Market defines benefits

Don't expect much beyond basic benefits in today's tight job market.
As if job seekers didn't have enough to deal with, now comes the news that companies are cutting back on the benefits they offer.
Sick days, personal days, vacation days -- all are in decline, according to surveys by the Society for Human Resource Management. Some companies are offering fewer of these days off, while others are bundling them and calling the new package "paid time off" or PTO. In this plan, the worker usually loses some days, but gains flexibility.
If the restructuring of sick days seems mostly administrative, the changes to health insurance benefits have financial repercussions.
To accommodate annual cost increases from insurers, employers are requiring workers to pay more of their own premiums and accept higher deductibles.
For job seekers recently laid off, the changes can seem confusing. The last time some of these workers interviewed, they were being courted with health club memberships and company meal plans.
So, how should you navigate these choppy waters?
Don't expect too much
The watchword for today's job candidate is "humility." Don't expect -- and certainly don't demand -- any perquisite outside the standard few: paid time off and health insurance. And remember to be grateful if your offer includes those two benefits, because that is not the case for some workers.
Why this new attitude? Because employers don't owe you anything more than a safe workplace and appropriate compensation.
When they add other benefits, it's for these reasons: to be competitive in attracting good workers, to help those workers be more productive, to retain those workers and thus cut future recruiting costs.
Each of those reasons is about making a company run more effectively; none is about you and your desire for days off.
If your boss gives you an extra week of vacation, it won't be because it means so much to you, but because you mean so much to the company. If this analysis depresses you, stop and think: Why do you want a job?
If it's for the perks, consider self-employment. That's the only way you can have real control over your schedule and the company checkbook. On the other hand, there's really no such thing as a sick day when you work for yourself.
Tips about benefits
Assuming you still want a job, here are a few tips for handling the downsized menu of benefits you're likely to see:
UFocus on the companies that offer your "must-have" benefits. Know that some benefits, such as fully paid health care or matching 401(k) plans, will be more common at large companies. But small companies can't be beat for schedule flexibility.
UFind out how much your favorite benefits cost. Have you shopped health care plans? Do you know how much a paid day off would actually cost your employer? Translate everything you can into dollars before you start talking with employers.
UYou've heard this before, but be careful of stock options. If it's not something you can eat or spend, is it really a benefit? I have the same, perhaps misanthropic, opinion of sports tickets, holiday parties and other "experience" benefits that invariably require workers to attend things they would rather skip.
UIf you're attracted to a particular benefit, be sure you're going to use it. Tuition reimbursement comes to mind. In the late 1990s I visited an Army base and learned from the base's own research that nearly all the recruits said they chose military service to help them pay for education. Conversely, relatively few took advantage of the college credits offered during the course of their service. Numerous explanations were given -- from the intensity of the workdays to the low literacy level of some soldiers. Whatever the reason, these workers chose a job based partly on a specific perk and then saw no benefit from it.
UKeep your perspective. If the job you are offered has few of the benefits you need, weigh the advantage of a known paycheck today against a better package in the unknown future. Negotiate and be ready to walk.
But be ready to stay, too. Sometimes a shortened period of unemployment is the best benefit of all.
XAmy Lindgren, the owner of a career-consulting firm in St. Paul, Minn., can be reached at alindgren@pioneerpress.com.