Perks and benefits

Working isn’t merely putting your head down in front of your computer, jotting down a few lines of code, or moving a few pixels on Figma, and then heading off. As you know, we value our Culture and your wellbeing a lot. All we want is for your work not to be a worry in your life, but rather to make Significa a place you enjoy spending time at, worry-free.

We’ve lined up a comprehensive set of benefits that range from alternative compensation models to office perks you can enjoy. This list will forever be unfinished as we’re always keen to add more perks to improve your benefit pool. If you have any ideas, let us know.

All our perks and benefits are available to everyone. Yes, part-time employees and IFP interns, too.

Welcome pack

Welcome aboard! On your first day, you’ll unwrap your journey at Significa with your Welcome Pack, a bundle full of cool treats, such as AirPod Pros, Significa key rings, a notebook, socks, a T-shirt, and a sweater, all neatly shoved in a Significa tote bag. You'll also get your laptop, which is yours to use, as you wish, in or outside of work.

Flexible hours and location

We are an Office-first team, but we want to provide you with a balanced, healthy work and life blend. Thus naturally, you have the freedom to work in the office or from wherever you wish, at your discretion and preference.

We have an entire section of this Handbook spent on Working hours and location, which you should definitely read. But wait! Not now. Wait until you finish this page.

Unlimited learning stipend

We don’t want to be the barricade that stops your personal growth and development. Quite the opposite, actually. We encourage personal growth and we cover the costs of any course or learning opportunities you mind chasing (once you’ve completed your probation period).

Want to attend a conference in Copenhagen? Dare to learn the Istro-Romanian language? Eager to become a PHP developer? Useless, but you go, girl!

In any case, we've got you covered. Oh, we also have an entire section about Personal development. Worth reading, if you ask me.

All the equipment you need

Anything and everything you need to excel in your life at Significa. Do you work better at altitude while climbing the Himalayas, thus needing a pocket router? Go for it. Feel free to request your DW Portable 4G/5G Wireless LTE Pocket Router, 150Mbps with a 2100mAh battery.

Don’t ask how we know this.

Career plan and growth

We are a team of a few tens of people, which means you won’t find a steep hierarchical ladder to climb on. However, we’ll work with you to help you get better at what you do every day. We’ll help you set your goals, define your career plan, guide your personal development, and establish your career milestones and ambitions.

There’s an entire section of this Handbook dedicated to career plans, team and payment grades, which you can find at Career path.

Annual company retreat

If you ask me, this may very well be the reason most people still work here. It’s the expectation for this once-a-year event that keeps folks around, is it not? The cook-off, the relaxation, the pranks, the games, and the general revelry that goes around.

We encourage you to leave your MacBook at home and your phone on the side during these four sacred days. Work and phubbing are despised during these days.

Health insurance

Health always comes second! The retreat comes first. We joke, but we are pretty pleased with our comprehensive health insurance package, it even includes your visits to the dentist, too!

Oh, and it's not just you who benefits from it, we offer health insurance for your kids if you’ve got them, too. We know waiting 12 hours in the ER to find out your kid’s got nothing but a common virus is a pain in your assiduous duty as a parent. Ah, got you!

Public transport subsidy

We encourage green travel. In other words, we love vehicles painted in green. They are beautiful, remind us of the green valleys of Switzer… Oh, wait, that's not it, I'm being told!

Yeah, right. We encourage the use of public transportation, and that’s why we are proud to reimburse your commuting costs. You are entitled to a maximum of 40€ transport subsidy.

Get your payment receipt and submit it as an expense, so you’ll get refunded the amount when your salary lands in your account.

For those who live further away and still want to come to the office frequently, please contact Catarina so we can help you come by public transport rather than by car. #savetheplanet

Gym membership

Healthy body, healthy mind. With a gym across the street from our office, you can make the most of every office day to stay fit and healthy. If you want to take advantage of this offer, please contact Catarina, and we will enrol you.

25 vacation days

Legally, we are forced to give you 22 days, they say rest and recovery are very important for your health. So, there are those 22 days, but then we added 3 extra ones: your birthday, the 24th and the 31st of December. You can read all about it in yet another section of this Handbook, quite accurately named Holidays and time-off.

1 extra vacation day per year at Significa

Enjoyed the 25 days off? It doesn’t end there. As a token of gratitude for your longevity at Significa, we offer 1 extra vacation day per each year of your dedication to the company, retroactively starting from your second year.

It is capped at 8 days, but at the end of those 8 years, you’ll have a minimum of 30 days off. Not too shabby at all.

This is all explained at Holidays and time-off.

Baby kit

Are you keen to benefit from your children’s health insurance, but you still haven’t got any young'uns of your own? Worry not, because if you plan on making your family bigger, we’ll help you with a baby box full of goodies and treats to ease the challenges of this new journey in your life.

Referral bonus programme

Refer a buddy to Significa, and if they’re hired, you’ll receive an immediate bonus of 1000€. No strings attached, just a nifty check! And on top of that, if you’re both here 2 years later, you’ll get a further 1000€.

Yet more to be found in another section of this Handbook, accurately called Referral program.

Period leave

All women at Significa who suffer from period pains are entitled to 1 day per month for period leave - without losing any vacation days. That’s it.

Further reading at Leaves.

Support structures

We’ve partnered with Pulso to offer 24/7 support for you and your family regarding anything and everything you may need. Their offer includes legal, fiscal, nutritional, and mental health support, which you can use 100% discretely.

More about Pulso and other health-related matters in yet another section of this Handbook, Support hub.

Headspace

Headspace has been scientifically proven to help with sleep, managing stress, meditation and mindfulness. In other words, stuff that helps you feel your best self.

And no, this is not an Ad. We've got an account for you if you want.

Volunteer support

If, in your free time, you go above and beyond to serve your community or support a cause you are passionate about, we salute you! And support you.

We are excited to offer pro bono work for NGOs our team members volunteer with. Your NGO must be a registered organisation in Portugal or abroad. Oh, and you can also volunteer for your organisation for three days across the year. Yep, that's three days of paid time off to do good things.

Tech for good

Know that your work benefits beyond Significa. Significa is a certified 1% for the Planet member.

This means that your work directly supports environmental NGOs, positively impacting people and the planet. Read up on this at 1% for the Planet.

Our office culture

Things happen in the office due to our Office-first policy. Here’s what you get if you hang around Rua da Torrinha 154, Porto.

• Kick back on our beautiful terrace and enjoy those warm summer lunchtimes and evenings. Equipped with a barbecue, we frequently make good use of it and feast everyone with a yummy, sizzling lunch for everyone.

• Grab all the coffee, soup, fruits, chocolates, and plenty of other snacks you can have at any time of day. Oh, and the fridge is always packed with cold beer.

• Develop your lunch-time rivalries with your mates, making use of our extensive board-game collection or our PS5.

• Explore our extensive book collection, take a book home and share recommendations with others. If you want a book, let us know, and we’ll soon have it on the shelf for you.

• Give us feedback on how we can improve our office, culture, working processes, anything really! Your feedback is welcomed and always valued.

• Hang out with the other team members together. Whether that be go-karting, rock-climbing, movie nights, escape rooms, padel, having beers somewhere, dinners… there is never long to wait until the next team event.