Benefits 101 with Angelina Ragano: What New Grads Need to Know

In this episode, Rebecca and Jordan sit down with Angelina Ragano, a Senior HR Generalist at an electronics manufacturing company, to unpack one of the most confusing—yet most important—parts of any job offer: employee benefits. For many new graduates, benefits can feel overwhelming, full of unfamiliar terms and fine print. Angelina breaks everything down in simple, practical language to help first‑time job seekers feel confident as they evaluate offers and step into the professional world. 

Whether you're preparing for interviews, comparing compensation packages, or just trying to understand what “PPO” or “vesting” even mean, this episode gives you the clarity you’ve been looking for. 

Full episode transcript can be found on the episode page. Below is a general timestamp summary.  

01:05 – 05:02 | What Are Employee Benefits & Why They Matter 

Angelina shares an overview of traditional and modern benefits, including health, wellness, and time-off, and explains how benefits contribute to total compensation. 

 
06:04 – 15:22 | Health Insurance Basics Explained 

A beginner-friendly breakdown of PPO vs. HMO, deductibles, co-pays, co-insurance, out-of-pocket maximums, and how to choose a plan based on individual needs. 

 
15:22 – 23:40 | Dental, Vision & Mental Health Resources (EAPs) 

Angelina differentiates dental and vision insurance from medical coverage and explains how Employee Assistance Programs support mental health and personal needs. 

 
23:40 – 31:40 | Financial Benefits: 401(k), Matching, Vesting & Tuition Reimbursement 

A clear overview of retirement plans, employer matching strategies, vesting timelines, and how tuition reimbursement works for continuing education. 

 
31:40 – 40:25 | PTO, Sick Leave, Illinois Paid Leave & FMLA 

Discussion of major time-off structures, state-specific leave policies, and what new grads should know about job‑protected federal leave. 

 
40:25 – 45:18 | Workplace Perks & Soft Benefits 

Hybrid work arrangements, home-office stipends, wellness reimbursements, pet insurance, and lifestyle spending accounts—what they are and why they matter. 

 
45:18 – 49:32 | Evaluating Job Offers & Spotting Red Flags 

Angelina shares how to read a benefits packet, what to look for in waiting periods and plan options, and which elements may be negotiable. 

 
49:32 – End | Final Advice for New Graduates 

Key takeaways, common things students overlook, and encouragement for asking questions during the job-offer stage. 

 Do you have questions for Angelina? Send them to careerpodcast@cod.edu or connect with her on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/angelina-ragano/

Listeners in the College of DuPage community can visit our website. All other listeners are encouraged to view the resources of their local community college, WIOA training programs, or other local support centers.

Send us YOUR Listener Questions at careerpodcast@cod.edu

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn @codcareercenter

Transcript

00:00:01:15 - 00:00:03:20
Welcome to the Career Ready podcast.

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Learn about resumes, cover
letters, LinkedIn, interviewing,

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and all the things you need to be career

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ready with the career services Center
at College of DuPage.

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I'm one of your hosts for today's episode,
Rebecca Harrington.

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And I'm your other host, Jordan Rembert.

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Today we're diving into a topic
that every graduating student will face,

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but many don't feel fully
prepared for employee benefits.

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When that first job offer arrives,
the salary tends to get all the attention,

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but the benefits package?

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That's often
where the real long term value is hiding.

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Understanding health insurance, retirement
plans, PTO, wellness perks,

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and everything in between

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can make a huge difference when deciding
which offer is right for you.

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To help us break all of this down,
we're thrilled to have Angelina Ragano,

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a senior HR generalist in the electronics
manufacturing industry, joining us.

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Angelina works directly with new hires
and knows exactly what early career

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candidates should be paying attention
to when reviewing benefits

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and what questions
they should be asking during interviews.

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Whether you're graduating soon
or you're supporting students through

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the job search process, this episode
will give you the practical guidance

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to make benefits
less confusing and more empowering.

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So let's jump in. Welcome.

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Angelina, how are you?

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Good. How are you guys doing?

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I'm excited to be on today.

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Great.

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All right. Anything you want to tell?

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I gave a little intro there,

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but is there anything else
you want to share about your background?

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Before we dive into the questions.

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Yeah. So I am a Scottie alum.

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It was very exciting.

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Thinking about it, it's been seven
plus years

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since I've been on campus,
but I've had the pleasure and opportunity

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to come back for other areas before,
so it's been exciting.

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But yes, I did, a three
plus one program with Cod.

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And after I graduated,
I landed an internship

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that turned into a full time experience.

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And I've been with that organization
since then.

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So I'm really excited to be coming back,
and doing this podcast.

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Because I think Cod is just nothing
but opportunities.

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That's very exciting.

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Wonderful.

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It's so great to have, at a studio.

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And, you know, one of

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my role at Cod
is to work with internships.

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So I love hearing that an internship
helped you get your full time opportunity.

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All right, well, let's start us off.

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Can you share
just a quick overview of what,

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quote unquote employee benefits may be,
included for full time employees? Yes.

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So when you think of benefits,
a lot of people probably immediately

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think about health care insurance.

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So things like medical, dental and vision.

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But the overall benefits
package goes beyond just health insurance.

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It also includes things
like financial wellness,

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mental wellness, you know, time off.

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So that'll be included
with like paid time off and vacation

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time and sick time or paid parental leave.

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And then it kind of also,
you know, includes

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the unique benefits
that a company might choose to offer.

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And those are kind of ways that they can
companies could offer unique benefits

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to stand above
what other companies are offering,

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make them unique
and have a competitive advantage.

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So it's an overall package
that an employer can offer to you,

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and then you, as a new hire or an employee

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can choose, okay,
what do I do and don't want?

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And it's exciting
because then there's a lot of options,

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hopefully at the organization
that you're going to that can kind of help

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support you
at where you are in your current life.

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What you need right now, coverage wise.

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Yeah. That's great.

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I think that's a it's
a, there's a lot out there to consider.

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Yes. For sure.

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Angela, can you tell us a bit, you know,
why are benefits such an important part

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of the total compensation package?

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You know, especially for new graduates
who are entering the workforce?

00:04:07:21 - 00:04:08:04
Yeah.

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So a lot of times, you know,
when you think

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about the total compensation package,
how we described before,

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we used to have such a focus on salary,
but benefits are a cost to the employer.

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So what the employer chooses to add

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shows their commitment to the employees
to help them remain competitive

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and show that they're focusing on what,
you know, employees well-being.

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So for graduates, when you know you're
considering what benefits an employer's

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offering to you, kind of how I mentioned,
depending on what stage of life

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you're in right now or where you plan to
maybe be in the next five years,

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you want to consider that
what the company offers to you

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and what they pay to offer to you
is part of the total compensation package,

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because that's considered a cost
to employ you.

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So then, not only
is it your salary, it's, includes

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what benefits you do
and do not utilize, when working there.

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Awesome.

00:05:04:00 - 00:05:04:24
Thank you for,

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you know,

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kind of highlighting

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the importance of it
before we kind of get to the more granular

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pieces of, you know, what those benefits
components could include.

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Yeah, yeah, I think that's super important
to think about to the employer costs.

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And yeah, like 
I think they kind of what I took from

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what you said is a little bit like it
shows what they consider to be important.

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And that can be, like you said,
a competitive part

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of comparing
two different offers out there.

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Yes, because insurance is very
can be very costly for companies to offer

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and how much they maybe
choose to subsidize,

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which means like they'll cover
this portion of your health insurance,

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which means you pay this much per month
or per check, for example.

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How much they cover also needs
to be considered, because that shows

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also what they're willing to contribute
for their employees.

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And with the, you know,
rise of health care companies

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that step up and cover more of those costs
is something to consider as well.

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Yeah.

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So let's go.

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Let's continue
with the health insurance then.

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So what are types of health
insurance plans that new grads

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commonly might see out there.

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So when they're, again, we don't

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you don't need to
that's a good super deep dive.

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But just give us a basic overview
of some of those different ones out there.

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Yeah.

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So health insurance,
you know, we're going to be talking about

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like medical dental envision
like those are the,

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you know, full body coverage
that you're looking for.

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And medical is where
there are more options available.

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So like the standard plans
that you can kind of see

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are things like a PPO plan, an HMO plan.

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And those are the networks
that, you know, are covered for medical.

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But then there's different plans
depending on those networks.

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So like if we use PPO, for example,
PPO is the largest network

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in the United States.

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And those are what doctors, hospitals

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or clinics have agreed to work
with the insurance carriers.

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And then there's an HMO,
which is a smaller network of doctors.

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But amongst those networks,

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I don't want to confuse it all,
but there's different plans.

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So if you're in the PPO network,
the plan can utilize that network.

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But the plans can differ
because the plans are built

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for what type of medical needs you need.

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So sometimes there's a plan
that has a higher deductible,

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and sometimes there's a health savings
account tied to it, and those plans

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might be best for an individual with maybe
not a live a lot of health care needs.

