5 Companies With the Best Benefits

Qualcomm's San Diego headquarters has an on-site fitness center, and medical and dental clinic, and also hosts a farmer's market. "Learn to" programs give employees the chance to try scuba diving and surfing, and team-building adventure outings get employees to bond outside the office.

As an added bonus, full-time employees who purchase wireless devices containing a Qualcomm chipset (such as a Kindle or laptop) can get part of the cost covered. Think of it as a high-tech employee discount.

The Retailer: Whole Foods

True to its holistic vision, Whole Foods makes employees a central part of the company's mission and success. That commitment comes from the very top: a salary cap limits the company's top earner to 19 times the salary of an average worker.

Rather than the usual profit sharing, Whole Foods has "Gainsharing," a program that bases rewards on factors that front-line service workers can control, such as improving customer service and productivity. Stock options aren't limited to upper management. The majority are granted to non-executive-level employees. And a 20% merchandise discount keeps employees eating healthy.

The Consumer Products Giant: General Mills

Training is a priority at this food-industry powerhouse. The in-house General Mills Institute tailors programs to employees' needs and experience levels, from an executive-led introduction to the company's values and functional areas, to support for newly appointed managers.

But you're not expected to make work your entire life: New employees get three weeks of vacation to start. Family-friendly policies abound, from the two weeks of paid leave granted to new fathers, to flexible work schedules, to adoption expense reimbursements of up to $10,000.

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