Paid Time Off

Paid vacation and sick days are another great benefit. Generally, you earn a set number for each month you work. These days will accrue as you work. Note that some employers will give an all-purpose allotment of time off, while others might give a set amount of sick and a set amount of vacation.

Some employers also give additional days once you reach a certain number of years working there. When changing jobs you may want to consider the things that you will give up when it comes to seniority.

Additionally, when you leave, your company should pay you for the sick days and vacation days that you have accrued, but not used. Check out this resource from the balance to understand your rights in terms of getting paid out for unused PTO when you leave a job: https://www.thebalancecareers.com/getting-paid-for-unused-vacation-and-sick-time-2063028

You should find a detailed breakdown of your company's holidays, the vacation time policy, the sick time policy, and the holidays that the entire company has off in your company's handbook. You can also ask about these when you're interviewing and negotiating your offer.

Don't Forget: Additional Important Benefits

As you're talking benefits packages with a prospective employer, don't forget to ask about the following as they interest you:

• Over-time/Comp Time​: If your job takes you over the standard hours, make sure you know if that's compensated with additional pay or additional time off!
• Commuting expenses​: You may be able to take money out of your paycheck before taxes to pay for public transit or get reimbursed for gas if you have to travel for work. Some employers might even offer to pay for some of those expenses as a perk!
• Parking reimbursement​: Just like the expense above, some employers may compensate you for parking expenses or even provide a paid parking pass.
• Phone reimbursement​: If you're expected to use your personal phone for work, you may qualify for reimbursement or a stipend toward your monthly phone bill. Or, some employers may provide you with a company phone. If there's some expectation to work outside of the office, this is worth asking about!
• Parental leave: Different employers will offer different amounts of paid time away from work to care for a newborn or newly-adopted child.
• Dependent care​: While not the most common benefit, some employers may offer day care, which can alleviate a lot of strain.
• Tuition Reimbursement​: Some employers will cover some of your tuition at certain colleges or in certain programs, if you're interested in continuing your education.
• Professional Development: Similar to tuition reimbursement, some employers offer a yearly PD budget to allow you to attend conferences, take workshops to develop your skills, or go to networking events.
• Health clubs​: Some employers will offer you free or reduced-cost access to a fitness center.