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Or there's plans
that are with lower deductibles and those,

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you know, usually cost a little bit
more to be on that plan. But

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then those plans are good for individuals
that have more health care needs.

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So it kind of varies.

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And companies
tend to offer different types of plans

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and networks
to meet the needs of the employees,

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because there is no one size fits
or a one size fits

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all plan for employees, because everyone
has different health care needs.

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And that changes, you know,
throughout your life.

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And, you know, a lot of the times
if you're a post-grad,

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if maybe you're still under 26 and covered
on your parent's plan, like you're

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maybe not utilizing health insurance
that often,

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or maybe something happens in your health
care needs to change,

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and then you do need to start
looking at a plan that has more coverage,

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which means the insurance
carrier pays for more things,

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and hopefully your out of pocket
isn't as expensive

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then you want to kind of look at plans
that offer something like that.

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So all in all, companies
try usually to offer

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several different plans,
and then that way you as the employee

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have that flexibility to choose one
that matches your needs better.

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Thank you.

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So I know that, you know, you make
a good point of evaluating the plans.

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There's everyone has their own unique
needs.

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And, if you're it's the first time
looking at insurance or even if

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maybe this is
maybe the second or third offer

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you ever gotten
and or maybe the first time you're

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enrolling in your own health insurance,
there could be a lot of terminology there.

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So for someone who's maybe
never had their own insurance before,

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what are some of those key terms

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or features that they should focus on
when comparing plans?

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I know you mentioned a couple good ones
before, like deductible,

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but any ones that people
should really be looking out for?

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Yes, for sure.

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And insurance companies
never make it easy.

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Yes, I was, I was going to say the
insurance companies never make it easy.

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And then sometimes you look at the

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plan document and you're like, whoa,
this is a lot to look at.

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So yes, let's start with, 
so as we kind of talked about

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like network, like a PPO versus an HMO,
that's what doctors and hospitals are.

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Clinics have agreed to work
with your insurance carrier to basically

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have your coverage needs covered,
which means like they're

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willing to help pay for some of the cost,
depending on what you're seeking.

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So that's just the network.

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But then in your individual plan
this means

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how much will your insurance
carrier help pay.

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But they're not just going to pay
everything like you're if we use Blue

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Cross Blue Shield for example,
they're not going to pay everything.

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It's going to depend
on those terminologies like

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deductibles and co-pays and co insurances.

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So usually you start with the deductible.

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And what a deductible means is how much
you as an individual have to pay before.

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If we use Blue Cross Blue Shield

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as an example, before Blue
Cross Blue Shield kicks in.

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So let's say your deductible is a grand

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that means you whenever in that plan year
are going to a doctor,

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you will pay up to a grand before Blue
Cross Blue Shield says okay,

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now we'll help
pay for your insurance coverage needs.

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So you pay a grand.

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And let's say that bill was 1500
and you paid a grand.

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So now okay, we're going to help
kick in and start covering for that cost.

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And then how much they cover depends on
what service you were getting treated for.

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So sometimes if it's like, you know,
if you are hospitalized, Blue Cross

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Blue Shield will say,
okay, we'll pay that 90% and you pay 10%

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and that 10%, that's
going to be your co-insurance.

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And then let's say it's
just a common cold,

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and you just went to an immediate care
and you're going to the immediate care.

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And they just say, okay,
there's a copay of $50.

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That copay is something that you pay
every time for whatever service.

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If they deem that there's a copay
for that service.

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And then with all of those different costs
added up together,

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so your deductible, your co insurances
and those co-pays, those all add up

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and start funneling in together
to something called an out of pocket Max.

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That's like the worst case scenario.

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You hope that you don't have to hit
your head of out-of-pocket max.

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But let's say you had a year
with a lot of health

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insurance needs or something,
unfortunately happened to you.

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And, 
you know, maybe you were hospitalized.

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That out-of-pocket
max kind of protects you as an individual

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to not have to pay so much.

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So there's like a cap.

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So once you hit that out-of-pocket max
for that plan year, you don't have to pay

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anything more, and your insurance
carrier continues to cover the costs

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if it's, you know, a covered procedure, 
something that you're experiencing.

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Yeah.

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I think that those so that's a lot. Right.

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But I think so just like okay.

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So, this is what I take from it.

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Let me know if I'm missing anything.

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So number one,
certainly think about network as far

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as that's
which doctors and hospitals are included.

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So making sure like hey,
if you have a doctor

00:12:54:23 - 00:12:57:04
that you've been going to that
you really like,

00:12:57:04 - 00:13:01:22
you can often go take a look and see, hey,
are they a part of this PPO network

00:13:01:22 - 00:13:04:22
or are they a part of the HMO network,
or which PPO network?

00:13:05:05 - 00:13:07:13
The other part is that deductible?

00:13:07:13 - 00:13:11:10
You know, some plans might be cheaper each

00:13:11:10 - 00:13:15:02
pay period, but have a higher deductible
that you have to pay,

00:13:15:02 - 00:13:19:09
which if you're relatively healthy,
might be the best option for you, right?

00:13:19:09 - 00:13:21:20
Versus
if you know you're going to have to pay.

00:13:21:20 - 00:13:25:23
And then the other part
is that that out-of-pocket maximum,

00:13:25:23 - 00:13:30:04
I think that's like a super, super
big part of it too, is that, you know,

00:13:30:04 - 00:13:34:21
that, again, if you're someone that knows
you need a lot of health care,

00:13:35:05 - 00:13:39:23
maybe you want to find one
that has a lower out-of-pocket maximum,

00:13:39:23 - 00:13:43:15
or at least something
that makes sense to you to do.

00:13:43:22 - 00:13:46:19
And like you said, it
all can just depend on on

00:13:46:19 - 00:13:49:19
you and your needs
and where you are in your life.

00:13:50:00 - 00:13:52:07
Right? For sure. Yet perfectly said.

00:13:52:07 - 00:13:53:09
Because yes, depending

00:13:53:09 - 00:13:57:04
on where you are, you like want
to look at all of those cost differences,

00:13:57:04 - 00:13:57:16
because if you're

00:13:57:16 - 00:14:01:13
relatively healthy, then yeah,
maybe you could pick a plan that costs

00:14:01:13 - 00:14:05:07
you less per paycheck because hopefully
you're not going to have to utilize it.

00:14:05:15 - 00:14:09:11
A lot of the times, the ones that cost
less per paycheck are going to be the ones

00:14:09:11 - 00:14:13:01
with the higher deductible,
the higher out-of-pocket maximum,

00:14:13:08 - 00:14:16:13
and then the ones that maybe you pay
a little bit more per paycheck.

00:14:16:18 - 00:14:21:08
Those are going to be the plans
that offer a lower deductible, sometimes

00:14:21:08 - 00:14:27:12
no deductible, and a lower out-of-pocket
max, but those cost more per paycheck.

00:14:27:12 - 00:14:30:18
But then depending on your health care
needs, you could try

00:14:30:18 - 00:14:33:18
to, like, look at what your cost could be
for an entire year.

00:14:33:18 - 00:14:38:15
And then that way you kind of like, can do
the math to see what makes more sense.

00:14:38:24 - 00:14:42:20
And I know it's always confusing, but
you always want to try to think about it,

00:14:42:20 - 00:14:46:18
like where you are this year and kind of
knowing that there is flexibility

00:14:46:18 - 00:14:51:05
that a lot of companies do offer,
like that annual enrollment period.

00:14:51:07 - 00:14:55:04
And then every year you can review
what you are currently enrolled in

00:14:55:04 - 00:14:56:16
and perhaps make a change,

00:14:56:16 - 00:14:59:15
unless you had something
called a qualifying life event,

00:14:59:15 - 00:15:03:08
which you don't have to get too
into the details of now,

00:15:03:08 - 00:15:07:13
but then you at least know
that you're usually not locked in forever,

00:15:07:17 - 00:15:10:17
even though a year is
a long length of time.

00:15:10:18 - 00:15:13:16
That's a great point. So don't panic.

00:15:13:16 - 00:15:14:00
You know,

00:15:14:00 - 00:15:18:04
if for some reason you pick a plan
and then it turns out to not be perfect,

00:15:18:11 - 00:15:21:17
like you said, you can reevaluate
and make a change the next.

00:15:21:17 - 00:15:22:20
Yeah, yeah.

00:15:22:20 - 00:15:25:03
so you mentioned vision and dental, right.

00:15:25:03 - 00:15:28:11
So can you just talk a little bit
about what they typically cover

00:15:28:18 - 00:15:31:17
and just how that's a little bit different
than the

00:15:31:17 - 00:15:34:17
like a health insurance part.

00:15:34:18 - 00:15:35:20
Yeah, absolutely.

00:15:35:20 - 00:15:40:00
So yeah, vision and dental will be carved
out there totally separate plans.

