Financial Tip #6 - Benefits
Posted by Love Nickerson
All jobs are not created equal. If you find yourself in the enviable position of being offered more than one job, it may come down to BENEFITS. Whatever you do, do not choose based on earnings alone.
Make sure your job has health insurance. It is too expensive to NOT have health insurance, and besides that, it is required by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Beyond that, things are up for grabs... but the next thing I wouldn't work without is PAID TIME OFF. From vacation time to sick time to holidays, getting paid when you are not in the office make those days when you are in the office more bearable, no matter how much you love your job.
-At my job my annual paid time off includes: 3 weeks (15 days) of vacation time, 9 holidays, 12 sick days, and 6 personal days.
Next up is a retirement contribution. Some companies offer to match what you contribute up to a certain percentage of your salary. Since the market is down right now, and current students are looking at least 30 years of earnings potential, it is the perfect time to participate. Consider it as "the stocks are on sale."
-My company contributes 7.5% of my salary, regardless of whether or not I contribute (of course, I do).
Those three categories are pretty standard. Then comes all the 'bennies,' the company-specific offers.
-These are some of my favorites: Tuition Reimbursement, Fitness Center Membership Reimbursement, Personal Computer Reimbursement, Cell-Phone Plan Discount, and T-Pass Discount.
Do not underestimate the lure of the benefits package!
Posted: April 7, 2009 6:21 pm | 1 comment
Tags: benefits, work
Comments
Thanks for your tips! These are def. helpful and helped clarify a few things.
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