• Odds are, you're not going to get along perfectly with every single one of your coworkers.
• But sometimes, you'll run into a colleague who just seems to have it out for you.
• Signs your coworkers secretly hate you include never maintaining eye contact with you and always excluding you from office banter.

Haters are going to hate, right?

In our personal lives, it's easier to dismiss people who don't like us. But at work, being widely disliked can pose a larger problem.

Lynn Taylor, a national workplace expert and the author of "Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job," said:

"Most coworkers won't overtly show their disdain for you so as not to cause trouble or jeopardize their own careers. They may make life difficult for you, but they'll probably try to stay under the radar. Still, there are subtle red flags that they're not out for your best interests."

You'll want to know those signs, says Taylor, so you can spot them when they're present and turn things around before it's too late.

"Of course, it's impossible to be liked by everyone in the office," she said.

But you should always strive to be sensitive to the needs of your fellow coworkers, remain upbeat and friendly, communicate openly, and give colleagues the benefit of the doubt.

"Those who do this have a far brighter career future," she said. "Plus, when [we] have strong, healthy workplace relationships, you will be more effective and accomplished in your job."

Michael Kerr, an international business speaker and author of "The Humor Advantage," agreed.

"When your coworkers like you, everything becomes easier," he said. "People have your back when you need it the most, you can ask for and get favors more easily, people will volunteer to help in times of need, and you can get far better cooperation even across departments."

Being well-liked will boost your morale, which in turn will make you more productive, focused, creative, and successful in everything you do, he said.

Here are 22 subtle signs that your coworkers secretly hate you. But keep in mind that you may just be misreading their body language or tone — the workplace is certainly not immune to human misunderstanding and no one's a mind reader.

SEE ALSO: 11 signs someone is lying to you

DON'T MISS: 25 signs you have a terrible boss

Your gut tells you they don't like you

If you feel like your coworkers don't like you, then it could just be in your head, but it could also be true. If they treat you differently than everyone else, then you're probably not their favorite person. Trust your gut and continue looking for other signs if you have a strong feeling about this.

They don't smile when you're around

We're not talking about the occasional bad day or mood swing. If your coworkers make a conscious effort not to smile when you're in the room, then something isn't right.

They can't maintain eye contact with you

It's difficult to look someone straight in the eye when you don't like or respect them, says Taylor. If you notice that your colleagues avoid eye contact while speaking with you, then those are probably the reasons.

"They're afraid that you may be able to detect hostility, so the path of least resistance is for them to look away or avoid being around you wherever possible," Taylor said.

• Drinking just one extra glass of wine or pint of beer over the recommended weekly limit could cut life expectancy by 30 minutes.
• That's according to a major new international study published in The Lancet medical journal.
• The study found that the threshold for lowest risk of mortality was about 100g per week.
• That's just five standard 175ml glasses of wine or five pints a week.

Bad news for casual drinkers — just one extra glass of wine or beer over the recommended weekly limit could cut your life expectancy by 30 minutes, according to a major new study.

Published this week in The Lancet medical journal, the study looked at how alcohol consumption guidelines vary substantially across the globe.

In the US, the suggested limit for men is 196g per week — about 11 standard glasses of wine or pints of beer — while it's 98g per week for women.

Meanwhile, the guidelines are almost 50% higher in Italy, Portugal, and Spain, while in the UK they're almost 50% lower.

With the aim of helping to formulate an evidence-based alcohol policy, the study looked at individual-participant data from 83 long-term studies across 19 high-income countries in order to better define the alcohol thresholds associated with the lowest risk or mortality and cardiovascular disease.

599,912 drinkers with no previous cardiovascular disease were categorised into eight groups according to the amount of alcohol — in grams — they consumed per week.

The study then assessed alcohol consumption in relation to "all-cause mortality" and cardiovascular disease, as well as a number of subtypes.

It found that the threshold for lowest risk of mortality was about 100g per week — which works out at just five standard 175ml glasses of wine or five pints a week.

This is despite the fact that 50% of participants reported drinking more than 100g of alcohol per week, and 8·4% drank more than 350g per week.

Men who reported drinking less than 100g alcohol per week had about a 1–2 years longer life expectancy at age 40 than those who reported drinking 196g per week, while women who reported drinking above either the UK threshold (112g per week) or US threshold (98g per week) had about 1.3 years shorter life expectancy at age 40 than women who reported drinking below the thresholds.

The study found that drinking more than 100g per week raised the risk of stroke, fatal aneurysm, heart failure, and death.

The analysis also suggested that drinkers of beer or spirits, as well as binge drinkers, had the highest risk for mortality.

Risks 'comparable to smoking'

According to a leading scientist speaking to The Guardian, the risks for a 40-year-old drinking over the recommended daily limit were comparable to smoking.

"Above two units a day, the death rates steadily climb," said David Spiegelhalter, Winton Professor for the Public Understanding of Risk at the University of Cambridge.

