Job Perks
When evaluating your compensation package, don’t forget to include all the “extras.” Does your company have an on-site fitness center or do they subsidize off-site gym memberships? Is there a subsidized employee cafeteria? Does the whole staff get taken to Hawaii every year for a sales meeting? Do you have an expense account? Will they pay for meals you eat while working overtime? Is there free dry cleaning? Will they pay for you to go back to school to take continuing education classes or to get another degree?
Added together, these items can take a chunk out of your take-home pay if you’re footing the bill yourself. To put a dollar value on them, simply figure out how much you’d have to pay for the same service(s) and add the total to your bottom line salary for comparison purposes.
These types of perks have other, non-monetary benefits as well. A company that brings in a yoga instructor twice a week or sponsors on-site cooking classes is obviously concerned about retaining their employees and keeping stress low and morale high.