Looking beyond the money: The real deciding factor for accepting a job offer
You look for a job primarily for one reason: you need money. But before landing a job, it takes an arduous process that begins with the submission of your painstakingly prepared resume in companies you wish to work for. If you’re lucky enough to receive the long-awaited callback, then you’re likely to finally get a job offer.
You may have pressing financial needs such as bills to pay and financial obligations to your family that make you think taking any job is much better than having no job at all.
But hold on a bit. Landing just any job, even if it is not fit for you could hurt your career in the long run. It’s a band-aid solution. Plus, accepting a job offer should be based on more than just the salary. So before you decide to say yes to a prospective employer, it’s best for you to give the following considerations some serious thought.
The work culture should be aligned with your personality
You will spend most of your waking hours in the same space with the same people everyday so it is important for you to consider if the overall environment of the company you are looking to work for is aligned with your temperament, principles, and ideals.
The company you will work for can influence how people will perceive you, so it is best if the company could contribute positively to your personal image as much as you could contribute positively to the company’s culture.
The work should not lead you to a dead end
There are companies that place the welfare of their employees on top priority. This is most obvious when companies promote their employees’ growth and development by providing opportunities to build on their knowledge and skills, aside from providing them the chance to get promoted and climb the corporate ladder.
If the company you’re applying for has no other plans for you aside from the usual performance targets, then you might as well reconsider. What will work best for you is a company that will allow you to expand your skill set, your knowledge, and your network in order to equip you in taking on bigger roles and responsibilities in the future.
The work contributes to the fulfilment of your financial plans
Your prospective job should contribute to the fulfilment of your financial goals. With this, examine if the company you’re applying for is stable. You don’t want to wake up every day worrying if you still have a job to report to. You also don’t want to receive a notice that your salary will be delayed because the company is operating at a loss.
Aside from job stability, check for other benefits the company has to offer. Examine if the company is compliant with existing laws in terms of providing mandatory employee benefits. Among them are the following:
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Social Security System (SSS) provides employees and their families protection against disability, sickness, old age, and death.
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Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF), also known as Pag-IBIG Fund, serves as a provident savings system supplying housing loans to employees.
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Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) aids employees in paying for their medical care.
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13th month pay is equivalent to a month’s salary, otherwise known to most employees as Christmas bonus.
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Overtime pay or additional compensation for employees who stay at work beyond regular work hours. Employees should be compensated equivalent to their regular wage plus at least 25% premium. On a Special Non-Working day or rest day, employees should receive an additional compensation of 30% premium in addition to the rate of the first eight hours of their work.
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Night Shift Differential or pay for extended work hours for employees who work between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Employees should receive an additional 10% premium for every night shift work hour.
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Leave benefits include Sick Leaves, Vacation Leaves, Maternity Leaves, Paternity Leaves, Solo Parenting Leaves, and other special leave benefits.
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Retirement benefits Retiring employees who served a company for at least five (5) years should be granted a retirement pay. The minimum retirement pay should be equivalent to the salary an employee receives for half a month for every year of service, a fraction of at least six (6) months being considered as one (1) whole year.1
Benefits on overtime pay, night shift differential and leave benefits are provided to employees as covered by the provisions of Article 82 of the Labor Code of the Philippines.2
There are companies that offer additional benefits aside from the ones mandated by law such as provident fund options, group life insurance, and health insurance. While these are considered as “extras,” finding a company that frees you from worrying too much about your future by offering added financial assistance in cases of illness or accident is a company worth saying yes to.
Aside from the considerations previously mentioned, one important thing that you have to think of when accepting a job offer is if the company, together with its salary and other benefits, match your career and financial plan. Not having any plan for yourself is similar to blindly putting yourself in a situation that could jeopardize your future.
Having a “just trying to get by” attitude will limit your opportunities to grow your career and decrease your earning capacity in the long run. Being employed is your gateway to building a more secure and comfortable future. By having a more holistic approach to being employed could spell a big difference in fulfilling your goals for you and your family.
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References
1 DOLE National Wages and Productivity Commission
2 https://blr.dole.gov.ph/2014/12/11/book-iii-conditions-of-employment