"The paper estimates a 40-year-old drinking 4 units a day above the guidelines [the equivalent of drinking three glasses of wine in a night] has roughly two years' lower life expectancy, which is around a twentieth of their remaining life. This works out at about an hour per day. So it’s as if each unit above guidelines is taking, on average, about 15 minutes of life, about the same as a cigarette."

Tim Chico, professor of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Sheffield, said that the study "makes clear that on balance there are no health benefits from drinking alcohol, which is usually the case when things sound too good to be true," while Professor Jeremy Pearson, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, added that the study is "a serious wakeup call for many countries."

The study concluded: "These data support adoption of lower limits of alcohol consumption than are recommended in most current guidelines."

SEE ALSO: The 9 mistakes people make when buying, ordering, and drinking coffee — and what to do instead

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We are hiring a video-producing fellow for INSIDER, a publication that delivers stories to readers across digital platforms.

This fellowship position is based in our London office. The fellowship starts immediately and will run for six months. Fellows are encouraged to work full-time (40 hours a week).

The role includes editing and shooting short and insightful videos across a range of subjects, including food, travel, design, art, beauty, science, and more.

Video fellows work closely with reporters and editors to produce stories for a wide, general audience across the web and various social media platforms.

Candidates should know how to edit on Adobe Premiere and how to use Adobe After Effects and Photoshop, various types of audio and digital video equipment including Canon and Sony cameras, and how to shoot awesome video with their smartphones.

Our fellows are an integral part of our team. We seek out self-starters and people who are enthusiastic about collaborating with reporters, fellow producers, social media editors, and other team members.

At INSIDER, our motto is "Life is an adventure." We tell stories for, about, and by people who seize life. That means they love to travel, try new foods, listen to new music, and fight for what’s right — and they admire people who do the same. INSIDER is distributed across social media, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube, as well as on the web.

If this sounds like your dream job, apply here with a CV and cover letter telling us why you should be a video-editing fellow at INSIDER.

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NOW WATCH: What will happen when Earth's north and south poles flip

• Season two of "Westworld" is even better than season one.
• With more room to expand now that the world within the show has been established, there's more excitement, action, and character development.
• The second season puts women in charge of the story, which is the season's major strength so far.

Origin stories are hit or miss. And so are sequels.

Judging by the excellent season two of “Westworld” (HBO made the first five episodes available to the press), season one was just the beginning, serving mostly as an introduction to the infinite possibilities of what this show can be. While sticking to the structure of telling stories in various timelines, the action-packed second season defeats the sci-fi trope of using women as a narrative device to motivate male anti-heroes, by letting them take control the story (both within the show and within the parks).

The first season of the “Westworld,” which premiered on HBO in 2016, was a huge hit with critics and audiences. It quickly established itself as a worthy successor to “Game of Thrones,” generating millions of viewers each week and even more fan theories and critical analysis.

I enjoyed season one of “Westworld,” but didn’t love it. Beyond its cinematic look and incredible performances, particularly from Jeffrey Wright (Bernard), Evan Rachel Wood (Dolores), and Thandie Newton (Maeve), I was underwhelmed. It felt like a basic origin story with a lot of build-up to not much pay-off. Its season-long arc was more of an introduction than an immersion into this interesting world and complicated characters. But I tuned in because I looked forward to the potential expansion of that world and characters.

In season two, the show expands the story (and the way it's told) in even more ways than I imagined, particularly the scope of Delos and the filmmaking used to explore Bernard's memories. Having an audience that already understands this world allows the writers to minimize reliance on violence, sex, and classical piano covers of pop songs to draw us in. There’s still brutal violence, but it’s used more skillfully than in season one. And yes, this is “Westworld” so there is nudity, but it’s used just as sparingly as the violence. The same goes for piano covers of pop songs: Season one wasn’t the last time you’ll hear a piano play The Rolling Stones’ “Paint it Black.”

Between flashbacks that give us more insight on the experiences of hosts, humans, and the origins of the park; adventures featuring other worlds that I will not spoil for you; and revelations happening below the park at the Delos facility, season two delivers multiple arcs that will have fans theorizing away. But unlike season one, you’ll have no idea what’s coming.

While season one was a bit of a slow burn — using the repetitive days the hosts experience in early episodes to tell a larger story of the hosts’ journey to self-awareness — season two introduces a more rapid pace that’s more reminiscent of an action film than sci-fi.

Another sci-fi trope season two conquers is its treatment of women. For decades, women in sci-fi have been largely used as narrative devices: their deaths motivate a male anti-hero, or they’re sexualized for no true purpose. This was an obvious flaw in Netflix’s “Altered Carbon,” and is even present in “Blade Runner” and its recent sequel “Blade Runner 2049.” In season two, women including Dolores and Maeve seamlessly move the story forward while in positions of power that they earned on their own.

Season two of “Westworld” premieres on HBO Sunday, April 22 at p.m.

SEE ALSO: 'The Expanse' is a hit sci-fi TV show that critics say is the best since 'Battlestar Galactica'

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NOW WATCH: In 50 years we'll have 'robot angels' and will be able to merge our brains with AI, according to technology experts

• A 53-year-old man named Nicholas says he wasn't allowed to board a flight because his wife put the name 'Nick' on the booking.
• He booked the British Airways flight through a travel agent.
• BA says the flight was operated by Qatar Airways, so the airline wasn't able to make the change.

