What Would Employees Do for More Pay or Perks?

By Dennis McCafferty | Posted 2016-06-09

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What Would Employees Do for More Pay or Perks?

The workers here would go through a lot to get more money or better benefits, but a less drastic way to get these benefits is by negotiating with your employer.
Trailing Off

U.S. wage growth over the past two years has averaged 2.25%, down from an average of 3.25% from 1983 to 2015.
Worthwhile Effort

75% of employees who negotiate for a higher salary actually get a bump in pay.
Barely Beneficial

Only 30% of the workers surveyed are somewhat satisfied with their employer's benefits, and 20% aren't at all satisfied.
Lost Opportunity

Employees use an average of only 77% of their paid time off—giving up nearly five days of vacation a year.
Tough Choice: Pay Raise

To double their salary, 83% of the workers surveyed would prefer to be on call 24/7 for their boss rather than do the same for Donald Trump.
Tough Choice: Bonus

To earn a $100,000 bonus, 52% of respondents would prefer to live without their phone for a year rather than be their HR director's roommate.
Tough Choice: Time Off

To get unlimited paid time off, 56% of the professionals surveyed would prefer to have a two-hour work commute—each way—rather than take a 25% pay cut.
Tough Choice: Free Rides

To get a free Uber ride to and from work every day, 64% of the respondents would prefer to wear a hat with their company's logo everywhere they go rather than work an extra two hours every day.
Tough Choice: Work Week

To have a four-day work week, 58% of employees would prefer to give up cable and the Internet on weekends rather than be forced to hang out exclusively with their co-workers on weekends.
Tough Choice: Taxing Decision

To have their employer pay their income taxes, 67% of workers would prefer to clean the office bathroom every day rather than give up their vacation days for the year.
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To double your salary, would you rather be on call 24/7 for your boss … or for Donald Trump? To get unlimited time off, would you rather endure a two-hour commute (each way) or take a huge pay cut? These and other compensation and benefits-related tough-choice questions were posed to U.S. workers in a recent survey from GOBankingRates.com. While the findings are presented as amusing tales, they underscore a more serious issue: Employees often don't get as much as they could out of their salary and benefits packages. For example, many workers do not negotiate for a pay raise. But those who do are often successful. Meanwhile, some employees end up not using a significant amount of the vacation time they've earned. "While conducted in a playful manner, our survey shows how far some people are willing to go to get a raise and other employee perks," said Kristen Bonner, lead researcher on the study. "What's important to note, though, is that there might be less drastic ways to get these benefits by negotiating with your employer. [Also], if you're considering different job offers, you should look at the entire compensation package offered, not just the pay. Benefits such as low- or no-cost health insurance, matching employer contributions to a 401(k) account and a flexible work schedule can be worth a lot." Approximately 1,000 workers took part in the research. Additional findings were compiled from research posted by organizations such as Payscale and Project: Time Off.

Dennis McCafferty is a freelance writer for Baseline Magazine.