00:15:40:06 - 00:15:43:12
So you'll really,
you know, for vision care needs,

00:15:44:09 - 00:15:50:02
there's usually companies
might only offer ones maybe rarely too.

00:15:50:09 - 00:15:55:13
And those kind of plans are, you know,
they're pretty cut and dry.

00:15:55:13 - 00:16:00:01
They'll kind of cover you
maybe one time a year to get new lenses.

00:16:00:07 - 00:16:00:16
What?

00:16:00:16 - 00:16:04:14
Maybe once or twice,
depending to get lenses.

00:16:04:14 - 00:16:07:22
They might say, okay, you can get
a new pair of lenses every two years.

00:16:07:22 - 00:16:12:06
Sometimes every year it'll cover
like your things, like an annual eye exam.

00:16:13:00 - 00:16:15:23
And then it covers up
to a certain benefit amount.

00:16:15:23 - 00:16:20:14
So I always tell my employees,
if you're feeling fancying you're going in

00:16:20:14 - 00:16:23:20
and you want like the high end glasses,
like you,

00:16:24:01 - 00:16:27:10
you like to have like, a name
brand pair of glasses.

00:16:27:19 - 00:16:31:21
Sure, you can buy those vision frames,
but your insurance will still say,

00:16:31:21 - 00:16:36:22
okay, we're only willing to cover a frame
allowance up to 500, for example.

00:16:37:03 - 00:16:39:15
And then you're
you're left to pay the rest of it.

00:16:39:15 - 00:16:40:15
They do.

00:16:40:15 - 00:16:43:12
There are plans that cover,
you know, if you have contacts.

00:16:43:12 - 00:16:46:16
Sometimes they don't allow you
to have it allowance for both.

00:16:46:16 - 00:16:49:10
Sometimes they do it all varies.

00:16:49:10 - 00:16:53:09
And then I always say to our employees,
regardless

00:16:53:09 - 00:16:57:22
if you need contacts or glasses,
please still get your annual eye exam.

00:16:57:22 - 00:17:01:19
So it's still worthwhile
to maybe enroll in vision insurance.

00:17:01:23 - 00:17:05:16
Because if you were to go to a vision
doctor with no insurance,

00:17:06:01 - 00:17:08:16
sometimes the cost of what they would
have you pay.

00:17:08:16 - 00:17:09:20
Without insurance,

00:17:09:20 - 00:17:13:16
you might have it less expensive
by getting it through your work.

00:17:13:16 - 00:17:18:03
So either way, get your eye exam
and then dental plans.

00:17:18:08 - 00:17:21:16
Are a little bit different as well.

00:17:21:16 - 00:17:25:16
They kind of mirror health plans
or sometimes your dental plans.

00:17:25:23 - 00:17:29:12
Also, they have networks
that you're going to be a part of.

00:17:29:12 - 00:17:34:07
So there's dental networks
and dental PPO or dental HMO.

00:17:34:11 - 00:17:36:06
And just like medical plans,

00:17:36:06 - 00:17:39:22
the type of plan you select
should be based on your dental needs.

00:17:40:03 - 00:17:43:24
So if you're someone whose teeth are going
great and maybe you just go

00:17:43:24 - 00:17:48:11
for your annual,
you know, your cleanings and your exams,

00:17:48:21 - 00:17:52:10
then you know, a PPO plan is something

00:17:52:10 - 00:17:55:15
where, you know, you have the broad choice
of dentists to go to.

00:17:55:15 - 00:17:59:07
But a lot of the times
there's still a benefit maximum.

00:17:59:07 - 00:18:04:15
So if you ever had to get a major service
done, like a crown or root canal,

00:18:04:20 - 00:18:07:24
your insurance company
will probably still have certain amounts

00:18:07:24 - 00:18:09:05
that they're willing to pay.

00:18:09:05 - 00:18:14:12
Sometimes for major services,
they'll only cover up to 50% of that cost,

00:18:14:12 - 00:18:18:13
but then there's still a maximum
that they're willing to pay per plan year.

00:18:18:22 - 00:18:22:11
And then, just like medical,
there's an HMO network sometimes.

00:18:22:11 - 00:18:26:11
And sometimes that might have lower
cost options for you.

00:18:26:11 - 00:18:30:12
But then the, you know, range of dentists
and then in that network

00:18:30:19 - 00:18:34:12
might be a little bit smaller
or more difficult to find a dentist,

00:18:34:17 - 00:18:37:24
but then sometimes
those plans don't have a maximum.

00:18:37:24 - 00:18:42:01
So those plans could be good
for individuals that maybe have to have

00:18:42:09 - 00:18:46:13
major services done, and they know it's
going to be an expensive year

00:18:46:13 - 00:18:47:14
for their dental care.

00:18:47:14 - 00:18:53:05
So once again, if you can foresee
any of the dental care needs, medical

00:18:53:05 - 00:18:57:01
as well, you'll want to try to think about
that when selecting a plan.

00:18:57:09 - 00:19:01:05
And then if you're any one like me,
I had to get Invisalign.

00:19:01:05 - 00:19:03:12
And as an adult, I had braces.

00:19:03:12 - 00:19:05:11
As a child, I needed Invisalign.

00:19:05:11 - 00:19:10:04
As an adult, I had to look in to see
which plans offered orthodontic coverage,

00:19:10:07 - 00:19:14:02
because sometimes those plans only cover
or to show for children.

00:19:14:05 - 00:19:16:20
So you want to see if it includes adults.

00:19:16:20 - 00:19:19:01
And my plan thankfully did.

00:19:19:01 - 00:19:21:19
But those are just things to consider.

00:19:21:19 - 00:19:22:15
Yeah, definitely.

00:19:22:15 - 00:19:26:00
And would you say
like the cost typically for vision

00:19:26:00 - 00:19:29:21
and dental is less right
than health insurance?

00:19:29:21 - 00:19:32:05
Typically, yes, very much so.

00:19:32:05 - 00:19:33:24
Like you'll pay a lot less.

00:19:33:24 - 00:19:37:05
And the reason you pay a lot less
is because you'll want to look at

00:19:37:05 - 00:19:41:02
what the plans are in terms of how much
they're willing to pay per year.

00:19:41:05 - 00:19:46:06
A lot of times, dental plans,
they'll only pay up to maybe 1500 to.

00:19:46:06 - 00:19:47:01
Okay.

00:19:47:01 - 00:19:50:20
They vary with the size of the company
and what they offer,

00:19:50:20 - 00:19:53:22
but sometimes that they don't cover
that much

00:19:53:22 - 00:19:57:04
in a plan year, so it's less expensive
for you every check.

00:19:57:04 - 00:20:00:19
But it depends, of what kind of services
you're needing.

00:20:00:19 - 00:20:03:08
But yes, much less expensive for check.

00:20:03:08 - 00:20:03:22
thank you.

00:20:03:22 - 00:20:07:00
It's always good
to know about the coverage for, you know,

00:20:07:00 - 00:20:11:15
some of the routine checkups or exams,
but also to thinking ahead

00:20:11:17 - 00:20:14:07
or some of those life events
that you can maybe anticipate.

00:20:14:07 - 00:20:18:06
So thank you for covering that and
the open enrollment I love that benefit.

00:20:18:06 - 00:20:23:02
Bob, I think that you covered
so kind of moving away from the insurance,

00:20:23:02 - 00:20:26:02
but still sticking with some like health
related benefits.

00:20:26:02 - 00:20:28:20
We know that some employers offer
things like employee

00:20:28:20 - 00:20:32:24
assistance programs
or IEPs or mental health resources.

00:20:33:02 - 00:20:35:17
What? Your new grads know about these.

00:20:35:17 - 00:20:39:21
Yes. So employee assistance
programs are a great program.

00:20:39:21 - 00:20:43:15
A lot of companies, offer
those a lot of the times

00:20:43:15 - 00:20:48:19
when you utilize an employee
as an employee, companies will offer up to

00:20:48:19 - 00:20:54:16
maybe three sessions, five sessions
for free, depending on different needs.

00:20:54:16 - 00:20:57:22
So this could be for mental health needs.

00:20:58:02 - 00:21:01:06
Sometimes
if there's a past member of your family

00:21:01:06 - 00:21:06:19
that passed away and you need grievance
services, they do financial services.

00:21:06:19 - 00:21:09:17
And these are kind of
like short term needs.

00:21:09:17 - 00:21:13:12
And they'll cover up
to three sessions, for example.

00:21:13:12 - 00:21:16:15
And then after that,
if you needed more than three sessions,

00:21:16:15 - 00:21:20:20
they can help, you know, link
you towards a longer term solution.

00:21:21:00 - 00:21:24:23
But then those three sessions would be
the ones that the company says, okay,

00:21:25:10 - 00:21:29:18
here, they're free, they're confidential,
and you can utilize those services.

00:21:29:18 - 00:21:31:13
So they're kind of as needs come.

