Although budget tightening has forced many companies to cut back health-care and other job benefits, some firms find they have to offer ever more inventive perks to attract and retain the best employees. They're serving up everything from free food and on-site dry cleaning to discounted pet insurance and medical coverage for aging parents. --By Jeremy Caplan

WELLNESS FOR WORKERS

Employers' health-care costs rose an average 12% last year. To stem the growth of medical payouts, firms increasingly focus on keeping workers healthy. "Companies prefer action rather than reaction," says Dallas Salisbury, CEO of the Employee Benefit Research Institute. "They're using more and more triggers, bribes, gimmicks and penalties to promote wellness offerings." Two-thirds provide such benefits. Some hand out pedometers to encourage workers to walk more. Others help with yoga instruction, massage and meditation. And many extend insurance discounts for employees who take smoking-cessation classes.

CLOTHES, CHORES AND FREE CHOW

To keep valuable workers busily engaged, employers are constantly upgrading services for handling errands at the office. More than 1 in 5 of the largest companies in a national Hewitt Associates survey said they make dry-cleaning or laundry services available at work, and nearly a quarter provide banking help. Some, like Google, serve free meals, and others arrange for entertainment discounts, shoe repair, cell-phone bargains and on-site film developing. Other perks popping up: adoption benefits, homeowner's insurance, parenting seminars and voter registration.

CARING FOR KIDS, PETS AND PARENTS

Child care is, of course, critical for working moms and dads, but now companies are paying increasing attention to other family members. About 1 out of 3 large companies offer elder-care assistance, with IBM helping lead the way. Many provide counseling, workshops and flexible-spending accounts for caregiving services, while others contract with referral services.

Paternal leave is slowly starting to pick up, with 16% of companies furnishing paid time off for dads who want to stay home with their kids. Many others allow unpaid leaves. And big businesses aren't forgetting our furry friends: 4% offer pet insurance. Some even supply concierge help for finding a dog walker.

BEYOND THE BOTTOM LINE

73% of large companies reimburse employees for education, according to a national survey by Hewitt Associates. • Government employers offer the highest overall level of benefits, a Mercer HR Consulting study found, retailers and wholesalers offer the lowest. • General Mills employees can buy gas and get auto servicing at company headquarters in Golden Valley, Minn.