There are a lot of things you’re likely to be looking for when job hunting. The salary, the close location, what the job actually entails, and eventually, you will look at the benefits.
But what ones to go for? This will be an easier question to answer for some over others. If there is something you rely on, or would make your life a lot easier, you’re naturally going to keep your eyes peeled for it.
If that doesn’t sound like you, we are breaking down the most common job benefits and how they can help you out in the long run, so that you can keep an eye out for the ones you’d like while you are job hunting. Take a look at our guide to job benefits.
Health insurance
In an age where common cold symptoms can lead to a massive hospital bill/debt hole, health insurance is vital. However, it isn’t mandatory, and is typically paid for with input from your employer.
The typical health insurance plan will cover doctor visits, prescription drugs, emergency care and a lot of medical procedures.
It’s important to look for a job with health insurance, because in health, a small problem ignored can turn into a very big problem, as any cancer awareness charity drive is going to tell you. Today, we have more reason than ever to keep on top of our health and not to ignore symptoms for the sake of saving some money. Health insurance will make sure that you don’t have to get into a debt hole the next time you have the sniffles.
Dental and vision insurance
As a sister to health, it is oral health and eye health, and unfortunately, general health insurance doesn’t cover either of these, most of the time. There are plans that will cover these, but you will have to check with your employer.
Dental and vision insurance can feel like a nuisance. You never need it! Until you do. Suddenly the world has gone blurry or there is an extreme pain somewhere in the back of your mouth and the month’s spending money is suddenly swallowed up by a dentist or optician bill. In the case of vision insurance, it might be an ongoing lifesaver, if you find your eyes have deteriorated to the point that you need glasses or contacts.
401ks
It’s important that you start thinking about retirement as soon as possible in your lifetime. Any job you have should be taken with the idea that it will have to end someday, so if you don’t have a 401k in your early jobs, at least start putting away.
Like health insurance, it isn’t mandatory, and plans can differ, but a Simple IRA plan is typically contributed to by your employer and by a pre-tax deduction on your monthly paycheck, so you are always contributing to it before anything else comes off your salary. A lot of employees match what you’re putting away, dollar for dollar or with a partial match. The earlier you find a job with a 401k, the more your future self will thank you.
Life insurance
Now that you’ve got yourself sorted, it’s time to think about the people you love and who depend on you. Life insurance is designed to leave a beneficiary a lump sum of money when you are gone. You can choose who your beneficiary is, whether that’s a spouse, children, parents, etc. to help with the funeral costs, to pay for school, or to otherwise set them up for the future. You can add as much or as little as you wish, and no one will have access to the money beyond your beneficiary.
Parental leave
Parental leave is essentially the all-encompassing term of maternity leave for mothers and fathers. Following the birth, adoption, or new fostering of a child, you are entitled to a certain amount of paid leave to get your bearings.
A certain amount of leave is mandatory according to the FMLA, but it is widely seen as not enough and not guaranteed. If you are considering starting a family, you might want to look out for the extra parental leave benefits, like extended paid time on leave, the guarantee that your job will be waiting for you when you return, etc.
Remote and flexible work options
In the age of the digital nomad, the benefit of remote working has become a lot more popular. But it’s not just the digital nomad lifestyle that is appealing. Employees got a taste of working from home and started to see a lot of benefits, including an easier work/life balance and more productive activity throughout the workday.
Since things started to open up again and employees were less than enthused to come back to the office, a lot of jobs started offering remote working or hybrid working deals in contracts and job offers.
On the other hand, there is also the benefit of flexible schedules. We’re in an increasingly online world, where no one sleeps. No one is set to a 9-5 schedule anymore, and employers know that. This means that a lot of employers are starting to offer flexible schedules, in which you can work around children, caring responsibilities, or simply for less of a routine lifestyle. Stick your weekend on Hump Day or work nights, or a few hours later or earlier in the day, avoiding the peak traffic for one thing.