A British man named Nicholas wasn't able to board a flight because his boarding pass called him "Nick."

53-year-old Nick Meads told Bristol Live that he and his wife, 49-year-old Charlotte, had bought tickets for a March 27 British Airways flight from London Heathrow to Denpasar in Bali, Indonesia, where they planned to celebrate their wedding anniversary.

The couple, who have three children, paid £550 each for the tickets, booking through TravelUp agency — but Charlotte put her husbands nickname, "Nick," on the booking rather than his official name, Nicholas.

British Airways confirmed to Business Insider that the travel agent also booked Meads onto a flight operated by Qatar Airways, not BA.

Nick said he noticed the nickname error when the boarding passes arrived, and contacted TravelUp to make sure it wouldn't be a problem.

He said he was asked to send photographs of his passport as proof of identity to have his name changed by BA — but that the airline refused.

"I re-sent all the details and BA said it was nothing like the name," he said, adding that the airline said Nick and Nicholas were "completely different."

"It just seems illogical to me," he added. "I didn't know the policies."

He said he even asked the airline if he could buy another seat on the flight — at his own cost — but BA told him there were no tickets left unless he wanted to fork out for first class.

Instead, he said he was forced to pay £1,075 for another flight with Philippine Airlines — meaning Charlotte had to travel alone on her first ever long-haul flight.

Nick's 36-hour outbound journey involved a nine-hour layover in Manila, and his return was 12 hours later than Charlotte's.

He claims the situation was made even worse when Charlotte found out that her husband's original seat — and others — were left empty on both the outbound and return flights.

The couple said they managed to enjoy their 12-day holiday — but that their spending money ran out quickly.

"What incenses me most of all is I couldn’t get back what I had already," Nick said. "I would have paid £400 to have my name changed. That just incensed me."

The BA flight was operated by Qatar Airways

When Business Insider spoke to British Airways, the airline indicated that while the flights were indeed booked with BA, they were actually operated by Qatar Airways — so they were unable to make a change to Meads' booking.

They added that the travel agent had been issued with a full refund as soon as they were made aware of the issue.

"We were disappointed to hear that Mr Meads was unable to take his Qatar Airways flight to Bali, after his travel agent made a mistake with his booking," the airline said.

"We processed a full refund for his agent when we were made aware of the problem.

"We always do what we can to help customers and can correct spelling mistakes for flights on British Airways flights. We are not permitted to make the sort of change Mr Meads required for flights operated by other airlines."

SEE ALSO: Qantas banned a British couple from a flight to China for not having a visa they didn't even need — then apologised and gave them just £137 each

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Americans' identities are shaped by shared experiences — and there are a handful of historically significant experiences that stand out above the rest.

A 2016 survey from the Pew Research Center and A+E Networks' History Channel asked more than 2,000 American adults of different ages, races, political views, education levels, and income to list 10 events in their lifetimes they thought had the greatest impact on the country.

The respondents' answers typically varied by generation and other demographic indicators, but there were a couple of recent events that bridged nearly every divide.

Since the survey was conducted over a year ago, the responses don't account for more recent events like President Donald Trump's inauguration, mass shootings in Las Vegas and Parkland, or the #MeToo movement.

From the Apollo 11 moon landing to the election of the nation's first black president, these are the events that were most often included in Americans' top 10 events that will go down as the most significant in the country's history:

SEE ALSO: 33 photos that show why everyone misses Obama

DON'T MISS: How Americans really feel about gun control

10. The Gulf War (tie)

Roughly 10% of survey respondents placed the Gulf War, which occurred during George H.W. Bush's administration, in the top 10 events that shaped their lifetimes.

The war was of particular importance to Generation X respondents, who were the only generational group to list the event. Gender-wise, the survey showed that 12% of men placed the war in their lists, compared to just 8% of women.

10. The Orlando shooting (tie)

The mass shooting that killed 49 and wounded more than 50 others on June 12, 2016, was also named by 10% of survey respondents, but was ranked particularly highly by Latinos and Millennials, appearing in 19% and 17% of each groups' lists, respectively.

The Pew Research Center notes that the attack, which took place at Orlando's Pulse nightclub on "Latin Night," disproportionately targeted Latinos, who made up 90% of those killed.

9. Gay marriage

The Supreme Court's decision to legalize gay marriage appeared in the top 10 lists of 11% of Americans, but was of most significance to Millennials — 19% of whom included the event.

Gender also factored into the respondents' view of the decision's significance, with 14% of women placing gay marriage in their lists, and just 8% of men.

• Signs of untrustworthiness include wishy-washy language, tight-lipped smiles, and unclear expectations for others.
• Experts say it's pretty easy to lose someone's trust quickly.
• Here's what to avoid if you want to earn other people's trust and respect.

You can lose someone's trust pretty quickly.

