5 overlooked benefits at work you should negotiate


You’re hired! You’ve wowed them in your interview, you’ve blown them away with your experience, you’ve impressed them with your confidence, and your references have given you a glowing review. What could be better? You’ve found your dream job, and you’ve knocked your application out of the park, so all you have to do is turn up on your first day and continue your world domination, right? Well, not quite. There are many benefits from a new job offer that many people overlook, and they don’t even realize that they can negotiate these terms.

See whether they offer a wellness plan

It’s becoming increasingly popular for large and small companies around the world to offer wellness plans to their employees – but they don’t always make this added perk known to their employees. So, what is a wellness plan? Well, these plans come in all shapes and sizes but normally revolve around the fact that your boss will pay for you to stay fit and healthy. They may be able to pay for your gym membership if you work in a stationary environment, or they might even give you monetary bonuses for having your yearly flu jab or taking part in a running race or a sporting competition. Make sure you ask about these perks before taking the job if you like to keep active.

Always keep in mind a 401(K) match

Although we’d all happily spend our days lounging on a beach in the Bahamas, we know we need to work to keep a roof over our heads and to prepare ourselves for our inevitable retirement years – when we can perhaps laze on a beach in the Bahamas! If you’re lucky, your new company may still offer a competitive retirement plan, but there are many companies who are now scrapping this deal and opting to match your 401(k). This means that they will make a contribution to your personal fund and pay a percentage of your yearly salary. However, these percentages differ from company to company. If you have various job offers to choose from, work out which works most in your favor.

Check out any extra insurance perks

Health insurance is one of the biggest perks within any job – but did you know that you may have the chance to use extra perks you didn’t know about. While most companies offer a basic health insurance package, there are others who offer premiums to these packages if you ask them. They may offer you more money to put into a health savings account, they may add money to your health reimbursement account, or their plan might even protect you from accidents outside of work. Always clarify this plan before you say yes.

Take a look at any professional development perks

If bosses had their way, they would keep their focused and driven employees within their companies for years – but people do eventually move on to bigger and better things, because they want to make their way up the ladder. Yet, there are many companies who are now offering professional development perks for their employees in an effort to keep them with them. They might pay for you to go on a course, to obtain a new qualification, or even go back to school. In return, they may ask you to sign a contract that states that you will stay with them for X amount of years – but it might just be worth it.

Cast your eye over commuter perks

Will you need to commute to this new job? If you do, you might be able to get some help from your boss! It’s never cheeky to ask your new boss to help you get to work on time, so we’d always recommend asking whether you could get some form of reimbursement for your train fare, your gas mileage, or your public transport fees – especially if you are sent around the country for your work!

Looking to say ‘yes’ to the perfect new job? Remember to negotiate these benefits before you sign on the dotted line.


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