00:21:31:13 - 00:21:33:08
So a lot of companies offer that.

00:21:33:08 - 00:21:38:00
But for if you're an individual
that maybe already has mental

00:21:38:00 - 00:21:42:01
care services already in place,
maybe you're already speaking with a

00:21:42:14 - 00:21:45:23
therapist or a counselor
a lot of times, and EAP

00:21:46:00 - 00:21:50:15
won't cover existing services
that you're seeing, but a new trending

00:21:50:15 - 00:21:54:14
benefit that companies
might be starting to offer are those paid

00:21:54:14 - 00:21:58:11
mental health services to kind of cover
those costs of existing costs.

00:21:58:16 - 00:22:00:16
So those are just some things to consider.

00:22:00:16 - 00:22:06:17
But EAP programs are great for those,
you know, in-demand needs.

00:22:07:00 - 00:22:10:15
And a lot of the times
the companies are offering those

00:22:10:15 - 00:22:13:09
and they'll remind employees,
if they learn of something

00:22:13:09 - 00:22:17:11
that maybe the person is going through
or having difficulty

00:22:17:11 - 00:22:21:06
managing on their own, and they'll
remind them that these services exist.

00:22:21:16 - 00:22:25:09
And a lot of the times
a companies will include those services

00:22:25:09 - 00:22:28:17
for family members
or direct people within your household

00:22:28:24 - 00:22:32:14
to extend those services
for their utilization as well.

00:22:32:22 - 00:22:36:21
I often think of a piece to, like you
said, is the connection point.

00:22:36:21 - 00:22:39:23
So, you know,
maybe something happened to a parent

00:22:39:23 - 00:22:43:18
and they need to you need to find
like a care place for them.

00:22:44:01 - 00:22:48:18
You know, the EAP might help connect you
with resources to help you select

00:22:48:22 - 00:22:49:23
a care place.

00:22:49:23 - 00:22:54:00
Or like you said, you you realize you need
mental health services.

00:22:54:03 - 00:22:58:23
You know, they could help you find
those services or give you some of that.

00:22:58:23 - 00:23:01:18
Like you said, initial assistance.

00:23:01:18 - 00:23:04:20
Sometimes they can even find a divorce
lawyer or, you know what I mean?

00:23:04:20 - 00:23:07:20
Like, think it's just like you said, it
just they kind of almost

00:23:07:21 - 00:23:09:12
give you that right away. Help.

00:23:09:12 - 00:23:13:06
That then can help
you find further help after that.

00:23:13:19 - 00:23:18:06
Yes. I sometimes tell the employees like,
hey, instead of like maybe going directly

00:23:18:06 - 00:23:22:11
to Google, if you contact this number,
they can help with local resources

00:23:22:17 - 00:23:26:24
and they have, you know,
they know how that resources rated.

00:23:26:24 - 00:23:29:18
And they've had experience
maybe working directly with them.

00:23:29:18 - 00:23:33:16
So I always say when you don't always know
where to turn for all of these different

00:23:33:16 - 00:23:36:04
things that are going on in your life,
in your family's life,

00:23:36:04 - 00:23:38:19
don't forget that this is available
for you.

00:23:38:19 - 00:23:40:19
Yeah. Awesome. Thank you.

00:23:40:19 - 00:23:44:10
Okay, let's move away from, 
kind of that health care realm,

00:23:44:12 - 00:23:48:05
and move on to financial and retirement
benefits.

00:23:48:10 - 00:23:52:14
So many employers offer
retirement plans like a 401 K.

00:23:52:21 - 00:23:57:22
What should new grads understand
about employer matching vesting?

00:23:58:04 - 00:23:59:22
I don't know.
We always hear all these words.

00:23:59:22 - 00:24:03:08
So whatever you want to share with us
is just a general overview

00:24:03:08 - 00:24:06:10
of what is A41K and employer
matching all of that?

00:24:06:24 - 00:24:08:12
Yes, absolutely.

00:24:08:12 - 00:24:12:00
So you'll always hear
the first piece of advice is it's

00:24:12:00 - 00:24:15:03
never too soon
to start saving for your retirement.

00:24:15:03 - 00:24:20:09
So if a company is offering a 4 or 1
K plan, just get started right away.

00:24:20:17 - 00:24:24:10
What that'll do
is things to look out for.

00:24:24:10 - 00:24:27:08
And this is part of that
total compensation package

00:24:27:08 - 00:24:28:07
that we were talking about.

00:24:28:07 - 00:24:34:12
You want to see what the company is going
to, you know, match your contribution

00:24:34:12 - 00:24:38:24
with and how much the company does
differs between every company.

00:24:39:06 - 00:24:42:04
Some companies do an exact match.

00:24:42:04 - 00:24:45:24
Like if you do, 3% will match 3%.

00:24:46:03 - 00:24:51:23
Sometimes companies say in order
for you to receive our 3% match,

00:24:51:23 - 00:24:55:02
you need to contribute 5%
and sometimes it's

00:24:55:02 - 00:24:58:02
a flat percent in the company
won't increase it.

00:24:58:11 - 00:25:01:00
Sometimes companies say okay

00:25:01:00 - 00:25:05:01
every year,
or if they do like an incentive one

00:25:05:01 - 00:25:08:22
to get, you know, longer ten years,
like you work with a company longer.

00:25:08:22 - 00:25:11:02
And when you hit these milestone

00:25:11:02 - 00:25:14:13
anniversaries
will increase by a percentage.

00:25:14:19 - 00:25:19:16
So sometimes what the company is
willing to offer is either a flat amount.

00:25:19:21 - 00:25:24:06
Sometimes it's dependent on
how much you contribute as an individual.

00:25:24:17 - 00:25:29:13
And then that's something to consider
because how much that company gives you

00:25:30:00 - 00:25:32:18
is a really big tool.

00:25:32:18 - 00:25:37:04
And it's something that the companies
often offer to remain competitive and,

00:25:37:19 - 00:25:40:08
you know,
go against the industry competitors.

00:25:40:08 - 00:25:42:07
And it's something you want to consider.

00:25:42:07 - 00:25:45:13
Another term that we talked about
is that vesting period.

00:25:45:20 - 00:25:51:07
And what a vesting period means
is usually there's sometimes companies

00:25:51:07 - 00:25:55:23
have there's a certain length of time
that you have to work with that employer

00:25:56:01 - 00:26:01:05
before their contributions or matches
that they give are available to you.

00:26:01:05 - 00:26:04:13
So let's say five years,
you must work with the company

00:26:04:13 - 00:26:08:15
five years for your balance
to be available to you.

00:26:08:15 - 00:26:11:15
Should you leave the company
and go to another company.

00:26:11:17 - 00:26:15:02
Sometimes if you leave
less than five years,

00:26:15:02 - 00:26:18:23
they might say, okay,
only 25% is available to you and they'll

00:26:18:24 - 00:26:23:22
they'll break it down to you
of how much years do you have to be there?

00:26:24:05 - 00:26:29:04
Some companies don't have a vesting
period, which is a really big thing.

00:26:29:10 - 00:26:32:10
That's a really like a difference
in a plant's unique.

00:26:32:13 - 00:26:35:07
And it's a, you know, competitive edge.

00:26:35:07 - 00:26:38:22
But you'll want to know those vesting
periods because a lot of times company,

00:26:39:04 - 00:26:42:00
they do use those for retention tactics

00:26:42:00 - 00:26:45:11
because they want you to work
with the organization longer.

00:26:45:11 - 00:26:47:10
So sometimes they want you to work

00:26:47:10 - 00:26:51:07
a certain length of time in order
for those funds to be available for you.

00:26:51:14 - 00:26:54:12
So that's something that, you know,
that should be available

00:26:54:12 - 00:26:56:21
in the plan documents
that they share with you.

00:26:56:21 - 00:26:59:03
And if it's not, you should ask.

00:26:59:03 - 00:27:00:19
I appreciate you giving that overview.

00:27:00:19 - 00:27:03:07
And I agree
always never too early to start investing.

00:27:03:07 - 00:27:06:06
And especially
especially up to that match, you know.

00:27:06:06 - 00:27:06:14
Yeah.

00:27:06:14 - 00:27:12:12
Another kind of more I want a little bit
less of a long term financial benefit,

00:27:12:12 - 00:27:14:05
but something that, you know,

00:27:14:05 - 00:27:17:11
is maybe especially, you know, recent
graduates may want to participate in,

00:27:17:14 - 00:27:20:21
once they enter the workforce, maybe
something like tuition reimbursement.

00:27:21:15 - 00:27:24:11
Could you explain how that, you know,
could look for someone that maybe

00:27:24:11 - 00:27:27:15
wants to go and pursue a master's
or other continuing education?

00:27:28:08 - 00:27:29:22
Yeah, absolutely.

