Employment comes with an obvious perk – getting that cold, hard cash in your bank account each pay period. But employers recognize the importance of supporting their employees beyond just their paycheck, and more employees are asking for benefit information before accepting a job offer.
Most larger employers offer benefits like paid time off and access to a retirement plan. Other benefits might include tuition reimbursement, health insurance, and more. But no matter what benefits your employer offers, they only benefit you if you use them.
Use it, don’t lose it
Starting a new job comes with a slew of paperwork and decisions to make, and some of these decisions probably involved benefits. It’s worth revisiting your benefits to make sure you’re using everything you can.
If you’ve been employed for a while, your situation may have changed since your hire date. Maybe you’re able to contribute more to your 401(k) to maximize your employer match. Or maybe you have some free time now and are ready to use the tuition reimbursement to level up your skills.
Some often overlooked and under-utilized benefits include:
- Taking the full 401(k) match
- Using reimbursement for health and wellness
- HSA/FSA
- Commuter perks
- Other insurance benefits (life, disability, vision, dental)
Got questions on Employee Benefits? Ask ‘em
The employee handbook may not be the most entertaining reading material, but if you have questions about what benefits you’re entitled to, that’s a great place to start. Checking with Human Resources or reading your company’s website may also shed some light.
Human Resources is probably not going to come knocking on your door to ask you to use your benefits, so you may have to spend some time learning about them on your own time. But these benefits will improve your life and impact your financial future, so spending a few minutes learning about them is well worth the time investment.