All it takes is a missed deadline, a weird facial expression, or a feeling that you just don't "get" the person you're talking to.

Social scientists and other experts have spent a lot of time thinking and talking about all the ways to make people distrust you. We've listed seven of the most common below. 

SEE ALSO: A former US Marine outlines how to earn people's trust, in 4 steps

You have a big gap between your words and your actions

The former Marines who wrote the book "Spark" call it the "say-do gap." It's the space between your words and your actions.

According to the authors, the wider the gap, the less trustworthy you seem.

For example, if you say you'll turn in a project by Friday, forgetting that you have another big assignment due Thursday, you'll want to turn in that project by Friday anyway. If you don't stay accountable, you risk hurting your own reputation.

You're not clear about your expectations for others

The "Spark" authors say that leaders should communicate to their reports exactly what they want done to establish trustworthiness.

Chances are good," the authors write, "that someone's poor performance is a result of something you did not do versus something [your coworker] did do."

Still, the authors say it's better to communicate what you want accomplished than how, so as to inspire creative problem-solving.

You display a tight-lipped smile

A 2016 study published in Proceedings of the 18th ACM International Conference on Multimodal Interaction found that certain facial expressions are perceived as signs of untrustworthiness— even if they're not really.

For example, participants in the study — who role-played negotiations in pairs — thought that "controlled smiles" were signs of untrustworthiness, even though they weren't.

The only behavior that was perceived as a sign of untrustworthiness and really was such a sign? How much someone talked.

After 10 years and 18 movies, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become the most financially successful franchise in film history.

But that also means there has been a lot to keep track of before "Avengers: Infinity War," one of the most ambitious crossover events, comes to theaters later this month.

The movie is already projected to be a major success. Fandango announced this week that it was outpacing the past seven Marvel movies combined in presale tickets.

But even if "Avengers: Infinity War" breaks box-office records, not everyone who watches it will have seen all the other MCU movies or remember all the details. That doesn't mean it can't still be enjoyable — but since this is the movie the others have been leading up to, it's best to know the basics.

For those who need a crash course or a refresher on the MCU, we've compiled all the important details and events you'll need to know before heading to the theater when "Infinity War" is released April 27.

SEE ALSO: Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed that he seriously explored running for president — and Oprah said she 'really, really pushed him' to do it

Thanos is mad at Loki, which means bad things for Loki.

In the first "Avengers," way back in 2012, Thanos (Josh Brolin) provides the army that Loki (Tom Hiddleston) leads in the attack on New York City.

Obviously, the Avengers put a stop to that attack, so we can assume Thanos isn't happy with Loki.

Based on trailers for "Infinity War," it's almost guaranteed that Loki hands over the Space Stone — one of six Infinity Stones that Thanos is after that give him reality-bending powers — to Thanos, who may very well use it to end Loki's life. Maybe. (He doesn't show up in any other scenes in the footage we've seen.)

The Collector has the Reality Stone.

During the post-credits scene in "Thor: The Dark World," the Collector (Benicio del Toro), who collects rare artifacts across the galaxy, is given the red Reality Stone.

As far as we know, it's still in his possession for "Infinity War."

Star-Lord can hold an Infinity Stone.

Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) was able to hold the purple Power Stone in "Guardians of the Galaxy" — with the help of the other Guardians — because, as it was revealed in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," his father is a powerful cosmic entity.

His father is also evil and wanted to spread himself across the entire universe, but that's another story.

Because Star-Lord is only half human, though, he was able to wield the Power Stone without getting obliterated, as anyone else would be. That could prove useful when the Guardians and the Avengers take on Thanos in "Infinity War."

• What the cabin crew think of you is important if you're looking for a free upgrade.
• A Quora user asked, "What do flight attendants notice about passengers as they board the plane?"
• According to flight attendants, the long list includes what you're wearing, if you're travelling alone, and if you're a frequent traveller.
• Being in the running for an upgrade comes down to simply being nice to the crew — or giving them a gift if that doesn't work.

From taking advantage of overbooked flights to being smart with air miles, we've heard it all when it comes to what does and doesn't work when you're looking to bag a free flight upgrade.

But it comes down to the what the flight attendant thinks of you. And there are a number of things they look out for.

A Quora user posed the question: "What do flight attendants notice about passengers as they board the plane?"

Current and former flight attendants jumped at the chance to answer.

User "Shreyas P," who claims to have been a flight attendant for five major airlines, said within minutes of a passenger boarding, she'll check the following:

1. What kind of clothes you're wearing.
2. What kind of bags you're carrying.
3. If you're travelling alone or with someone.
4. How patient you are while waiting in the long line during boarding.
5. If you're an able-bodied passenger.
6. If you're intoxicated.
7. If you're a frequent traveller — "Trust me, frequent travellers don't display any kinds of baggage tags of their membership," she wrote. "It's only the new ones who are at the bottom-most tier [who] will display."
8. What kind of book you're carrying or reading — "If you are reading a medical journal ... we know who to approach for First Aid."
9. If you give a helping hand to those ones in need, like an "elderly passenger or that pretty lady who needs help with the bags. Trust me, if a gentleman can do [that] without asking [the] cabin crew he would earn a lot of respect from the crew for [remainder] of the flight."
10. If you're carrying food with you or are "just waiting to pounce on that free meal."

