What is more important... Salary or fringe benefits?

Porkchop

Porkchop

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My job has a good salary and low responsibilities but zero fringe benefits. No water coolers, no coffee, a barely working microwave, a vending machine that charges double the price of a convenience store and expensive health insurance (company contributes the bare minimum). The morale and turn over rate are terrible here, but the money is good. So i've been kinda looking around for a "better" place to work, but now i'm realizing that my salary is pretty good for the area and I dont want to have to sacrifice even more when it comes to bills and living expenses. I'm thinking, that the economy (especially in California) is still shitty, but picking up, so maybe I need to just hang in here another few years, but I dont know, is a more "balanced" job really all that important?
 
Deathwing

Deathwing

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The morale and turn over rate are terrible here
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Probably the most important "fringe" benefit.

Looking to start a family any time soon? Paid healthcare is important there. Everytime I think about my salary, which really isn't bad, I also remember that my employer pays all premiums and max out of pocket for a family is $400. With a kid on the way, probably going to weigh that benefit more than my salary for a while. See if I can't work on the salary part via my wife.
 
McCheese

McCheese

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You mention lots of different "levels" of fringe benefits.

Coffee, water coolers, vending machines, microwaves, etc. are meaningless and should never be a factor on whether or not you work somewhere.

Health insurance is debatable. It really depends on just how good your salary is; if it's good enough that it offsets the expensive health insurance then I don't see expensive insurance as being a big deal, either. It is always nice to have cheap, good insurance though.

Morale and work atmosphere is, in my opinion, the most important of the "fringe benefits" which you mention. I've always been of the thought that it's more important to enjoy your job than to make a great salary. That said, you obviously have to live within reality and sometimes you might have to put up with shitty work atmospheres at a job you hate in order to make ends meet and support your family. Of everything you listed, this is the only one that would make me sacrifice a great salary.
 
Porkchop

Porkchop

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Deathwing_sl said:
Probably the most important "fringe" benefit.

Looking to start a family any time soon? Paid healthcare is important there. Everytime I think about my salary, which really isn't bad, I also remember that my employer pays all premiums and max out of pocket for a family is $400. With a kid on the way, probably going to weigh that benefit more than my salary for a while. See if I can't work on the salary part via my wife.
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I have a new wife and i'm working on getting more custody of my kid, so yeah I will have a family again soon. But I've always considered health insurance a given. There's usually some probation involved when you go to a new company, but other than that, I've always had it. I'm paying $200 a month right now to cover just me. Thats with $30 co pays and 80/20 coverage.
 
Porkchop

Porkchop

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McCheese_sl said:
You mention lots of different "levels" of fringe benefits.

Coffee, water coolers, vending machines, microwaves, etc. are meaningless and should never be a factor on whether or not you work somewhere.
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I guess i'm just spoiled, or I associate these things with a "good" office. Every where i've worked before had these.

McCheese_sl said:
Health insurance is debatable. It really depends on just how good your salary is; if it's good enough that it offsets the expensive health insurance then I don't see expensive insurance as being a big deal, either. It is always nice to have cheap, good insurance though.

Morale and work atmosphere is, in my opinion, the most important of the "fringe benefits" which you mention. I've always been of the thought that it's more important to enjoy your job than to make a great salary. That said, you obviously have to live within reality and sometimes you might have to put up with shitty work atmospheres at a job you hate in order to make ends meet and support your family. Of everything you listed, this is the only one that would make me sacrifice a great salary.
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Yeah, these are my major factors too, but leaving is not an easy decision because I dont hate my actual job, or the people I work with, but the constant complaining about the bull shit that goes on around here is getting on my nerves. And every day I look at the "veterans" around here, people that have been here 5+ years, and notice that they have turned into cubicle zombies.
 
Gravel

Gravel

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McCheese_sl said:
You mention lots of different "levels" of fringe benefits.

Coffee, water coolers, vending machines, microwaves, etc. are meaningless and should never be a factor on whether or not you work somewhere.

Health insurance is debatable. It really depends on just how good your salary is; if it's good enough that it offsets the expensive health insurance then I don't see expensive insurance as being a big deal, either. It is always nice to have cheap, good insurance though.

Morale and work atmosphere is, in my opinion, the most important of the "fringe benefits" which you mention. I've always been of the thought that it's more important to enjoy your job than to make a great salary. That said, you obviously have to live within reality and sometimes you might have to put up with shitty work atmospheres at a job you hate in order to make ends meet and support your family. Of everything you listed, this is the only one that would make me sacrifice a great salary.
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So much this. If you hate your job or the people you work with are awful, is the salary really worth it? Or, another way, is the increase in salary you currently have over other positions worth the shit you have to put up with?
 
Joeboo

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As long as you aren't talking about a drastic salary difference(losing half your salary or something), go with the situation that makes you the happiest. Theres nothing worse than waking up every day and dreading going into work. Not many people flat-out love going to work, that's why they have to pay you to show up, but people who feel a sense of dread everytime sunday evening rolls around, or when they get out of bed each morning are really doing a disservice to themselves.