00:27:29:22 - 00:27:34:23
So a lot of times companies, you know,
they're trying to get those post grads

00:27:34:23 - 00:27:39:06
into their organizations
because they want to, you know, start

00:27:39:06 - 00:27:42:22
you while you're still green and have all
the opportunities to grow with them.

00:27:43:09 - 00:27:45:22
So a lot of the times to that's
what you're looking for

00:27:45:22 - 00:27:47:19
is as an individual and they know that.

00:27:47:19 - 00:27:51:07
So they'll add that benefit, 
to get you into the door.

00:27:51:17 - 00:27:54:19
A lot of the times
they might have a certain length of time.

00:27:54:19 - 00:27:59:03
You must work there
in order to be eligible for a tuition

00:27:59:03 - 00:28:02:05
reimbursement program
or continuing education.

00:28:02:21 - 00:28:07:14
Or they might say, like,
in order to be eligible, the education

00:28:07:14 - 00:28:12:11
that you're seeking must help you
with your current career at this company.

00:28:12:11 - 00:28:15:15
So this will help you grow
in your current role

00:28:15:15 - 00:28:18:20
or could lead to further advancement
opportunities.

00:28:19:00 - 00:28:23:04
And we'll cover up to this much amount
or and a lot of the times too.

00:28:23:04 - 00:28:26:10
It could be for master's,
it could be for continuing educations.

00:28:26:10 - 00:28:29:09
But sometimes they offer things
like a certificate program

00:28:29:09 - 00:28:30:06
where maybe you're

00:28:30:06 - 00:28:33:14
not trying to get another degree,
but you just want to get a certificate

00:28:33:14 - 00:28:34:14
under your belt

00:28:34:14 - 00:28:38:03
and that could help you in your current
role or help you advance with the company.

00:28:38:07 - 00:28:40:05
And they'll cover the cost for that.

00:28:40:05 - 00:28:44:01
A lot of the times,
how much they cover varies throughout,

00:28:44:01 - 00:28:45:23
you know, different organizations.

00:28:45:23 - 00:28:49:11
And the IRS does have a limit
of how much it could be

00:28:49:11 - 00:28:53:01
where it's not taxable
as an earning to you as an individual.

00:28:53:05 - 00:28:57:21
So sometimes how much the company
offers to you varies as well.

00:28:57:21 - 00:29:02:19
So the max right now I think is 5250.

00:29:02:23 - 00:29:06:24
So a lot of times organizations
might offer up to that amount because it's

00:29:06:24 - 00:29:11:01
then not a taxable benefit, but above that
you might end up paying taxes.

00:29:11:01 - 00:29:13:12
So we won't get into
the payroll side of it.

00:29:13:12 - 00:29:16:05
But it's just things to consider too,

00:29:16:05 - 00:29:19:05
because you'll want to know
what your options are.

00:29:19:11 - 00:29:23:24
And then sometimes to, you know,
if that is per calendar year,

00:29:24:00 - 00:29:27:11
it's something that could be spread apart
as you're continuing the courses

00:29:27:20 - 00:29:31:17
and then sometimes companies
like if you're, you know, doing different

00:29:31:17 - 00:29:36:21
programs, they might pay for the class
entirely or, allow a digital class.

00:29:36:21 - 00:29:40:03
There's so many different options,
but it's always good to think about

00:29:40:03 - 00:29:43:08
because if you're, you know,
wanting to get into the workforce

00:29:43:08 - 00:29:46:09
right away, but you know that
you want to continue your education,

00:29:46:16 - 00:29:49:13
if an organization can help
pay for it, then

00:29:49:13 - 00:29:52:13
that is a great thing to look for.

00:29:52:16 - 00:29:56:12
Such a good point like it might be worth
taking slightly less on a salary

00:29:56:12 - 00:29:58:08
if they're going to help you pay

00:29:58:08 - 00:30:01:23
for this degree or certificate
that you want right?

00:30:02:08 - 00:30:02:22
Yeah.

00:30:02:22 - 00:30:06:17
And this is something also because
I've had this happen with employees too,

00:30:06:17 - 00:30:11:24
is that sometimes, sometimes
they will pay for it ahead of time.

00:30:11:24 - 00:30:14:13
But oftentimes it's a reimbursement.

00:30:14:13 - 00:30:18:05
And especially if you're getting something
where there's a grade attached,

00:30:18:05 - 00:30:22:24
you know, hey, it does matter if you pass
the class, if they'll pay, right?

00:30:23:13 - 00:30:25:05
Yes. That is a great point. Yeah.

00:30:25:05 - 00:30:27:13
Then you will ask for your transcripts
sometimes.

00:30:27:13 - 00:30:30:12
So you still got to do
good. It's not completely fair.

00:30:30:12 - 00:30:32:16
You got
you got to put in all the work and effort.

00:30:32:16 - 00:30:33:15
Still.

00:30:33:15 - 00:30:35:00
All right. Excellent. Okay.

00:30:35:00 - 00:30:37:00
So those are some good financial benefits.

00:30:37:00 - 00:30:41:13
Let's talk about something that
everybody loves which is paid time off.

00:30:41:20 - 00:30:47:09
What are some of the most common
PTO paid time off structures out there.

00:30:47:22 - 00:30:48:17
Yes. Yeah.

00:30:48:17 - 00:30:52:16
So we all want to have a good balance
and want to know what days

00:30:52:16 - 00:30:53:15
that we can take off.

00:30:53:15 - 00:30:59:09
And just like every benefit,
how much the company offers to you varies.

00:30:59:19 - 00:31:02:19
So paid time off,
the most common structures,

00:31:02:24 - 00:31:06:13
sometimes paid time off
can be all encompassing.

00:31:06:13 - 00:31:09:11
So they're going to say
we're going to give you X amount of days.

00:31:09:11 - 00:31:12:11
And that covers
for all of the various reasons

00:31:12:13 - 00:31:16:10
you're taking vacation,
you got sick or ill and you need time off.

00:31:16:10 - 00:31:18:08
You're just taking a random day.

00:31:18:08 - 00:31:20:05
Sometimes it's all encompassing.

00:31:20:05 - 00:31:23:05
It's an all in one bucket of days.

00:31:23:13 - 00:31:26:21
Some organizations separate that out
and they say, okay,

00:31:26:21 - 00:31:31:10
there's X amount of days for vacation
X amount of days for sick leave.

00:31:32:06 - 00:31:34:16
And then those days can also

00:31:34:16 - 00:31:38:03
vary of like,
do they rollover every year or not?

00:31:38:03 - 00:31:41:05
Is there a certain length of time
you have to use them by?

00:31:41:05 - 00:31:41:24
Like what?

00:31:41:24 - 00:31:46:12
What are your options with
the different pools and organizations?

00:31:46:21 - 00:31:49:11
All kind of,
you know, handle that differently.

00:31:49:11 - 00:31:53:18
And then on top of paid time off,
what a what a company offers you,

00:31:53:24 - 00:31:56:08
there are sometimes state,

00:31:56:08 - 00:32:00:10
you know, laws that come into play of
certain states will say, okay, like you're

00:32:00:10 - 00:32:04:17
eligible for this amount of paid time off,
depending on what you know,

00:32:05:00 - 00:32:07:19
that it could be for specifically

00:32:07:19 - 00:32:10:10
like paid leave for if you're sick or,

00:32:10:10 - 00:32:13:16
if you need time off,
you know, following a birth.

00:32:14:09 - 00:32:17:00
That's something we could talk about it
a little bit too.

00:32:17:00 - 00:32:20:20
But the classic most common
is like vacation

00:32:20:24 - 00:32:23:24
sick and those types of time off.

00:32:24:09 - 00:32:26:04
Thank you. Angela. Angelina.

00:32:26:04 - 00:32:29:02
And I know that you talked about,
you know, kind of some of those more,

00:32:29:02 - 00:32:32:06
like, planned occurrences, like,
we know that we're planning on one

00:32:32:06 - 00:32:36:12
go on vacation, at least once in the year
or no, maybe need to take a sick day.

00:32:36:12 - 00:32:39:11
But what about for maybe some of those
more longer term leaves?

00:32:39:11 - 00:32:42:11
Like,
what should new grads know about FMLA?

00:32:42:11 - 00:32:45:14
Or for those who live in Illinois,
the paid leave Workers Act?

00:32:46:01 - 00:32:47:13
Yes, definitely.

00:32:47:13 - 00:32:50:13
So FMLA is a federal law.

00:32:50:17 - 00:32:55:05
It allows, you know, organizations
that are of a size to offer, you know,

00:32:55:05 - 00:32:58:08
the employees to take 12 weeks of unpaid

00:32:58:15 - 00:33:01:23
job protected leave for various reasons.

00:33:01:23 - 00:33:06:04
Some of those reasons could be birth
of a child to care for an immediate

00:33:06:04 - 00:33:10:11
family member, to care
for your own serious health condition.

00:33:10:17 - 00:33:12:06
But there's stipulations.

