your point still stands. What are your thoughts on a more fitting comparison, such as snacks/drinks provided vs. BYO/vending machine/go to the store?

I regret scoffing at the very idea that Google had a slide in their office. Also thought it would never work to have free coffee, food, table tennis, etc in the workplace as the staff would just slack off. Today I take these perks very seriously and will see the lack of them as a potential concern for any new employer.

People are totally irrational about free soda/snacks. If you gave them a $50/month raise (to cover the cost of soda and snacks), they'd be offended. If you put out soda and snacks, well you're just the most awesome employer ever!

Companies don't offer perks out of the kindness of their hearts, they do so as an investment out of which they expect a greater return.The cost of things like "free food" is usually paid for with lower salaries, longer work hours or cuts to benefits. In other words, if the value of a perk is n, then the company offering that perk is extracting a greater than n value from their employees elsewhere, without compensation, or else passing the cost on to customers, or both.TANSTA

I worked for a big company that had this policy: "no free stuff, we just going to pay you top dollar and you can buy whatever you want" good, nobody complain. When they added free snacks I knew it was time to jump ship :P