11
ctnqhk
3y

Last job search was in mid 2020. I thought I had a pretty good offer: getting 40% more in gross salary. But then I asked some pretty standard/clarifying questions about benefits and all the red flags started coming out ๐Ÿšฉ. They really used the pandemic to sell ppl short. TLDR I turned down the offer.

PTO was the dealbreaker. Their PTO was 16 days: 6 holidays plus 10 personal days. Even though any paid time off is PTO, I thought it was pretty gross to count holidays in the PTO bank like that. My friends agreed with me.

Yes, this is a US company.

Then shit hit the fan when I asked about sick days.

Me: What’s the policy on sick time?

Talent/HR: We have a flex time policy, so you don’t have to take time off for a one hour doctor’s appointment.

๐Ÿคจ๐Ÿšฉ
I didn’t ask about flex time.

Me: The PTO is really low.

Talent: Well, you could use your sick days for vacation.

๐Ÿคจ๐Ÿšฉ๐Ÿšฉ

Me: I just asked you about sick time and you didn’t mention sick days. What are these sick days?

Talent: Oh, well technically the personal days are 5 sick days and 5 personal days… [I swear this is what I heard over the phone.]

๐Ÿคจ๐Ÿšฉ๐Ÿšฉ๐Ÿšฉ

Me: ๐Ÿ˜ค This isn’t going to work.

Talent: I can see about getting you more PTO.

Talent comes back with 5 additional personal days. And it wouldn’t be included in my offer letter it would only be a note in my file. ๐Ÿšฉ๐Ÿšฉ๐Ÿšฉ๐Ÿšฉ๐Ÿšฉ

The gross thing was this startup was in the healthcare space: it’s a prescription meds delivery service/pharmacy. I know ppl say startups are the “throw money at you and go cheap on benefits” type. But how can you be in a healthcare space and not give ppl decent PTO? And during the pandemic and pre-vaccine existence? They were trying to con me. It was bizarre because it’s not my first job search. I was still employed so I wanted a new job but I wasn’t desperate.

I couldn’t see how anyone would accept that abysmal PTO offer. Maybe if they were really desperate or naive. I suspected this company had a big PTO disparity because I’m positive most employees would have negotiated for more time.

It was hard to turn down the money because I was afraid of not finding a job. Luckily, I did get an offer with really great benefits from a different company later on.

Comments
  • 1
    @molaram IDK but I hope no one settles for that abysmal benefit offering
  • 1
    Let's just stop all this complicated crap with sich days, paid vacation, unpaid vacation, personal leave, 13th salary (dunno if other countries have it) and hire people hourly. Just xx$/h without deductions. No overtime compensation calculations, fuck all this crap.

    Just: this week i worked 40h, so i get 40*xx$! DONE.
  • 1
    Absolute cunts!
  • 1
    Well f’k me, I thought 25 days holiday + 8 bank hols was bad. (In uk)
Add Comment