00:33:12:06 - 00:33:16:04
Do you usually have to work for a company
for 12 months

00:33:16:04 - 00:33:21:07
or the equivalent hours
in order to be eligible for FMLA?

00:33:21:13 - 00:33:26:11
And once again, FMLA is 12
weeks of unpaid job protected leave.

00:33:26:16 - 00:33:32:08
So what that means is if you have to
be off of work for those various reasons,

00:33:32:08 - 00:33:36:13
you've worked at that company for,
you know, the one year or equivalent

00:33:36:13 - 00:33:39:22
amount of hours,
you could take up to 12 weeks off

00:33:40:16 - 00:33:45:18
if you take off those 12 weeks and, 
one lump, you know, one length of time,

00:33:45:18 - 00:33:50:02
continuous leave, or sometimes
you need to take it here and there.

00:33:50:02 - 00:33:53:00
And that's called intermittent FMLA.

00:33:53:00 - 00:33:55:23
But basically what that does
and the reason why it's called

00:33:55:23 - 00:33:59:02
job protected
leave, is you have to be off of work.

00:33:59:02 - 00:34:03:24
And if you qualify for FMLA,
you're when you come back from that leave,

00:34:04:05 - 00:34:08:02
your company has to offer you
the same or equivalent

00:34:08:06 - 00:34:11:02
level of role upon your return.

00:34:11:02 - 00:34:14:01
And because it's unpaid,

00:34:14:01 - 00:34:19:21
sometimes there are states
that are starting to offer paid FMLA.

00:34:19:21 - 00:34:23:13
Sometimes companies supplement
the unpaid time

00:34:23:22 - 00:34:27:17
and have paid
leave options available for you.

00:34:28:02 - 00:34:31:05
It's something that's new,
that's companies are offering,

00:34:31:05 - 00:34:34:13
but at least you know, hey,
if something happens

00:34:34:19 - 00:34:39:16
and I've worked at this company for the,
you know, that eligibility window,

00:34:39:24 - 00:34:41:08
if something happens to me,

00:34:41:08 - 00:34:44:18
at least you know
there's that 12 weeks to fall back on.

00:34:45:04 - 00:34:49:03
And then sometimes, you know, with this
as we go back

00:34:49:03 - 00:34:53:07
to like the state specific specific leaves
Illinois for example,

00:34:53:15 - 00:34:57:13
Illinois
started offering mandatory paid leave.

00:34:57:19 - 00:35:04:02
And the way that that works is that you
accrue hours for however many hours

00:35:04:02 - 00:35:08:07
you get, how many hours you work,
you get X amount of paid leave hours.

00:35:08:14 - 00:35:13:02
And how those hours work is, you know,
you could be able to take leave,

00:35:13:08 - 00:35:17:04
in a smaller amount of time,
a smaller notice period,

00:35:17:04 - 00:35:19:05
and those hours are available to you.

00:35:19:05 - 00:35:23:12
How the company offers them to you could
also vary what happens with those hours

00:35:23:19 - 00:35:28:09
year over year if I use them or not,
that all of that is available.

00:35:28:09 - 00:35:32:24
If you ever were to look up Illinois law
that I'll explain that to you.

00:35:33:05 - 00:35:36:06
But even in the city of Chicago,
Chicago started

00:35:36:06 - 00:35:40:10
having different paid leave laws
because it's even unique in Chicago.

00:35:40:10 - 00:35:45:10
So it is as an employer, you always kind
of want to research, what's out there.

00:35:45:10 - 00:35:47:24
It's always interesting for us HR folks.

00:35:47:24 - 00:35:49:05
We find it interesting.

00:35:49:05 - 00:35:52:16
But you as an employee
should also know what you are.

00:35:52:16 - 00:35:55:06
You know, legally required to receive.

00:35:55:06 - 00:35:58:17
And then also know that there are
those certain length of times

00:35:58:23 - 00:36:03:01
that you have to work for an organization,
or sometimes the size of an organization

00:36:03:01 - 00:36:06:15
matters to if they're required
to offer certain things.

00:36:06:20 - 00:36:11:06
Okay, let's move on to
maybe some other types of perks

00:36:11:06 - 00:36:14:06
that you might get in your job offer.

00:36:14:06 - 00:36:17:01
So what are some 
some of the workplace perks

00:36:17:01 - 00:36:21:09
or sometimes we call it soft benefits
that are becoming more common.

00:36:21:17 - 00:36:24:17
So maybe like hybrid work, things
like that.

00:36:24:17 - 00:36:25:21
Yeah, absolutely.

00:36:25:21 - 00:36:27:18
So yeah, the workplace perks,

00:36:27:18 - 00:36:31:11
sometimes they even call them lifestyle
benefits there.

00:36:31:11 - 00:36:35:13
There's a many different ways to call it,
but a lot of the times

00:36:35:21 - 00:36:38:13
it's pretty standard now
to expect a company

00:36:38:13 - 00:36:41:24
to offer medical dental vision
in A41K plan.

00:36:41:24 - 00:36:44:15
So like that's kind of like, hey,
we expect that now.

00:36:44:15 - 00:36:47:15
And if you're not offering it, you know,
that's like, well,

00:36:47:18 - 00:36:52:14
so now companies to remain competitive,
they are adding those workplace perks

00:36:52:14 - 00:36:55:18
or the soft benefits
or the lifestyle benefits to help,

00:36:55:18 - 00:36:58:18
you know, attract
different types of employees.

00:36:58:24 - 00:37:01:17
And some of those benefits,
are where companies

00:37:01:17 - 00:37:04:05
can be unique in their offerings.

00:37:04:05 - 00:37:08:13
So it's I always find it really fun
to research what those benefits are.

00:37:08:21 - 00:37:13:07
And like I said, it kind of creates
a well-rounded benefits package

00:37:13:07 - 00:37:16:07
because once again,
everybody comes into an organization

00:37:16:10 - 00:37:20:03
with different needs in a different stage
of their life sometimes.

00:37:20:03 - 00:37:25:13
So one of the things that I was thinking
about automatically was things like paid

00:37:25:13 - 00:37:30:09
parental leave and adoptions assistance,
because let's say you're in the family

00:37:30:09 - 00:37:31:23
planning stage of your life.

00:37:31:23 - 00:37:36:08
And hey, I know FMLA only covers
12 weeks of unpaid leave.

00:37:36:15 - 00:37:41:05
You know, is there a plan that helps cover
while I need to be off of work

00:37:41:13 - 00:37:42:04
for mother,

00:37:42:04 - 00:37:45:22
sometimes that could fall under short
term disability, but that only covers

00:37:45:22 - 00:37:47:04
sometimes up to eight weeks.

00:37:47:04 - 00:37:51:00
So what about the other time that I need
to be off to bond with my child?

00:37:51:00 - 00:37:55:05
Or hey, I'm, you know, the father
and I don't get any paid benefits?

00:37:55:11 - 00:37:58:05
Is paid parental leave available to me?

00:37:58:05 - 00:37:59:17
Adoption assistance.

00:37:59:17 - 00:38:02:16
So that's kind of like family
planning benefits.

00:38:02:16 - 00:38:05:07
But then there's also,
like lifestyle benefits.

00:38:05:07 - 00:38:07:24
And those are things
like fitness reimbursement.

00:38:07:24 - 00:38:11:16
So like, hey, I go to the gym every month,
so I'm going to get reimbursed,

00:38:11:23 - 00:38:14:23
for, you know, doing a healthy lifestyle.

00:38:15:01 - 00:38:18:18
Sometimes organizations have partnerships
with specific gyms.

00:38:18:18 - 00:38:22:09
So then if you go to that gym,
you pay a lot less than you would

00:38:22:17 - 00:38:25:17
if you were to come in off the street
to pay for the gym.

00:38:26:06 - 00:38:30:21
Hybrid work, I feel like is becoming
the new norm, the new standard.

00:38:30:21 - 00:38:35:00
A lot of people go into an organization,
they're like, what's your hybrid schedule?

00:38:35:14 - 00:38:37:00
And that varies as well.

00:38:37:00 - 00:38:40:06
It could be,
you know, dependent on your role

00:38:40:06 - 00:38:42:08
if that's available to you or not.

00:38:42:08 - 00:38:47:00
How many days, is also
it could be varying on to your role

00:38:47:00 - 00:38:48:11
or to the organization.

00:38:48:11 - 00:38:52:05
And then if you are offered hybrid work,
sometimes they're like, okay,

00:38:52:10 - 00:38:57:03
here's an home office
stipend and go buy that ergonomic desk

00:38:57:03 - 00:39:01:05
or chair for your home and get the,
you know, stuff that you need.

00:39:01:05 - 00:39:04:04
The keyboard and mouse
and all of that stuff.

00:39:04:04 - 00:39:06:07
And then even more.

00:39:06:07 - 00:39:07:12
I don't think it's niche.

