Taking Away the Company Perks

In today’s economy, companies are struggling to offer employees benefits like they once did. When things get tough, the perks are the first to go.

There’s an article that talks about how to take away benefits without driving away your employees, but I thought we could talk about the opposite: what to do if you are an employee and your benefits have been reduced.

First of all, if something “trivial” gets taken away like free soda or coffee, don’t do anything. That’s not going to affect your job long term and you should probably just be happy you had it while you did.

But if things like health care, insurance, and vacation time are being cut, it’s time to have a talk with your boss. Companies DO owe it to their employees to offer such things. Now, perhaps you have a spouse that gets health insurance so a cut to you isn’t as important. Instead of shrugging it off you should see if you can get something in return for what was cut. Try bargaining for something else.

If your paid vacation time gets cut, ask for time off unpaid. Or the chance to telecommute. If your health insurance gets cut and you have to buy your own, ask for a partial payment to help defray costs.

The time to negotiate is at the moment you are notified that your benefits are changing. Don’t get angry or threaten to quit, but do tell your employer you understand their need to change things but that you’d like to see if there are some other alternatives the two of you can work out.

Always be prepared with an updated resume. There may be a better job waiting for you and a cut in pay or benefits may turn out to be a blessing in disguise if it helps motivate you to find something else.