Microsoft brings back the towels

Two years after it took the axe to a range of employee benefits, Microsoft is introducing new perks for its staff.

The scheme, known as myMicrosoft, was unveiled to the Redmond masses this week.

According to a Microsoft spokesman, the HR team at Microsoft "spent a great deal of time over the past year gathering employee feedback from all over the world about their experiences at Microsoft. The feedback was instrumental in helping shape the new myMicrosoft programme".

Among the new incentives are a management development programme to boost managers' training, more investment in the staff share scheme and a career model framework to apply to all Microsoft employees globally.

As part of the programme, Microsoft is promising Redmondites a greater emphasis on a nicer working environment.

Microsoft has introduced other 'lifestyle' type services for its staff, including laundry, dry cleaning and grocery delivery - although it won't actually be stumping up for the services itself, just giving staff on-site access to them.

The company also revealed "the towels are back", referring to the popular towel laundering service for sweaty staff washing at work after exercising or cycling in to campus, which was axed in a benefits cull in 2004.

The cutbacks followed a call by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer for the software giant to make $1bn of cuts - and warned that even Microsoft's free soda policy was under review.

Now, after a series of high-profile defections, most notably Kai-Fu Lee to Google, as well as security exec Gordon Mangione, who is taking some time off, Microsoft is coming over all warm and fuzzy.

It's still got some way to go, though, to rival the alleged charms of the Californian GooglePlex, which has its own doctors, child day care centres and free gourmet meals at one of the four themed dining areas on campus.