Generous benefits package = more likely to treat staff well?

[doistayordoigo]

As the title says really...I'm curious to know whether, from experience, people would say that if an employer has a generous benefits package it's a good indication that they respect their employees and are more likely to be a "good" employer, so to speak? Obviously not all employers are able to offer lots of benefits, for various reasons, and I'm not suggesting that that makes them "bad" employers, but generally, if the package is good is it a good sign?

[Sarsaparillajones]

It's a sign that they have an effective HR dept and that they are likely to be a reasonable size. It also depends on the sector, and the level of the job on offer. In my experience smaller companies and small charities especially are less likely to have a reasonable package. What is typical for the sector you're looking at ? And does the package offered include things that will be useful to you?

[Skiptonlass]

Depends.

If it's normal stuff, then I'd say yes.

The places like Google, where they have free food, free laundry etc? That's nice, but it's to make sure you work seriously long hours.

But if you're just talking about flexi time, good leave, etc, then yes, I'd say that's a good sign.

[doistayordoigo]

It's a large charity, pretty well known, and is for the normal type stuff, certainly not in the realm of Google or anything like that! Mind you, if they offered to do my laundry or cleaning I cold be very tempted!

[BackforGood]

I think it's just more of a sign of the size of the corporation tbh.
Most small businesses don't have either the spending power, or the flexibility to offer such generosity as larger corporations.

[SunshineBossaNova]

I worked at a largish charity and the perks were amazing. The hours were insanely flexible etc etc etc. But the culture was hideous and I left within a year.

[Drquin]

Would agree that if you've got a formal (good) benefits package, it just suggests to me that the employer is of a size to justify employing people to administer that package. Not necessarily good or bad though.

I can do really quite flexible hours ..... Which is great in one sense, but the reason "flexible hours" are possible is that we're pretty much a 24/7 business. So "flexible" can easily develop into "more".

The rest of the job / company has to be "good" without them because when money's tight, it's the luxuries that'll be the first to go.

[doistayordoigo]

Yeah, obviously smaller companies aren't in a position to offer the same kind of package. Would it be wrong of me to ask what charity you worked for Sunshine?

It was just a general query really, where I currently work we are about to be restructured with some redundancies, should find out in the next couple of weeks what's likely to be happening. If I did apply for a job with this charity, it would be a £9.5k payrise, so the benefits would just be a bonus really.

[Drquin]

That's probably the best way to look at it ..... Are you happy with the basics of what's on offer (bearing in mind benefits will usually be contractual, so often are included in "basics")? Anything else is literally a bonus.

[Sarsaparillajones]

I worked at a large well known charity for many years. Reasonable benefits package especially sick pay and maternity. But actually fairly corporate long hours culture to work in. i really enjoyed working there but as with any big company it had different cultures in different areas. I'm much happier now at a smaller organisation without long hours expectations. Might be worth asking around the charity sector is a very small world so if you are already working in it you probably know people who have worked there.

[SunshineBossaNova]

I'll pm you OP.

[Trills]

With two companies of the same size, it indicates that the company thinks this sort of thing is important. Which should be a good sign.

[doistayordoigo]

Not in charity sector at the moment, currently in education, but no longer local authority, so lots of changes. It may well be that I have been out of the "real world" for too long and moving anywhere new will be a shock!