Normal jobs with good benefits
Normal jobs with good benefits
Author
Discussion

KnackeredSwede

Original Poster:

417 posts

124 months

Tuesday 24th March 2020
quotequote all
The corona virus outbreak I'm sure has given us all a different perspective on what's important in life, and things we take for granted.

One thing that has really stood out for me is how rubbish some peoples employers have been about the whole thing, mine included.

It got me thinking, there used to be jobs like Postman, or working for the council etc, whiich were jobs for life, reasonable money for what you are expected to do.

Flexitime, pension percentage contribution, holiday and sick pay, how stable the company is, all can take a back seat when going for a job if the headline salary figure is okay, but these are all very important.

So are there any normal jobs out there these days with good benefits, or is this a thing of the past? By normal, I mean probably around the national average salary or maybe even below.

I have a friend who is a HGV driver for tesco who has a very good overall employment package, but I can't think of many other people in my family or circle of friends.

CX53

3,021 posts

133 months

Tuesday 24th March 2020
quotequote all
Compared to a lot of real world jobs, public sector have it pretty good. I know the likes of nurses, police and prison officers do a lot of amazing work for not very much money, but the jobs are as steady and stable as they get, holiday and pension generous and if you're off sick or need support I'd wager they would be more accommodating than your average employer.


When I've been permanently employed in engineering before, Its usually been minumum or slightly above for holidays, minimum pension contribution, no understanding for personal issues or time off, no sick pay, no bonus, clauses in the contract saying they can send you home unpaid if the work dries up...

mikebradford

3,060 posts

168 months

Tuesday 24th March 2020
quotequote all
Pimp?

CzechItOut

2,156 posts

214 months

Tuesday 24th March 2020
quotequote all
You either need to work in industry where skills are in high demand or a company which offers particularly good benefits.

For example, I work in IT and don't think I've ever had a jobs which didn't pay full salary for six months sickness. When you compare that to Statutory Sick Pay of £94 per day, sorry PER WEEK, you realise what a massive benefit that is.

Similarly, I worked for a large building society (the world's largest in fact) who pay in 16% to your pension when you contribute 7%.

LimaDelta

7,943 posts

241 months

Wednesday 25th March 2020
quotequote all
Anything public sector?

J4CKO

45,879 posts

223 months

Wednesday 25th March 2020
quotequote all
Glassdoor is a good indicator, I went for a job after being made redundant a couple of years back with a company on Trafford park and their reviews were awful, I raised it at interview and they said the reviews were mainly from call centre staff who get treated markedly differently to the IT and other functions, huge turnover and they have to be pretty brutal he said as so many take the piss.

CX53

3,021 posts

133 months

Wednesday 25th March 2020
quotequote all
mikebradford said:
Pimp?
And if your Mrs doesn't mind you could WFH

psi310398

10,611 posts

226 months

Wednesday 25th March 2020
quotequote all
LimaDelta said:
Anything public sector?
Largely long gone what with outsourcing and austerity putting a moratorium on recruitment and on pay rises.

Tons of work is done with agency staff. Being low down the totem pole working in the public sector these days is an insecure and fairly miserable experience.

For more skilled people there were short term contracts (but HMRC single-handedly fked up the entire market when it started playing silly buggers with IR35 a few years ago).

xx99xx

2,699 posts

96 months

Wednesday 25th March 2020
quotequote all
psi310398 said:
LimaDelta said:
Anything public sector?
Largely long gone what with outsourcing and austerity putting a moratorium on recruitment and on pay rises.

Tons of work is done with agency staff. Being low down the totem pole working in the public sector these days is an insecure and fairly miserable experience.

For more skilled people there were short term contracts (but HMRC single-handedly fked up the entire market when it started playing silly buggers with IR35 a few years ago).
OP was asking about average wage jobs. There are tons of these available in public sector doing a dazzling array of different things. Most of which come with pretty good (non financial) benefits, although you could put a price on them if you wanted to i.e. flexitime, 30 days leave, good sick pay, security, work life balance etc which makes the overall package not too bad.

I'm sure certain parts of the sector have a lot of temps but there are definitely parts that don't. Best (and most common) method of securing a job people enjoy, is to get foot in the door doing anything and then keep moving internally. There tend to be more vacancies available for internal only candidates because they have to keep headcount down.

95JO

1,947 posts

109 months

Thursday 26th March 2020
quotequote all
J4CKO said:
Glassdoor is a good indicator, I went for a job after being made redundant a couple of years back with a company on Trafford park and their reviews were awful, I raised it at interview and they said the reviews were mainly from call centre staff who get treated markedly differently to the IT and other functions, huge turnover and they have to be pretty brutal he said as so many take the piss.
I think I know which company you're referring to as I raised the same issue at an interview there a few years ago.

Turned out the turnover in the IT department was pretty substantial too.

95JO

1,947 posts

109 months

Thursday 26th March 2020
quotequote all
Anything in Local Government/Civil Service

Evanivitch

25,830 posts

145 months

Thursday 26th March 2020
quotequote all
Mate in Department for Transport (South Wales) is on mid £30k but with very flexible working and something like 20% pension contributions. He was on a lot more money than in London, and travelling to exclusive events, but it was a pressure-cooker of a job.

Seems pretty buckshee to me.

CX53

3,021 posts

133 months

Thursday 26th March 2020
quotequote all
Friend of my Mrs is a prison officer, and because she has bad asthma is deemed high risk and is off for 12 weeks on full pay.

Not the best of jobs sometimes when people are throwing piss, st and spunk at her but being public sector they look after you in other ways.

Think I'd rather be off unpaid than be there at all but there we are.

p4cks

7,336 posts

222 months

Thursday 26th March 2020
quotequote all
M&S staff get great perks

Gad-Westy

16,180 posts

236 months

Thursday 26th March 2020
quotequote all
p4cks said:
M&S staff get great perks
John Lewis used to be good too I think. Can't recall the details.

Red Sleeper

369 posts

128 months

Friday 27th March 2020
quotequote all
Nurse
Police officer or other regular jobs for the police
Prison officer
Probation officer
Council worker
Accountant
Shop worker for premium stores
Train driver


edc

9,486 posts

274 months

Friday 27th March 2020
quotequote all
How do you define good benefits?

Big % pension contribution, retail discounts, 4x + life assurance, critical illness insurance, family inclusive MHD health insurance, flex bens so you can choose, loads of holiday, generous car scheme?