00:39:07:12 - 00:39:11:22
I think it's fun, but pet insurance exists
and you want

00:39:12:01 - 00:39:13:10
you want to get your pet covered

00:39:13:10 - 00:39:16:13
because it's so expensive
to take them to the vet that exists.

00:39:16:24 - 00:39:19:23
And then the last,
you know, there's so much more.

00:39:19:23 - 00:39:23:22
But one of the last ones that I've kind of
seen trending, you know, as I've done

00:39:23:22 - 00:39:27:21
benefit research, is there's
things called lifestyle spending accounts.

00:39:28:00 - 00:39:31:04
So this could be where you get like
wellness stipends

00:39:31:04 - 00:39:34:10
or you get a certain amount
per month or per year,

00:39:34:10 - 00:39:40:15
and you can have a flexibility of options
of what you spend, that money on.

00:39:40:15 - 00:39:42:22
And they call it a lifestyle
spending account.

00:39:42:22 - 00:39:45:15
So it kind of,
you know, allows you that flexibility.

00:39:45:15 - 00:39:49:07
So there's so much out there,
which is good to know because then

00:39:49:16 - 00:39:53:11
if you're making decisions between,
you know, different employers

00:39:53:18 - 00:39:57:06
and that might, you know,
be more valuable to you, you know,

00:39:57:06 - 00:39:58:05
because you want to know,

00:39:58:05 - 00:40:01:20
like, hey, I'm at this stage in my life
and maybe I'm not using,

00:40:02:09 - 00:40:07:11
you know, this plan or this coverage
as much, but I want those little things.

00:40:07:11 - 00:40:11:01
I want those little soft benefit options,
and that might make me

00:40:11:13 - 00:40:15:00
very happy to know that the company
is willing to offer those things.

00:40:15:00 - 00:40:18:22
And that helps companies stand out
from others when they offer those things.

00:40:18:22 - 00:40:20:18
So there's a lot to consider.

00:40:20:18 - 00:40:25:18
So make sure that you, you know,
when you look at those offerings, to see

00:40:26:07 - 00:40:30:01
what are they doing that is unique
because it shows that the company cares

00:40:30:01 - 00:40:34:03
and they are trying to make a well-rounded
benefits package for you.

00:40:35:01 - 00:40:38:01
Now, I like hearing about those
those lifestyle benefits.

00:40:38:01 - 00:40:41:08
And I think especially, you know,
someone newer entering the workforce,

00:40:41:08 - 00:40:42:10
that could be really exciting.

00:40:42:10 - 00:40:45:10
But I always want to, you know,
bring it back to, you know

00:40:45:11 - 00:40:48:03
what what you
what is important to you, you know.

00:40:48:03 - 00:40:49:02
So what do you think

00:40:49:02 - 00:40:52:02
a candidate should be weighing
when they're, you know, weighing those,

00:40:53:01 - 00:40:56:07
soft benefits or those lifestyle
benefits versus those core benefits

00:40:56:07 - 00:40:59:10
when they're really that
considering that job offer, right.

00:40:59:10 - 00:41:00:00
For sure.

00:41:00:00 - 00:41:03:22
So I know, like all of those soft
benefits, they they're fun.

00:41:03:22 - 00:41:07:12
And that might be like, you know,
something that differs that company.

00:41:07:21 - 00:41:11:19
But you you do want to make sure
that the companies are offering

00:41:11:19 - 00:41:16:08
solid core benefits because if it
when you really need to utilize them,

00:41:16:17 - 00:41:20:02
you don't want to be,
you know, left with like a plan

00:41:20:02 - 00:41:23:10
that's not going to help you pay
for those different coverage needs.

00:41:23:10 - 00:41:26:17
And you want to see that
an organization cares

00:41:26:17 - 00:41:30:02
about, the well-rounded package of it.

00:41:30:02 - 00:41:35:15
So if you're making, you know, deciding
between those and considering what,

00:41:35:15 - 00:41:40:23
what's going to be something that is going
to get you in the door versus not,

00:41:41:18 - 00:41:46:00
it still depends on where you are
in your life and what you value the most.

00:41:46:00 - 00:41:49:00
But then you want to know
that, hey, in five years,

00:41:49:04 - 00:41:52:08
if I'm still with this organization,
your needs could change.

00:41:52:15 - 00:41:53:14
So you want to

00:41:53:14 - 00:41:57:09
think about where you are today,
but then also where are you in five years?

00:41:57:11 - 00:42:00:05
And what might change at that time?

00:42:00:05 - 00:42:03:20
You want to make sure that you are,
you know, joining an organization

00:42:03:20 - 00:42:09:14
that is going to continually up,
maybe update their benefits and, show

00:42:09:14 - 00:42:12:14
that they're caring for their employees
and what they're offering to them.

00:42:12:21 - 00:42:15:00
Excellent.
And just kind of continuing with that.

00:42:15:00 - 00:42:18:24
So when a new grad receives
their offer letter, you know,

00:42:18:24 - 00:42:21:08
what should they look for
in the benefits section

00:42:21:08 - 00:42:24:02
just to make sure they really understand
the package?

00:42:24:02 - 00:42:26:00
Maybe red flags.

00:42:26:00 - 00:42:29:07
They should watch out for questions.

00:42:29:07 - 00:42:30:24
They could ask.

00:42:30:24 - 00:42:32:04
Yeah, definitely.

00:42:32:04 - 00:42:35:04
Immediately
I think about the waiting period.

00:42:35:11 - 00:42:37:18
Some companies, they do it differ.

00:42:37:18 - 00:42:38:21
Some companies are like

00:42:38:21 - 00:42:42:19
on your first date of hire,
you are eligible for these benefits.

00:42:43:02 - 00:42:44:21
Sometimes they make you wait.

00:42:44:21 - 00:42:48:13
You know, you have to work here
for 30 calendar days.

00:42:48:18 - 00:42:52:10
Sometimes it's 90,
sometimes it's six months.

00:42:52:15 - 00:42:55:11
And you want to know, like,
what is that waiting period.

00:42:55:11 - 00:42:59:16
Because that length of time like,
you know, it's

00:43:00:02 - 00:43:03:08
maybe not as common,
but it's really important to know.

00:43:03:08 - 00:43:06:08
And that should be available for you.

00:43:06:10 - 00:43:09:20
And in the benefits package
like that should be clear as day.

00:43:10:02 - 00:43:12:01
What is your waiting period?

00:43:12:01 - 00:43:16:11
You also want to be able to look at that
benefit guide and see those big terms.

00:43:16:11 - 00:43:20:05
We talked about again
the what are the doctor deductibles.

00:43:20:05 - 00:43:21:06
What are the co-pays?

00:43:21:06 - 00:43:23:13
How much am I paying per check?

00:43:23:13 - 00:43:27:00
You should be able to be able
to anticipate what the true costs

00:43:27:06 - 00:43:30:06
of all of your different plan options are.

00:43:30:06 - 00:43:33:21
And when we go back to health
insurance again, you want a company

00:43:33:21 - 00:43:38:06
that offers multiple options
because there is, you know,

00:43:38:22 - 00:43:42:05
we need that flexibility of like,
hey, there's not one

00:43:42:10 - 00:43:45:11
medical plan that is going to meet
the needs of everyone.

00:43:45:11 - 00:43:50:19
So a company should be offering
at least 2 to 3 different options for you.

00:43:51:03 - 00:43:55:14
And then if there's like other benefits
that are pretty like those standard core

00:43:55:14 - 00:43:59:13
benefits that you see
they're not offering, like for A1K life

00:43:59:13 - 00:44:03:02
insurance or voluntary benefits
that you can sign up for.

00:44:03:12 - 00:44:07:05
Those are things that at this point
those should be core benefits

00:44:07:05 - 00:44:08:19
and they should be available for you.

00:44:08:19 - 00:44:12:15
So kind of all together,
just being able to see those information,

00:44:12:22 - 00:44:16:00
they should be able to share benefits
guides with you

00:44:16:00 - 00:44:20:01
if you are a candidate, because that is
a very big deciding factor.

00:44:20:08 - 00:44:23:21
So when you are considering a company,
if that event,

00:44:24:04 - 00:44:28:16
that information is not already available
to you, if you ask the recruiter,

00:44:28:20 - 00:44:31:23
they should be able to supplement
and provide that information to you.

00:44:32:16 - 00:44:35:24
I think that's that's, 
that is so important that

00:44:35:24 - 00:44:39:24
that when you, are a lot of times
even when you go for an interview,

00:44:39:24 - 00:44:42:03
they may share their benefit package.

00:44:42:03 - 00:44:44:12
And to me,
that's always a green flag, right?

00:44:44:12 - 00:44:47:22
Because you're obviously very
confident in your benefits.

00:44:49:00 - 00:44:51:00
Yes. It
should be something they're so proud of.

00:44:51:00 - 00:44:54:00
It's not early on the job posting
and on their website.