"In short, lots of things are noticed," she said.

Kimberly Sullivan, a user who claims to have 24 years of experience flying for a major US Airline, expressed the same sentiments, writing that she notices "dress, body language, friendly or grumpy."

She added: "We can also detect if they are experienced customers by the way they board the plane. If they are holding up the aisle and have tunnel vision, we know they are rookie travelers."

Myriam Mimi, a flight attendant at Condor Flugdienst, said she also notices "is he good looking and where is he sitting." Some flight attendants even have secret codes to point out attractive passengers.

While none of this guarantees an upgrade, it will certainly put you in the running should the opportunity arise, and at the very least will hopefully mean good service throughout your flight.

Ultimately, as an unnamed flight attendant at a "major American airline" recently told Vice, getting an upgrade all comes down to just being nice to the crew — and if all else fails, you can even give them a small gift.

"Give me candy, and I'll give you whatever you want," she said. "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours."

SEE ALSO: A flight attendant says 'nobody cares' if you actually turn off your phone on a plane — and reveals the disgusting reason you should never drink coffee in the air

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• The air in a typical public restroom can be full of drug-resistant bacteria, and open-flush toilets help it fly up into the air.
• Hand dryers can blow more potentially-pathogenic bathroom air around, and onto our hands, a new, independently-funded study shows.
• One Connecticut health center is trading its hand dryers for paper towels, worried patients with compromised immune systems may be more at risk of catching something dangerous if they blow-dry their hands instead of wiping them dry.

Scientists have known for a while that bathroom air isn't exactly the most pristine stuff.

Public toilets can harbor handfuls of different drug-resistant strains of Staphylococcus, and scientists have also shown that restrooms are teeming with a wide variety of microbes, many from other people's pee, skin, and certain, ahem... body parts.

But when it comes to the question of whether to dry one's hands on a paper towel, or blow them dry under a hand dryer, scientists have struggled to find a definitive answer to which is better for your health. Until now. 

A new, independently-funded study of 36 men's and women's bathrooms at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine found that bathroom hand dryers blow tons of bacterial spores around. Researchers holding up test plates to hand dryer air found as many as 60 different bacterial colonies could be blown onto them during a 30-second air dry. Turns out, even though the air coming out of hand dryers is almost perfectly clean, it ends up pushing more nasty bathroom air around than a paper towel.

Lead study author Peter Setlow says his research find is not a shock.

"The more air ya move? The more bacteria stick," he told Business Insider. "And there are a lot of bacteria in bathrooms." 

In fact, other scientists have discovered that "toilet plumes" from inside the bowl of a toilet can spray aerosolized feces as high as 15 feet into the air. And blowing more of that pooey air with a dryer around could cause some serious harm, especially for vulnerable populations like the old and the sick. 

Setlow himself, a septuagenarian researcher, says he's stopped using hand dryers altogether after completing his independently-funded study. And he's not the only one. The University of Connecticut School of Medicine where the study was done has also started stocking paper towels in all its facilities.

Still, the general public may not need to be so concerned with how they dry their hands, Setlow says. 

"If I'm a person whose immune system is suppressed, I wanna minimize my exposure to bacteria," he says, stressing that his own tactic may be most important to keep in mind for seniors and people with compromised immune systems, people who might struggle bouncing back from being exposed to bacteria that, in a healthy person, might not do much harm. 

The truth is that most bacteria aren't bad for us. Microbes are essential to life on Earth. They were some of the earliest life-forms, before us oxygen-sniffing creatures even set foot on the planet. Today, they're an essential part of our own immunity. They even interact with and, at times, control our genes, feeding our brains and our nervous system. One New York City geneticist even suggests new parents roll their kids on the floor of the grimy New York subway, because there's some evidence suggesting exposure to a wide array of crawly microbes early-on helps our immune systems grow up strong and healthy. 

And besides, just because bathroom air is grosser than other air, doesn't mean you need to be more squeamish about popping a squat than you are about picking up a call. Microbiologists routinely argue that toilet seats are time and again tested and found to be much cleaner surfaces than our cell phones, office desks and restaurant menus.

Given that around 20% percent of us don't even bother to wash our hands at all after we do our business in a public restroom, hand drying may not be the most serious issue in the bathroom, anyway.

Regular, thorough handwashing, especially before eating and after using the washroom is still the number one way to ensure we stay healthy and illness-free, no matter how you may choose to dry off your mitts afterwards. 

SEE ALSO: A surprising number of animals fart besides humans — and some are worse offenders than others

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NOW WATCH: An allergist explains the best way to keep your bathroom clean

• Facebook, Google, Netflix, and other top companies in the US are competing for the best talent out there.
• To compete, they offer some of the best benefits and perks around.
• See which companies are raising the bar and going beyond free food, on-site gyms, and 401(k)s to attract new talent.

