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When people were first ordered to stay home in March, there was concern about the virus and about isolation. Those living paycheck to paycheck, who couldn’t go to work, worried about that element, of course. But, it was just two weeks. Then that turned into another two weeks, and another. Working America became frustrated as they simply weren’t allowed to go to work, but then there was the other massive fallout that few expected: companies couldn’t pay their employees anymore, because there was just no business coming in. Or very little.
When customers stop showing up to brick and mortar establishments, advertisers start pulling their advertisement deals, and investors stop investing for fear of market instability, all of which trickles down to payroll. One way companies minimized layoffs was by giving pay cuts. A lot of them did this, in every industry – even executive-level individuals took pay cuts. With that landscape in mind, should you find yourself looking for a new job right now, you may find that companies can’t give you the salary you’re asking for. But, salary isn’t everything when it comes to compensation. We spoke to Keirsten Greggs, founder of TRAP Recruiter, about what other benefits you can look for if the money isn’t all there. Greggs encourages job seekers to ask themselves: “At this stage in my career, what’s the best benefit [for me]?” Greggs says sometimes it’s peace of mind, mental health, work-life balance, or something you can’t quite put a dollar sign in front of.
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An expansive medical package
Some companies will not only pay for all or most of your medical insurance, they’ll also help cover your spouses or domestic partner’s, you children’s, and even your pet’s! When you consider what it costs to buy individual plans for all of these loved ones, having a company pay for that – or at least most of that – means several hundreds of dollars if not over a thousand stay in your pocket each month.
