Non-salary benefits
Discussion
I'm waiting on the details of a job offer coming through to me. If I take it, I will be the company's first employee. I'm expecting the salary to be on the low side (circa £10k below my last full time, permanent employed position) but with bonuses/training, flexible working and future reviews being offered to sweeten it a bit.
What other non-salary benefits would you ask for?
Would you think it ridiculous (from either side of the fence) to ask for 52 days holiday?
What other non-salary benefits would you ask for?
Would you think it ridiculous (from either side of the fence) to ask for 52 days holiday?
Bonus - absolutely, make sure it's linked to as few factors as possible, to make sure you and they understand the payout triggers. Little and often, rather than once a year, and subject to factors outside your control.
Training - I'd go for development time rather than specific courses, and some sort of training budget.
Flexible working - you might as well. Depends on job though - you can't work from home as a machinist
Flexitime - hell yes, get that burnt in.
Periodic reviews - yup, no harm in asking.
52 days holiday? Nope, that's nigh on unreasonable - factor in Bank Holidays and weekends, and you might as well not turn up
Additional things to ask for:
Fully expensed car, where you lease, and they pay for that net cost.
Home broadbean & expensed mobile.
Three months plus notice both sides.
Very short probation - stops them sucking you dry of knowledge and contacts and then binning you.
Training - I'd go for development time rather than specific courses, and some sort of training budget.
Flexible working - you might as well. Depends on job though - you can't work from home as a machinist
Flexitime - hell yes, get that burnt in.Periodic reviews - yup, no harm in asking.
52 days holiday? Nope, that's nigh on unreasonable - factor in Bank Holidays and weekends, and you might as well not turn up

Additional things to ask for:
Fully expensed car, where you lease, and they pay for that net cost.
Home broadbean & expensed mobile.
Three months plus notice both sides.
Very short probation - stops them sucking you dry of knowledge and contacts and then binning you.
randlemarcus said:
Additional things to ask for:
Fully expensed car, where you lease, and they pay for that net cost.
Home broadbean & expensed mobile.
Three months plus notice both sides.
Very short probation - stops them sucking you dry of knowledge and contacts and then binning you.
I think these would be very valuable, especially the car. Fully expensed car, where you lease, and they pay for that net cost.
Home broadbean & expensed mobile.
Three months plus notice both sides.
Very short probation - stops them sucking you dry of knowledge and contacts and then binning you.
randlemarcus said:
Bonus - absolutely, make sure it's linked to as few factors as possible, to make sure you and they understand the payout triggers. Little and often, rather than once a year, and subject to factors outside your control.
Training - I'd go for development time rather than specific courses, and some sort of training budget.
Flexible working - you might as well. Depends on job though - you can't work from home as a machinist
Flexitime - hell yes, get that burnt in.
Periodic reviews - yup, no harm in asking.
52 days holiday? Nope, that's nigh on unreasonable - factor in Bank Holidays and weekends, and you might as well not turn up
Additional things to ask for:
Fully expensed car, where you lease, and they pay for that net cost.
Home broadbean & expensed mobile.
Three months plus notice both sides.
Very short probation - stops them sucking you dry of knowledge and contacts and then binning you.
All great stuff, thank you!Training - I'd go for development time rather than specific courses, and some sort of training budget.
Flexible working - you might as well. Depends on job though - you can't work from home as a machinist
Flexitime - hell yes, get that burnt in.Periodic reviews - yup, no harm in asking.
52 days holiday? Nope, that's nigh on unreasonable - factor in Bank Holidays and weekends, and you might as well not turn up

Additional things to ask for:
Fully expensed car, where you lease, and they pay for that net cost.
Home broadbean & expensed mobile.
Three months plus notice both sides.
Very short probation - stops them sucking you dry of knowledge and contacts and then binning you.
On the holidays - what does anyone think would be the maximum I could reasonably ask for (including bank holidays)?
A leased car - how does that help from the employers point of view in place of just paying the extra salary?
Jimslips said:
Since it is a new business, make sure you are very happy with the deal as it is probably quite a risk. Forget probationary period being worth much. You don't have much rights until >1yr.
It's not actually a new business. It's an established training/consultancy business which has been using freelance trainers. The owner enjoys and is good at delivering the training but the business is at a stage now where he doesn't have the time nor the expertise to grow the sales/marketing/business development/admin side of it as well. Which is where I will be coming in.It's still a risk in that it's an SME and I will be the first employee, but I like what the owner has done so far, what he would like to do next and the autonomy i'll be given to achieve it.
MercScot said:
If someone sat in front of me and asked for 50+ days holiday I would immediately question their commitment to the business and the position - I would urge caution on this, 30 days is pretty standard (excluding bank holidays).
+1 OP You seem to be looking for ways to milk it before you've started! By all means you should look at ways to maximise your income, profit share/bonuses etc to reward the growth you bring but I get the impression your heart's not really in it...
VX Foxy said:
MercScot said:
If someone sat in front of me and asked for 50+ days holiday I would immediately question their commitment to the business and the position - I would urge caution on this, 30 days is pretty standard (excluding bank holidays).
+1 OP You seem to be looking for ways to milk it before you've started! By all means you should look at ways to maximise your income, profit share/bonuses etc to reward the growth you bring but I get the impression your heart's not really in it...
Crafty_ said:
52 days ? are you looking for regular time off ? if so you could ask for flexible working, lets say a 37 hour week, if you did 8 hour days monday to friday you could leave at 12 on a friday ?
Lol. The figure of 52 days was plucked from the air. Statutory min is 28 days; I was wondering how much of a piss take almost double that would be. From the replies on here, it's too much of a piss take!
I can work with anything down to statutory min. More just means I'll have more leisure time/time to work on my own business if something urgent comes up.Use Psychology said:
Small business, first employee, if it looks good then ask for equity as part of your remuneration.
Think a lot of the other stuff will take a lot more out of the business (ie cost them a lot more) for less value to you, if you do a good job.
I like looking at the idea of equity to 'safeguard' me in the future. My niggling fear is that I come in, sort out the business strategy, put all the wheels in motion, start seeing the growth then 12-24 months down the line get a 'thanks for all your hard work, there's the door'.Think a lot of the other stuff will take a lot more out of the business (ie cost them a lot more) for less value to you, if you do a good job.
It happened to me in my first job after uni in a slightly larger SME (£4million turnover). Great job, doing well, bright future, upcoming promotion. Bang, redundancy. Voluntary liquidation of the company by the (brother and sister) directors due to a family disagreement.
How would you go about valuing equity if it was a possibility for remuneration?
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52 days holiday + 8 public holidays, you're having a laugh! As a new employee I would expect 22 plus the 8 public holidays, increasing to 25 or thereabouts after 3 years.