Work Perks

When I got my first corporate job I knew I would be getting better quality benefits like lower cost health insurance coverage for my family, the ability to purchase company stock at a discounted rate, and larger retirement contributions. What I didn’t realize was that there are so many perks available that people don’t talk about as much, but that you should definitely be using. And you know I let every new person know about these things!

I was able to sign up to take virtual Spanish lessons with a free app that also included one-on-one training with a teacher. I began coursework to get my CFP designation and was able to get discounts to monthly a massage subscription and free tickets to the aquarium.

There was also the ability to earn points for completing health care related tasks that you would be doing anyway, like scheduling a physical or getting a mammogram, and then convert the points into contributions to your HSA. There was a limit, maybe $250, but that is $250 of basically free money in your HSA to use towards medical expenses or invest. If you haven’t checked out the blogpost on HSAs, please do so now!

I had a lot of free time when I first started in my position and was able to explore the corporate intranet, which I’m assuming most companies have. Depending on your company and the time of year may depend on how many different types of benefits you get and how good they are. However, these benefits are kind of like a non-monetary salary increase. So in a way, the more you are able to use these benefits the more you get paid.