You Won’t Believe What Apple’s Holiday Bonus Is This Year

Tech companies are known for having some of the most mind-blowing perks around, so you might think that when it comes to holiday bonuses, they'd be just as innovative. But that's simply not the case. Fortune reports that this year, Apple will be giving all employees the gift of music. Confused? We'll explain. Along with a complimentary nine-month subscription to Apple Music, the company's recently launched streaming service, the tech giant is gifting staffers a free pair of urBeats headphones — for a combined value of around $190. Last year, it gave out customized InCase backpacks, so in theory this is an upgrade. But, it's also a little self-serving. As Fortune points out, hooking up 66,000 U.S.-based employees with access to Apple Music could potentially be great for word of mouth, which the company desperately needs in order to compete with Spotify. To be clear, Apple isn't the only tech giant doling out underwhelming holiday bonuses. According to Fortune, employees at Google will receive a free Nexus 5X Android smartphone (approximate retail value: $329). While we think it's always nice to receive free swag, frankly, we'd rather have the money — like back in the good old days — wouldn't you? Or, how about an 18-karat Rose Gold Apple Watch Edition?