I'm no huge expert, I've been working for roughly 20 years and I've had 2 employers total. I've had numerous opportunities to jump ship for maybe a 10-15% raise at various points, but I've loved where I worked and the people I work with, so it wasn't worth it to me.

Happiness > money (assuming the money is enough to live on comfortably either way)
 
McCheese

McCheese

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Happiness > money (assuming the money is enough to live on comfortably either way)
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So true.

Last year I left a job I LOVED--I'm talking loved so much that I actually looked forward to going to work--in order to take a job that had a much higher salary and that I don't particularly enjoy (although I don't hate it either). Looking back it was a horrible decision and I regret it, despite the huge increase in salary.
 
T

Tenks

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I get to wear jeans every day at work and that is worth at least $5k/yr to me
 
Noodleface

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My company has two vending machines at every "landing", free coffee/hot chocolate, two microwaves at each landing, and free water. Plus I can wear jeans.

I AM A FUCKING KING.
 
Alex

Alex

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Noodleface_sl said:
My company has two vending machines at every "landing", free coffee/hot chocolate, two microwaves at each landing, and free water. Plus I can wear jeans.

I AM A FUCKING KING.
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I can wear sandals and shorts. We have drinks during lunch. I can walk to the office in 20 minutes. I "work from home" on days when I go out to concerts or something the night before. Oh, and this is the view from the office:

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My office could beat up your office. Still planning on looking for a new job within the next few months though.
 
chaos

chaos

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Give me a good salary and good health insurance and I'll shovel coal in a fucking slag pit.
 
Noodleface

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Alex_sl said:
I can wear sandals and shorts. We have drinks during lunch. I can walk to the office in 20 minutes. I "work from home" on days when I go out to concerts or something the night before. Oh, and this is the view from the office:

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My office could beat up your office. Still planning on looking for a new job within the next few months though.
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We can wear sandals and shorts,. I just never would lol. 1hr commute but we can telecommute whenever we want. See you at the basketball court after class dickweed!!! >
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>
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Lenas

Lenas

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I have a job where I can go to work late every day, leave early, company puts in like 90% of the healthcare costs, I wear whatever the fuck I want and get free coffee all day son. Unfortunately my salary isn't up to par for my field and I'm starting to look for jobs with less fringe benefits and more money so I can start doing shit I want to do... Like go on a vacation with my wife, or start saving for a house. Fuck the sandals and shorts, I want to be able to get out of here every once in a while.
 
mkopec

mkopec

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When I was younger, that shit didnt matter. I was a scrub jobie which would leave for another job for an extra .50c per hour. Now? I settled for a lower wage, but with job security, awesome insurance, 10 min drive, 3.5 weeks paid vacation ontop of getting 14 paid holidays. So I can spend more time with my family.
 
chaos

chaos

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Well, I should have added in there that stability is also important. I could make a lot more money (and I make good money now) taking a short term contract. I just can't live that life.
 
Selix

Selix

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chaos_sl said:
Give me a good salary and good health insurance and I'll shovel coal in a fucking slag pit.
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This up to a limit and then the benefits start to matter a lot more to me then the money. Once I hit about 80k-100k (This is Indiana we are talking about) I can afford just about whatever I want and invest into our savings, kids college plans, future vacations etc. After that it's all about flex time, freedom to work to the job and not to the clock, associated perks etc.

I work in a Google like environment which has been absolutely amazing but it works because there is so much work that your boss doesn't have check up on you. I am involved with so many people that if I weren't doing my part it would become pretty obvious in a very short time to a lot of people. The benefit though is that when times are slow you can come in a 1 pm and leave at 3 pm.
 
opiate82

opiate82

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For me, flexible schedule is a fringe benefit I consider more important than salary. Big reason I became my own boss. Whether it is hitting up the mountain on an epic powder day or taking advantage of a mid-week deal to Vegas, being able to leave the job for a couple of days on a whim is something I love.

For that reason, I have tried to give my employees the closest version to that as possible. While they can't just ditch out work on a moments notice, each week I put up a request form for the the following week and with very rare exceptions those requests are all granted. I have amazingly low turnover for my industry and I think the flexible schedule I offer is a big reason why.
 
Alex

Alex

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Flex schedule is awesome. That's one thing I wish I could take more advantage of. I can be liberal with my hours, but I can't just take a day off and make it up later.
 
O

Obtenor_sl

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Flexible schedule is a big point for me. I usually get to work at 9:30 leave at 5, 5:30.

I can work from home here and then, we don't have a vacation policy so I can take as many days as I want (given that I don't lag on any project), have an amazing view of LAX / Beaches. The benefits are really good too (free lunches all the time, cheap insurance that includes everything including dental+ortho) we're in the top 5 companies to work in LA (and we have like 60 people working in the LA office).

Our summer party this year is in disneyland
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and can bring up to two guests.

I'd say, all in all, all those perks are there because they want you to work and be productive, an office that has crappy kitchen, no microwave, dreadful environment... people really aren't going to work at their best potential.

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