1st page - Other Goodies
July 14, 2009 – 11:51 amIf you're new here, you may want to learn what this site is about. Please subscribe to my RSS feed to get latest updates on this blog. Thanks for visiting!
In this age of diminishing corporate givebacks, there is some good news. More companies are willing to offer so-called family-friendly benefits -perks that tend to be easy on the corporate coffers and, in turn, raise job satisfaction among employees. Some of these perks may be unwritten, and still others may be up for negotiating. So check out the ones below, and if your employer doesn’t offer them, try politely to push for a change in policy:
- Flextime. Not long ago, Jackie O. was one of the few working women who could dictate her job schedule and keep the paychecks coming. But so-called flextime, which lets workers forgo standard hours and put in ones best suited to them, became popular in the early ’90s when the number of working mothers zoomed 23% from a decade prior. Because flexible schedules demand increased efficiency of employees, many firms actually view these arrangements as a boon to productivity. If you have only a few years on the job, you probably won’t be permitted to work flextime, since management maybe skeptical of your ability to pull off such an arrangement. Once you have five or more years under your belt, though, you may be able to strike a deal.
- Vacation and comp days. It’s common to start at a new company with two weeks of vacation, more for senior executives. What do you do if you get just two weeks or so but put in dozens of unpaid overtime hours on weekends and holidays? One way to get your due -and to potentially extend your vacation -is to keep a tally of those phantom hours and request time off for those hours worked. You’ve got nothing to lose by asking.
- Referral services. Need a good lawyer? Want help in sizing up college choices for your teen? Believe it or not, your company may be able to help. Roughly 55% of all Fortune 500 companies now boast referral services that assist employees with everything from finding a reliable baby-sitter to counseling you about spousal abuse. Some firms even have the equivalent of a concierge on their premises, ready to help make your life outside of work a little easier. Depending on where you work, these programs may be formal or informal, offered on or off site. Ask your benefits counselor whether such programs are available. Before spilling private secrets about your life to an employee assistance counselor, however, find out who could ultimately have access to that information. You may find that getting a little help at work isn’t worth the invasion of your privacy.
If you like this post, please subscribe to my RSS feed to get latest updates on this blog. Thanks for visiting!
Bookmark To:
2 Responses to “1st page - Other Goodies”
I like your note about Vacation and comp days. This is a great idea, however don’t most companies keep track of overtime and compensate you for it already?
By Stephanie on Jul 27, 2009
Hi! I was surfing and found your blog post… nice! I love your blog.
Cheers! Sandra. R.
By sandra742 on Sep 9, 2009