Posts published on May 11, 2018

Jobs After College: Look At Company Culture, Overall Pay, and Benefits

BY MIKKI MILLS

When college finishes and you are ready to enter the real world, it can seem intimidating. There are many factors that go into a great job when searching, and oftentimes pay is not the most important one. When interviewing for positions it is important to look at company culture, overall pay, and benefits. Benefits are often overlooked when looking at job offers because it’s hard to look past the salary you will soon be receiving. Here are some benefits that you should be asking potential employers about to get a better idea of the advantages of working for that company.

Health Insurance

If you’re among the millions of uninsured Americans, talk to your employer about getting health insurance. According to PeopleKeep, employers with at least 50 full-time employees are required by law to offer health insurance to their employees. Failure to comply with this law results in a tax penalty.

Some companies go above and beyond to provide exceptional health insurance to their employees. The online domain registrar GoDaddy pays 100 percent of employees’ premiums as well as 50 percent of their family members’ premiums. The social media network Twitter also offers top-notch health insurance. According to Glassdoor, Twitter covers 100 percent of employees’ premiums while also paying for vision and dental coverage. Regardless of the company for which you work, you should inquire about health insurance. It’s one of the many benefits of working as an employee.

Wellness Program

In addition to health insurance, some employers offer wellness programs for their employees. This voluntary program encourages employees to exercise and make smarter dieting choices, typically in exchange for rewards. Participating in a wellness program can help employees combat chronic disease, maintain a healthy weight, stop smoking and more.

Overtime Compensation

Consider clocking extra hours at work. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), your employer may be legally required to pay you more for these long weeks. As explained by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), most workers classified as employees can receive overtime compensation of 150 percent or more of their regular wages for every additional hour they work in a 40-hour week. If you normally earn $20 per hour and work 50 hours in a week, for example, you’ll earn at least $30 per hour for the last 10 hours. Employees who earn more than $455 per week, however, are considered exempt unless otherwise stated by state laws, thus making them ineligible for overtime compensation.

Paid Vacation

While there’s no federal or state law requiring employers to provide employees with paid vacation, many employers offer this incentive. The BLS says that nearly one-quarter of employees are eligible for paid vacations. Unfortunately, many of these employees aren’t aware of this benefit, resulting in a missed opportunity for a free vacation. Whether you want to take a trip to the beach or simply lounge around the house for a lazy weekend, you should take advantage of paid vacation if it’s offered by your employer.

Providing employees with paid vacation is often a challenge for employers. They must keep track of employees’ vacation days, adding or removing them when necessary. Vacation tracking software, however, can simplify this task. It provides a simple, easy-to-use interface in which employers can track their employees’ paid vacation days.

Relocation Assistance

You might be surprised to learn that many employers offer relocation assistance for their employees. Also known as a relocation package, it may include moving, housing, storage, transportation and other related expenses. If your job requires you to move, check to see if your employer offers relocation assistance. This is an easy way to offset the otherwise high cost of moving.

These are just a few benefits of working as an employee. After talking to your employer or human resources (HR) manager, you’ll probably discover other benefits.

Mikkie is a freelance writer from Chicago. She has a passion for advanced learning, reading, and health and fitness. She is also a mother of two who loves sharing her ideas on education, learning, health, fitness and yoga. When she’s not writing, she’s chasing the little ones around or can be found at the local climbing gym or doing yoga.