Compensation Solicitor - Meet Your Expectations

The recruitment process can be a daunting one. Not only are you looking for a new role which will have an impact on your future career and security, but the process itself can take up to six months or more. Add to this the fact that you may need to undergo multiple interviews with different teams of recruiters, and it can seem like there’s no escape.

For many people, the compensation benefits are not all that matter when deciding on a job offer. But when you start to consider the financial package, you may be surprised to learn that an impressive salary figure is not always matched by impressive benefits packages.

“The big misconception is that bonuses and benefits are negotiated on equal terms as salary,” says a leading accountancy firm. “This can lead to some companies offering flat-rate bonuses for certain roles for example, which often don’t match the amount of money earned from doing hours more than your contracted hours.”

So what should you expect? Here are our top tips for the best and broadest package:

Compensation worth considering Phones and a mobile phone, laptop and tablet. Savings on mobile phones and laptops are usually a good indicator of your salary level – but do not base your decision on this alone.

Office space. This is, perhaps surprisingly, not always included in the package. However, it can be useful to have an office so that you have a quiet place to work if you have lots of clients attending meetings in your office (which can also give you office space for personal use). Sometimes this can be part of the contract (usually for departments dealing with public facing clients) but not always.

A one-off payment (say, £500 in year one) to spend on whatever you want. This is a very popular benefit and is always good as it ensures you put the money to good use. You may be lucky enough to get an annual holiday allowance of £1,000 or more but usually there will be a restriction for use within the UK.

Performance bonuses can also be offered on top of salaries – so if your work is exceptional in any way, this could result in extra money dropped into your bank account. However, these are not too common and should not be relied upon.

“It is also worth noting that companies and recruiters will often use targets to encourage staff to work additional hours,” says a recruitment consultant. “Many organisations use them so it is worth asking if target bonuses are available on top of salary and benefits.”

If you are looking for a new job, be sure to take into account the factors described above and more when making your final decision on whether to take the offer. Remember, compensation does not have to be low; it is just important that the package is in line with what you need as a new employee. Always be sure to leave the least amount of money on the table, as you may never get the chance again.

For more information on compensation packages and related topics, visit our website at https://www.mckinley-mann.co.uk/compensation-reviews/

CHAPTER NINE

FAMILY RELATIONS AND BENEFITS

The employment law definition of a family as a unit to which one or both parents are wholly or mainly responsible for a child and that includes an adult who is neither married nor in a civil partnership with another person is seen as the most widely used view within families with children. However, it is also recognised that families may be multicultural in nature and that there are many different types of family in existence, some of which are not defined by the basic institution of marriage.

The rules relating to family members fall into two main categories: firstly those which relate to employment relationships and secondly those which apply to a person in the role of an employee’s spouse (the opposite being the employee’s partner).

Family Members in Employment

Employers are required to differentiate between working conditions for each individual employee and this means they must treat employees as individuals – not as a unit. This includes colleagues in the same position, or with the same or very similar skills and experience.

A worker is one who, in addition to carrying out work, is either a partner of the employer or has a right to participate in the profits of the business under an arrangement. A worker has an employment contract even where no formal contract exists, but there must be some work done by someone for money or other benefit. However, there are limitations on what constitutes a worker as opposed to an employee.

There are also different definitions associated with family members based upon how they are seen by existing employment law. These are:

1. A spouse/civil partner is defined as a person one of whose parents is an employee and who has a child (being 18 or over). The child must also be under 21.

2. A child is defined as: a. A person under 18 or over the age of 18 but in education until the age of 20; b. Persons with disabilities and their carers; c. Wards, pupils and students residing with their employer providing they have their own living quarters or are in training full-time; or d. Employees under the age of 18 who have left school/college to help out at home, although they may be paid for some part of the time they spend helping out; e. Persons who are dependent on either parent, although only one is employed; or f. Persons under 18 (or over 18 but in education until the age of 21) and pupils unless they have no dependent parents.

3. A child (a person under 21) can be an employee if they are not an employee of their parents.

4. A student is a person who is registered as a student at a college, university or other educational institution and can undertake work to supplement their course of study during term time only if certain conditions are met including that they have parental permission and need not be paid more than the minimum wage.

Conclusion

If you are getting to the point of trying to find employment that you would love and take your career to the next level, it is important to do your research, understand what is available and negotiate if necessary. You also need to be sure that you have thought about all of the things that will make your role suitable for you in regard to remuneration (salary and benefits), family relationships and a work-life balance. All of these things can affect your chances of getting a job but also more importantly, whether or not you love what you do – so search carefully before deciding on a job offer.