The CEO of startup Rilla gives his employees up to $1,500 a month to live closer to the office—But there’s a catch

Companies offer all kinds of unusual benefits these days, from wellness retreats to executive gap years. At AI startup Rilla, employees get the chance to take advantage of a vanishingly rare corporate perk: a rent stipend to cover the high cost of living in New York City. But there are some strings attached. 

To receive the money, up to $1,500, employees have to live within 10 to 15 minutes of the company’s Long Island City-based office, and are expected to work around 70 hours a week in person.