Most of us spend a majority of our waking hours at work, so it's only natural that we want to enjoy our time in the office as much as we can. And perks help — a lot.

According to career site Glassdoor, more than half (57%) of all workers say perks and benefits are among the top things they consider when deciding whether to accept a job, and almost 80% of employees say they would prefer new benefits over a pay raise.

That's why some employers are raising the bar and going beyond standard vacation days, health insurance benefits, and 401k matching to attract top talent.

Companies like Airbnb and Google are offering unique and surprising perks like travel stipends and death benefits, Glassdoor reports, while Facebook and Netflix have upped the ante for companies wanting to support new parents.

"Benefits and perks matter because they're an added piece of the total compensation puzzle," Scott Dobroski, Glassdoor's career trends analyst, told Business Insider. "Job seekers should understand what benefits and perks an employer may be offering, and do their research ahead of time to find companies that offer benefits that matter most to them."

Employees rated some of their favorite employee benefits on Glassdoor. The following perks are not only unique, but they also received a rating of at least 4.0 out of 5.0 on Glassdoor.

SEE ALSO: Here's how to respond to weird interview questions you may hear from major companies like Google and Apple

Generous paid parental leave at Netflix

Netflix offers one paid year of maternity and paternity leave to new parents. The company also allows parents to return part-time or full-time and take time off as needed throughout the year.

'Yay Days' at REI

REI encourages its employees to get outside by offering two paid days off each year, called "Yay Days," to enjoy their favorite outside activity.

Paid time off for volunteering at Salesforce

Salesforce employees receive six days of paid volunteer time off a year, as well as $1,000 a year to donate to a charity of their choice.

• Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a non-psychoactive component of cannabis.
• CBD won't get you high; THC is the component of cannabis responsible for that.
• Products made with CBD extract are becoming increasingly popular, but because of limited research, it remains unclear what most of them do.
• Only two CBD-containing medicines have been studied extensively, and neither has yet to get US approval.

I knew I'd arrived in California when a friend offered me an edible — for my dog.

The treat didn't contain THC, the component of marijuana that's responsible for getting you high. Instead, it was made with cannabidiol, or CBD, a non-psychoactive compound in marijuana that may potentially be useful for a range of therapeutic applications. The research on this front remains in its infancy, but thanks to a wave of developments into new cannabis-based drugs, it's an exciting time to keep an eye out for new research.

CBD is thought to be responsible for many of marijuana's therapeutic effects, from pain relief to a potential treatment for some rare forms of epilepsy. But because much of the research on marijuana remains in its infancy, it's largely too early to say for sure whether CBD has any use for most people.

But that hasn't stopped retailers from touting the benefits of CBD in dog treats, vape pens, lotions, lip balms, lozenges, and oils. Some products made with CBD are available legally in some states where medical marijuana is not. On the medicinal front, one promising CBD-based medicine— designed to treat a rare form of epilepsy — is currently in development and awaiting approval from the US Food and Drug Administration.

Given CBD's unclear legal framework, it's important to be cautious when purchasing items containing the ingredient. It's also helpful to know that marijuana isn't just composed of CBD and THC — it has some 400 different compounds, each of which may be responsible for a distinct effect.

The future of cannabis-based medicines

Getting marijuana-based drugs approved in America is no easy task.

Only one drug made with cannabis-derived ingredients has clearance from the FDA. That drug is dronabinol, which treats some of the negative side effects of chemotherapy and AIDS, such as nausea, loss of appetite, and weight loss. It is made using lab-produced versions of THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, and is available with a doctor's prescription. 

On the CBD front, British drug company GW Pharmaceuticals is leading the charge with two medicines — Sativex and Epidiolex. The first is a nasal spray that the British government approved last year for severe pain; the second is a syrup that is still being studied in the US for its potential to treat two of the hardest-to-treat forms of childhood epilepsy.

So for now, purchasing products made with CBD is somewhat of a gamble. Based on the current research, it's premature to claim that the ingredient would have any measurable health benefits for most people. That said, it's an exciting time for cannabis research, and future studies will help to shed light on the potential applications of some of the hundreds of compounds in marijuana, of which CBD is only one.

SEE ALSO: Pharmaceutical giants are sidestepping US marijuana restrictions to research cannabis-based drugs

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It’s time to dive into the best horror movies currently on Netflix.

Seeing as it's Friday the 13th, we’ve highlighted the best scary movies on the streaming giant so you can go into the weekend scaring the heck out of yourself and your friends.

Check out 23 scary movies below.

Note: Numerous Netflix titles drop off the streaming service monthly so the availability of titles below may change.

Brett Arnold contributed to an earlier version of this story.

SEE ALSO: All the Marvel Cinematic Universe details you need to remember before seeing "Avengers: Infinity War"

1. "47 Meters Down" (2017)

Mandy Moore and Claire Holt play sisters trapped in a shark cage with only an hour of oxygen left in their tanks. Question your future vacation plans as you watch these two try to survive with a school of sharks surrounding them.

