Are you taking full advantage of your job’s benefits and perks? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of PwC chief people officer Mike Fenlon. They talk through what to do when you’re deciding between freelancing and a staff position with benefits, you want your company to offer a new perk, or your job makes it hard to use your vacation days.
From Alison and Dan’s reading list:
HBR: The Most Desirable Employee Benefits by Kerry Jones — “In today’s hiring market, a generous benefits package is essential for attracting and retaining top talent. According to Glassdoor’s 2015 Employment Confidence Survey, about 60% of people report that benefits and perks are a major factor in considering whether to accept a job offer. The survey also found that 80% of employees would choose additional benefits over a pay raise.”
HBR: Thriving in the Gig Economy by Gianpiero Petriglieri, Susan J. Ashford, and Amy Wrzesniewski — “Approximately 150 million workers in North America and Western Europe have left the relatively stable confines of organizational life — sometimes by choice, sometimes not — to work as independent contractors. Some of this growth reflects the emergence of ride-hailing and task-oriented service platforms, but a recent report by McKinsey found that knowledge-intensive industries and creative occupations are the largest and fastest-growing segments of the freelance economy.”
HBR: How to Minimize Stress Before, During, and After Your Vacation by Tristan Elizabeth Gribbin — “It’s a Catch-22 millions of workers face: You plan a vacation to relax, rejuvenate, and forget all about the stresses of work. But being out of the office means cramming in extra work up until you leave — and making up for lost time once you return. So perhaps it’s little surprise that a study in the Netherlands found vacationers are no happier than non-vacationers after a break.”
HBR: A Winning Parental Leave Policy Can Be Surprisingly Simple by Hilary Rau and Joan C. Williams — “Paid leave is a powerful tool for recruiting and retaining top talent — if it sends a strong signal that a company values its employees and is committed to equity and diversity in the workplace. Employers can avoid undercutting this powerful message by making sure that their paid leave policy applies equally to all new parents — mothers and fathers, biological and adoptive, LGBT, salaried and hourly — without requiring that employees first prove themselves to be primary caregivers.”