fringe benefit

American  

noun

1. any of various benefits, as free life or health insurance, paid holidays, a pension, etc., received by an employee in addition to regular pay.

---

fringe benefit British  

noun

1. an incidental or additional advantage, esp a benefit provided by an employer to supplement an employee's regular pay, such as a pension, company car, luncheon vouchers, etc

---

fringe benefit Cultural  

1. A payment to a worker in addition to salary or wages. It may take the form of cash, goods, or services, and may include such items as health insurance, pension plans, and paid vacations.

---

Etymology

Origin of fringe benefit

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

That relentless pressure from an organized working class “raised real wages and created a set of fringe benefits, including health insurance and retirement pay,” he says.

From The Wall Street Journal

Workers would likely have to pay income tax on the fair market value of the fringe benefits they receive unless their employers decide to cover some or all of the tax burden.

From Salon

One is that it applies only to wages, tips, bonuses, commissions, and some fringe benefits — generally, almost anything that appears on the annual W-2 forms workers receive from their employers.

From Los Angeles Times

Finally, unions tend to provide fringe benefits such as health insurance, paid sick days, vacation days, and retirement plans.

From Salon

Not only did that survey find no job losses, but it also debunked claims or conjectures from minimum-wage critics that the increase would show up as reductions in hours or fringe benefits.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• compensation package
• perk
• perquisite