2. "The ABCs of Death" (2012)

26 horror directors are each given a letter of the alphabet as a starting point to create a scary short.

3. "The Babadook" (2014)

A single mother struggling to keep up with her rambunctious son begins to lose it after a strange children's book comes to her doorstep.

• Actress Helen Mirren called Netflix's effect on the film industry "devastating" for directors, in a recent interview with the UK's The i. 
• "It's devastating for people like my husband, film directors, because they want their movies to be watched in a cinema with a group of people," Mirren said. 
• Mirren's criticism of Netflix follows similar criticism from the likes of directors Christopher Nolan and Steven Spielberg in the past year.

Actress Helen Mirren became the latest high-profile name to speak out against Netflix's impact on the film industry, in a recent interview with the UK's The i. 

Mirren said the streaming service's lack of emphasis on theatrical release of films was "devastating" to directors like her husband, "Ray" director Taylor Hackford. 

"It's devastating for people like my husband, film directors, because they want their movies to be watched in a cinema with a group of people," Mirren said. "So it's a communal thing."

Despite her strong stance on the service's presentation of films, Mirren went on to admit in the same interview, with a smile, that she herself will watch movies on her iPad. 

Mirren's criticism of Netflix follows similar criticism from the likes of directors Christopher Nolan and Steven Spielberg in the past year.

Spielberg made headlines last month for saying that a film released by streaming services like Netflix and Amazon should be considered a "TV movie" and should not be eligible for the Academy Awards. 

"I don't believe that films that are just given token qualifications, in a couple of theaters for less than a week, should qualify for the Academy Award nominations," Spielberg told ITV News.

Nolan last year called out Netflix's "mindless policy" of releasing films simultaneously on its streaming service and in theaters, though he also praised Amazon's 90-day theatrical window as "a perfectly usable model." Spielberg made no such distinction between Netflix and Amazon in his interview.

Read Mirren's interview with The i here. 

SEE ALSO: All your favorite Netflix original shows that have been renewed for another season

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Netflix has begun to cancel shows, but that doesn't mean it's getting rid of your favorites.

40 Netflix original series will be returning with new seasons in the near future.

Only a handful of the series have official release dates, including the premieres of "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" and "Marvel's Luke Cage."

This week, the streaming service announced the renewal of another critically acclaimed Marvel series, "Jessica Jones," along with a second season of its recent comedy series "On My Block."

Other hit Netflix shows that have been renewed by the streaming service, like "Stranger Things" and "Black Mirror," are either in production or awaiting release.

For this list, we have included only renewed Netflix series that are yet to air, and we've included official release dates if applicable. We've excluded children's shows and reality series.

Here are the 40 Netflix original series that are coming back for another season:

SEE ALSO: All 54 of Netflix's notable original shows, ranked from worst to best

"Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" (Season 4) — Premieres May 30

"Marvel's Luke Cage" (Season 2) — Premieres June 22

"Orange Is the New Black" (Seasons 6 and 7)

Date renewed: February 5, 2016

• A wedding budget is essential when planning for your big day.
• On average, Americans spend $33,391 on their weddings, with the venue and engagement ring being the most expensive.
• Seemingly small details can drive up a wedding budget, including the floral arrangements, transportation, and party favors.

Deciding how to break down your wedding budget can be overwhelming.

Americans spend $33,391 on average for their weddings, according to the The Knot's 2017 Real Weddings Study.  Much of the average wedding budget is spent on the venue itself.

However, other factors — including the floral arrangments, catering, and party favors — can drive up a wedding budget if you aren't careful.

The amount of guests is also a contributing factor to the overall wedding budget. While there's a current trend toward hosting fewer guests, the average cost per guest is increasing. That's because couples want to create a unique and memorable experience for all those involved, The Knot found. 

Below, see how couples across the US spend their wedding budget for their big day. Prices listed first represent the average spender, according to The Knot's survey, while prices listed second represent the highest spender.

SEE ALSO: The average wedding cost in America is over $30,000 — but here's where couples spend way more than that

DON'T MISS: What Americans spend on an engagement ring in each state, ranked from lowest to highest

Venue (reception hall): $15,163 - $42,801

Engagement ring: $5,764 - $13,933

Reception band: $4,019 - $7,145

Netflix has a lot of movies in its catalog and that can sometimes make it hard to find which ones are worth watching.

To make that easier, every week we comb through Netflix's selection to find you a handful of movies that are great choices for your weekend.

We select a few that have come onto the service recently and mix in a couple of favorites from the catalog you might have missed.

From MCU critical darling "Doctor Strange" to the vulgar but sweet comedy "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," these are awesome movies on Netflix that you can watch over the weekend.

Here are 7 movies on Netflix you should definitely check out:

SEE ALSO: The best and worst superhero movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, ranked according to critics

"Friday Night Lights" (2004)

Netflix description: The drama chronicles the efforts of Gary Gaines, the coach of a football team in small-town Texas, to propel his squad to the state championships. 

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 81%

Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85%

This realistic portrait of a football team in Texas broke sports movie conventions. It wasn't feel good and its new take on the genre inspired the iconic television series, "Friday Night Lights."

