Costco Employees Don't Get This Common Retail Perk

If you do your shopping at Costco, then you already know about a few of benefits that come along with membership. From shopping aisles stocked with discounted bulk items, stopping for cheaper gas for your car, obtaining hefty rewards, and gaining access to a plethora of special perks outside of the store, it goes far beyond a mere shopping membership. With upwards of 119 million cardholders, it's no surprise why a lot of people are jumping on the Costco train (via Costco).

Meanwhile, employees get some pretty sweet perks as well. Working at a grocery store might not seem like the most glamorous profession, but Costco offers up some pretty decent perks to its workers. According to Comparably, Costco even won two awards in 2022 for "Best Company Perks & Benefits" and "Best Places To Work In Seattle." Clearly the company is doing something right. There's one perk in particular that really sweetens the deal of working at the famed warehouse supplier.

While Costco employees might get some unusual perks, it might be directly related to the fact that, unlike other retailers, they don't get a discount for working for the big box chain. According to a Costco worker who spoke to Mental Floss, employees don't actually get any shopping discounts simply by working at the warehouse giant. Instead, they get special hours to do their shopping before or after the public is allowed in the store. This may be a bigger deal than you first think, considering grocery shopping in a Costco location can get overwhelming when dealing with hundreds of other customers.

According to Reddit, Costco employees in Canada were also offered specific days when they could get their shopping done before the store opened (though other commenters noted that this perk was offered on a warehouse-by-warehouse basis). In the two hours before their store opens, employees at this particular Costco are able to get their hands on what's likely to be a fully stocked inventory of products before they open the doors to the public, giving them more options to pick from.

Costco employees have the opportunity of enjoying a few other perks beyond those special shopping hours. Costco also gives long-term employees bonuses two times a year, as per the Costco website. The company also offers affordable health care coverage for both full-time and part-time employees, alongside retirement plans boosted by employer contributions, paid vacation and sick leave policies, and life insurance policies, among other benefits. Costco claims that those benefits have contributed to its above-average employee retention rate.

Additionally, according to one Costco employee on Quora, workers receive four free membership cards which they can use for themselves and hand out to friends and family. After working for 25 years, retired employees also reportedly receive a lifetime membership card.

And how about a free turkey for Thanksgiving? According to Costco employees on Reddit, employees are often given vouchers for a free turkey every Thanksgiving. Given the intense work environment around the holidays, this is a major perk for sure.