00:44:54:18 - 00:44:59:17
Then like, yeah, they should be very proud
because as I've been saying, it's it's

00:44:59:17 - 00:45:04:01
a competitive edge and your employer
wants to have a competitive edge.

00:45:04:01 - 00:45:07:00
They want to attract and retain you.

00:45:07:00 - 00:45:10:18
And their benefits
package is one of those factors.

00:45:10:18 - 00:45:15:08
And they should be ready to be loud
and proud about it and make sure

00:45:15:08 - 00:45:18:18
that you, you know, they offer something
great for you that you are excited about.

00:45:19:06 - 00:45:20:19
Question that, you know,
some of our listeners

00:45:20:19 - 00:45:22:24
may have,
you know, our benefits negotiable.

00:45:22:24 - 00:45:24:17
You know, if if they are,

00:45:24:17 - 00:45:27:20
they're ones that tend to have
a little bit more flexibility than others.

00:45:28:09 - 00:45:31:09
I'd say some some are probably negotiable.

00:45:31:09 - 00:45:32:05
Some are not.

00:45:32:05 - 00:45:35:05
A lot of the times
those like health insurance plans,

00:45:35:10 - 00:45:38:14
there are plan rules
that companies have to follow.

00:45:38:14 - 00:45:43:17
Like here's what what kind of employee
do you need to be eligible?

00:45:43:17 - 00:45:47:10
You have to be a full time employee
working X amount of hours or longer.

00:45:47:16 - 00:45:48:22
And that's a plan role.

00:45:48:22 - 00:45:50:14
The company has to follow it.

00:45:50:14 - 00:45:52:19
So that really wouldn't be negotiable.

00:45:52:19 - 00:45:56:20
Some things that could be negotiable, for
example, is like that paid time off

00:45:56:20 - 00:46:00:24
because let's say the longer you're
working in your career, like sometimes

00:46:00:24 - 00:46:05:14
corp companies have it like the longer
you work here, the more PTO you get.

00:46:05:14 - 00:46:08:14
So let's say you're changing careers
and then you're like,

00:46:08:14 - 00:46:10:24
hey, I'm used to having
X amount of days off

00:46:10:24 - 00:46:14:23
and now I'm, I'm coming to a company
with little

00:46:14:23 - 00:46:19:05
or less than than sometimes that could be
something that is negotiable.

00:46:19:05 - 00:46:24:04
So, I always say it doesn't hurt to ask,
but then you might be met with like,

00:46:24:04 - 00:46:27:08
hey, sorry. No,
this is, it's a plan role.

00:46:27:08 - 00:46:30:08
We have to follow it for all eligible
employees.

00:46:30:15 - 00:46:33:21
Okay, well,
then we are coming up to the end here.

00:46:33:21 - 00:46:37:17
So, just a last couple questions here,
which is,

00:46:38:02 - 00:46:41:07
you know, is there anything that you think
new grads overlook

00:46:41:10 - 00:46:44:19
when they're reviewing benefit packages
and just any other last

00:46:44:19 - 00:46:48:13
piece of advice
that you have for our students here?

00:46:49:16 - 00:46:51:02
Yes, definitely.

00:46:51:02 - 00:46:51:19
I think

00:46:51:19 - 00:46:55:21
they're you're going to want to know
the amounts, because a lot of the times

00:46:55:21 - 00:47:01:17
if you're going on a career post or, 
a, you know, a listing, they they'll say,

00:47:01:17 - 00:47:07:01
we have all of these great benefits,
we have time off and we have 41K.

00:47:07:05 - 00:47:10:18
So I hope the biggest thing that you take
away is okay, you have this.

00:47:10:18 - 00:47:13:02
But like what is the benefit.

00:47:13:02 - 00:47:14:06
What's the amount.

00:47:14:06 - 00:47:17:23
What how much does it cost to be
on your health insurance plans.

00:47:18:05 - 00:47:20:18
How much PTO do I get.

00:47:20:18 - 00:47:24:20
Is what are the stipulations
with the PTO?

00:47:24:20 - 00:47:27:09
Do they use it
by a certain amount of time?

00:47:27:09 - 00:47:30:01
Does the amount increase over time?

00:47:30:01 - 00:47:34:15
You'll want to make sure that, you know,
like the nitty gritty details of it,

00:47:34:15 - 00:47:39:01
and you'll you'll learn as you go,
like what other companies are offering.

00:47:39:01 - 00:47:40:10
But you just want to know that,

00:47:40:10 - 00:47:43:10
like they're going to make it
look all fun online.

00:47:43:10 - 00:47:47:12
But getting to the core details
and seeing,

00:47:47:12 - 00:47:51:18
you know, what they're offering, 
is going to be really important.

00:47:52:03 - 00:47:56:05
And then, you know,
when you're getting an offer letter,

00:47:56:05 - 00:47:58:15
you'll want to make sure, you know,
like the offer letter, of course,

00:47:58:15 - 00:48:01:18
is going to state your standard things
like your salary and things like that.

00:48:01:18 - 00:48:05:05
But what other items are you know,

00:48:06:01 - 00:48:10:04
I don't want to say guaranteed,
but are I'm eligible for as an employee

00:48:10:04 - 00:48:14:08
and all other employees are eligible for
and making sure that you're aware of that,

00:48:14:08 - 00:48:18:16
because sometimes you're
if you're not in the know of the benefits,

00:48:18:16 - 00:48:20:12
like if you didn't read that
benefits guide,

00:48:20:12 - 00:48:23:02
or maybe they didn't
have a full fledged orientation

00:48:23:02 - 00:48:25:07
and you're not sure
what's available to you,

00:48:25:07 - 00:48:27:04
and then you miss out
on those opportunities.

00:48:27:04 - 00:48:31:12
So either as a, you know, and you're
in that offer letter review period.

00:48:31:15 - 00:48:35:17
But then also when you join the company,
just make sure that you're aware of what's

00:48:35:20 - 00:48:40:04
what's there and what you should be
eligible for so you don't miss out on it.

00:48:40:19 - 00:48:43:04
And is it okay to ask questions?

00:48:43:04 - 00:48:44:05
Oh yes.

00:48:44:05 - 00:48:47:05
Yes, you said you if it's
and if it's not the recruiter.

00:48:47:05 - 00:48:50:10
Sometimes the recruiter
is not always like fully in the know.

00:48:50:10 - 00:48:53:20
Just say hey is there someone in benefits
or someone in HR?

00:48:54:01 - 00:48:56:05
That I can ask questions to.

00:48:56:05 - 00:48:59:02
And then sometimes if you have like,

00:48:59:02 - 00:49:03:09
more unique health care need and be like,
hey, like, is there anyone

00:49:03:09 - 00:49:07:12
I could talk to confidentially
about something that I want to review?

00:49:08:05 - 00:49:11:20
And then that way that you don't feel like
you need to tell that to the recruiter,

00:49:11:24 - 00:49:15:00
talk to someone who's more of an expert,
who can help you out.

00:49:15:00 - 00:49:18:06
And that way, you know, your coverage
needs or, and things like that.

00:49:18:06 - 00:49:19:24
So always ask.

00:49:19:24 - 00:49:25:04
And that would be a good green flag
is how ready they are to be like,

00:49:25:09 - 00:49:27:17
yes, let me get
you connected with this person

00:49:27:17 - 00:49:29:17
who will help you
with all of these questions.

00:49:29:17 - 00:49:30:20
That would be a green flag.

00:49:30:20 - 00:49:32:22
And, that's how it should be.

00:49:32:22 - 00:49:34:11
Excellent. So good.

00:49:34:11 - 00:49:38:02
Oh, this this has been amazing.
So helpful.

00:49:38:03 - 00:49:44:14
I, I hope that, the listeners
find it as helpful as I did.

00:49:45:18 - 00:49:46:15
Yeah. Yes.

00:49:46:15 - 00:49:49:01
We appreciate your time. We really do.

00:49:49:01 - 00:49:52:11
I could talk benefits all day,
so I hope so, too.

00:49:52:11 - 00:49:58:13
And I hope none of the terms
are too confusing, but, Yes, just it's

00:49:58:13 - 00:49:59:06
all in all.

00:49:59:06 - 00:50:03:22
Just make look into it
and know that you're you're valued.

00:50:05:05 - 00:50:05:19
Awesome.

00:50:05:19 - 00:50:07:06
So thanks to all of our listeners

00:50:07:06 - 00:50:11:00
and special thanks again to Angelina
Organo for joining us on the podcast.

00:50:11:07 - 00:50:14:07
We hope you enjoyed learning
more about employment benefits.

00:50:14:14 - 00:50:18:00
And remember, if you have a question
for us, you can submit to Career Podcast

00:50:18:00 - 00:50:21:17
at Coda, Edu or on social media
at Coda Career Center.

00:50:21:17 - 00:50:24:01
And you may hear the
answer in a future episode.