"Doctor Strange" (2016)

Netflix description: After a neurosurgeon loses the use of his hands he meets a mystical mentor who helps him harness magic to become the most powerful sorcerer on Earth. 

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 89%

Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86%

Exciting visuals, compelling source material, and Benedict Cumberbatch's performance help "Doctor Strange" stand out among superhero origin stories and other movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Events in this movie pave the way for "Infinity War," so now is a great time to watch it. 

"Lincoln" (2012)

Netflix description: Director Steven Spielberg takes on the towering legacy of Abraham Lincoln, focusing on his stewardship of the Union during the Civil War years. 

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 90%

Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80%

"Lincoln" tells a little-known piece of history. Instead of following the formula for the average biography film, the movie focuses on Lincoln's final months in office. Daniel Day Lewis' immersive performance brings the script to life. 

Bird, an electric scooter-sharing company, has covered the streets and sidewalks of San Francisco with motorized vehicles that are like Razor scooters for grown-ups.

People can reserve a local scooter from a smartphone app, ride for a small fee, and leave the scooter anywhere at the end of a journey. The result is a citywide littering of scooters.

Led by a former Uber and Lyft executive, Bird raised over $100 million in funding this year to expand across the US. But the company's rise to success hasn't been without speed bumps. This week, Bird issued a press release claiming city officials in San Francisco were trying to shut it down. San Francisco City Supervisor Aaron Peskin denied the claim to Business Insider.

I pass a dozen electric scooters on the streets of San Francisco on my daily commute, so I recently rented an electric scooter from Bird to try it myself.

Here's what it was like to rent and try the Bird electric scooter:

SEE ALSO: A $100 million startup littering San Francisco's sidewalks with scooters is claiming the city wants to shut it down

The Bird has landed in San Francisco — and people have very mixed feelings about it.

"A few weeks ago, I had not noticed any electric scooters in SF. Now you can't exit a building without tripping over one," M.G. Siegler, a general partner at Google Ventures, tweeted.

It's true. Three startups — Bird, Lime, and Spin — rolled out hundreds of motorized scooter rentals in downtown San Francisco in the span of a few weeks. They're everywhere.

• Actor Will Ferrell was hospitalized Thursday night after his chauffeur-driven SUV was side-swiped by another car and flipped over on the I-5 freeway in Los Angeles, Variety reported.
• TMZ first reported that Ferrell and two others were taken to the hospital on Thursday.
• Ferrell's representative told TMZ that the actor did not suffer serious injuries and was released from the hospital.

Actor Will Ferrell was hospitalized Thursday night after his chauffeur-driven SUV was side-swiped by another car and flipped on the I-5 freeway in Los Angeles, Variety reported on Friday, citing the California Highway Patrol.

TMZ first reported that Ferrell and two others were taken to the hospital. Video footage on TMZ showed Ferrell sitting upright on a stretcher and talking on a cell phone as he was being loaded into an ambulance.

Ferrell's representative told TMZ that the actor did not suffer serious injuries and was released from the hospital on Thursday.

He was one of three passengers in the SUV, which was reportedly returning from a "Funny or Die" event in San Diego, according to TMZ.

Ferrell's representatives did not immediately respond to a request for further comment.

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• Millennials were born between 1981 and 1996.
• Xennials are a "microgeneration" of people who were born between 1977 and 1985.
• There are meaningful differences between their lives. For example, Xennials were already in the workforce when the recession hit, while many millennials were just graduating college.

If you were born between the years 1977 and 1985, you're officially a member of the "micro-generation" known as Xennials.

The term was coined by Sarah Stankorb in a 2014 Good magazine article, to describe a group that straddles Generation X— born between 1965 and 1980 — and millennials— born between 1981 and 1996, according to the Pew Research Center.

Xennials, according to Stankorb and the many similar stories that followed, grew up watching "My So-Called Life" and popping cassettes into the stereo, but transitioned pretty seamlessly to using smartphones and social media.

Some people call them the "Oregon Trail generation," after the once-popular computer game, or "Generation Catalano," after Jared Leto's character in "My So-Called Life."

Below, we've outlined some of the biggest differences between Xennials and their slightly younger siblings, millennials.

SEE ALSO: There's a term for people born in the early 80s who don't feel like a millennial or a Gen X-er — here's everything we know

Xennials were already in the workforce when the recession hit. Many Millennials, however, were just graduating college and looking for jobs. Interestingly, some research suggests that Xennials may have been hit hardest by the recession, because of a combination of student loan debt, job losses, and other factors.

Sources: GOOD Magazine and CityLab

Many Xennials made it through their childhood and teen years without social media — no Facebook or even MySpace. Many millennials, on the other hand, had MySpace and Facebook accounts before entering college.

Source: Social Media Week

On September 11, 2001, Xennials were in their teens and 20s; millennials were much younger. As one writer said of Xennials, "much of our childhoods were spared the dark shadow cast by tragedy and war," while millennials were somewhat shaken out of their innocence.

Source: GOOD Magazine