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Best Places To Work

Taking the plunge at Chesapeake Energy

By
Christopher Tkaczyk
Christopher Tkaczyk
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By
Christopher Tkaczyk
Christopher Tkaczyk
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October 11, 2011, 9:00 AM ET

Some workplaces are sink or swim. At the Oklahoma City headquarters of Chesapeake Energy, employees have a third option: scuba.



FORTUNE — Even among perk-laden offices, Chesapeake Energy (CHK) is renowned for the dizzying array of extras offered at its headquarters: two basketball courts, three racquetball courts, an outdoor athletic field, a climbing wall, tanning beds, an Olympic-size swimming pool, and more. (Indeed, while Chesapeake co-founder and CEO Aubrey McClendon has been criticized for his pay package $21 million and brash tactics, no one would ever say he doesn’t know how to build a cushy workplace.) Employees and their families also get a 50% discount on scuba classes (normally $400), which include 10 hours each of classroom study and in-the-pool experience on nights and weekends, as well as an open-water dive at a nearby lake. The company also organizes social outings and excursions for its trained divers but the trip to Cozumel, Mexico, is an out-of-pocket expense.

100 Best Companies to Work For rank: 32
Headquarters : Oklahoma City
Employees: 12,060
Revenue: $9.3 billion
History: Founded in 1989 by Aubrey McClendon and Tom Ward with 10 employees and a $50,000 investment

This article is from the October 17, 2011 issue of Fortune.


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By Christopher Tkaczyk
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