According to the Hartford Business Journal, the work benies and perks of yester-yore are well on their way out. With the economy looking, ummm, a bit grim, they note, "lavish perks like country club memberships, pet insurance and free Lady Gaga concert tickets won’t be making a comeback any time soon."

Though on the serious side (for those of us who've never received those sorts of perks), the effects are being felt in the 401K and health insurance departments as well.

But, alas, there is a silver lining: Flexibility.

Says the author of the article, Becky Bergman, "Even in a depressed job market, benefits play a crucial role when it comes to recruiting top talent and maintaining worker productivity. Among the common, inexpensive perks are those that promote work-life balance and cheaper rates for insurance, event tickets and merchandise..."

The article does go on to explain that flexibility in the workplace is helpful for the employee who has childcare issues or a sick parent or other obligations, but it's a little odd to have something as life impactful as workplace flex lumped in with event tickets! Right?

We understand that companies offering flexible options absolutely benefit their bottomlines, there is no question.

• Healthier, happier employees do better work and make fewer errors.
• Employees that know how to telework or work virtually make it possible to keep things running when the office air conditioning breaks on a 100 degree day or when there's a snow storm.
• Less office space is needed and real estate fees diminish.
• And so much more.

The benefits to the employees themselves range from health to satisfaction to motivation to life balance and beyond. So even while certain perks are being lost, the flexible perk solution is a win/win - and a critical one - for both sides.

Still, it's sort of a double-edged sword, I suppose. Now we have the flexibility to really live our lives...but, alas, nothing to do with our new found 'free time' because, well, we lost our membership to the country club.