7. Benefits, Perq’s and Retirement

"Enjoy life. It’s ungrateful not to."
Ronald Reagan

Read our Newsletters and Q & A’s:

i. Insurance and Other Benefits

1. NL 1: Offer Letter or Company Plan – Which One Governs?
2. NL 2: Unknown Job Benefits and Perks – Are You Missing Out on Any?
3. QA 1: “Is there a deadline to file a Workers Compensation case?”
4. QA 2: “Can I collect Unemployment Insurance benefits at the same time I am pursuing a claim for Workers Compensation benefits?”
5. QA 3: Benefit Plan Complaint – “Sue or Tell?”
6. QA 4: Is it illegal to have two health insurance policies at the same time?
7. QA 5: No Right to Maternity Leave: How Do I Negotiate Time Off?
8. QA 6: “Can my employer reduce benefits without any limit?”

ii. Vacation

1. NL 1: “Vacation and Vacation Pay – 50 Frequently Asked Questions”
2. QA 1: “If I am required to give ‘four weeks’ notice when I resign, can one of those weeks be a vacation?”
3. QA 2: “To get to ‘bonus day,’ can I use vacation days?”
4. QA 3: If I resign, can I collect for accrued but unpaid vacation?
5. QA 4: Vacation Pay Accrued – Is It Paid to Me If I Resign?
6. QA 5: Afraid to Take Vacation? Here’s Seven Ideas

iii. Pensions and Retirement

1. NL 1: Recommended Resources . . . Social Security
2. NL 2: Twelve Steps to Negotiating a “Bridge to Retirement”
3. QA 1: “Can I retire and also continue working for my employer?”
4. QA 2: “Can I use my severance to get a ‘bridge to retirement?'”
5. QA 3: “Give 90 days resignation notice or repay bonuses – Is that legal?”
6. QA 4: “How can I diplomatically ask why I did not receive a workplace Award?”
7. QA 5: “I’m retiring; can I ask my boss to keep that confidential?”
8. QA 6: “If I resign will I still get my retirement money I put in?”
9. QA 7: “Prior notice is required; can I retire now anyway?”
10. QA 8: “If I receive severance payments over time, will that count toward the time I need to vest in the company retirement plan?”
11. QA 9: “My company avoids both severance and pensions by something called ‘re-badging’ employees. Is this legal?”

iv. Miscellaneous Perq's

1. NL 1: New Expatriate Request: “Pollution Perq’s”
2. NL 2: “New Job, First Week – Seven Questions You Should Always Ask”
3. NL 3: “Telecommuting and Flex-Time – 15 Steps for Your Request and Success”
4. NL 4: “Vacation and Vacation Pay – 50 Frequently Asked Questions”
5. NL 5: 10 Tax-Free Fringe Benefits (i.e., “Perks”)
6. NL 6: Continuing Indemnity – A Key Objective for Corporate Officers
7. NL 7: Did You Know That . . . Employer-Paid Moving Expenses are Now Taxed as Employee Income?
8. NL 8: Request a “Mental Health Day”? Do Not Use that Phrase
9. NL 9: Unknown Job Benefits and Perks – Are You Missing Out on Any?
10. NL 10: “Not Feeling Well Enough to Work? – 13 Workplace Options (Part 1 of 2)”
11. NL 11: “Not Feeling Well Enough to Work? – 13 Workplace Options (Part 2 of 2)”
12. QA 1: “I’d like to ‘telecommute’ my job. How do I approach my boss?”
13. QA 2: “Others were paid for not using health insurance; not me. Any rights?”
14. QA 3: “Vacation and Vacation Pay – 50 Frequently Asked Questions”
15. QA 4: “If an employee returns from a personal leave, and turns down a comparable position offered to her, is she entitled to anything else?”
16. QA 5: “Is it a violation of privacy if my supervisor told Human Resources that I am seeking counseling from Employee Assistance Program at work?”
17. QA 6: “Are employers required to reimburse internet expenses for home-based employees?”
18. QA 7: “I am working way too many hours!! Any ideas??”
19. QA 8: “If I am required to give ‘four weeks’ notice when I resign, can one of those weeks be a vacation?”
20. QA 9: “If my employer pays my attorney fees, am I taxed on the amount they pay?”
21. QA 10: “Is Small Claims Court good for collecting monies owed by a former employer?”