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How open is HR to negotiating PTO rather than salary? I've happened onto an interview for a position at a company I really want to work for, but the glaring downfall is they only have 10 days of paid time off which is just absurd to me.
I know I'm jumping the gun with this a bit since I don't have an offer, but I just wanted to ask the question out of curiosity as well: how much flexibility is generally given in your experiences?
I should note that I'm looking for 15 days, and I'm totally fine with accruing them, but it's just such a small amount to have only 10 sick and vacation days combined each year.
It is very dependent on the company culture. If you go into an office full of type-A workaholics and request extra time off, you come across as lazy and tone-deaf. But if they are strapped for cash, they may be thrilled you would rather have a lower salary and additional time off.
I guess it comes down to how much you need this particular job. If you are in a strong negotiating position with current employment or other strong prospects, I would be tempted to negotiate hard with the knowledge that an entity where work-life balance is not prioritized is not a culture where you want to work in the first place. But if you have to make this opportunity work regardless, you might want to put in some due diligence about how they are likely to react before you bring it up.
It is very dependent on the company culture. If you go into an office full of type-A workaholics and request extra time off, you come across as lazy and tone-deaf. But if they are strapped for cash, they may be thrilled you would rather have a lower salary and additional time off.
This company is neither type-A nor strapped for cash. It gets glowing reviews from all the people I know who work there, a flexible work culture, work from home, casual clothing, on-site gym, free downtown parking, etc.
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Originally Posted by StPaulGal
I guess it comes down to how much you need this particular job.
It's a $15k payraise most likely, less hours, and ability to travel internationally. I do not need it at all though since I'm currently employed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by StPaulGal
If you are in a strong negotiating position with current employment or other strong prospects, I would be tempted to negotiate hard with the knowledge that an entity where work-life balance is not prioritized is not a culture where you want to work in the first place. But if you have to make this opportunity work regardless, you might want to put in some due diligence about how they are likely to react before you bring it up.
I believe I might be. A head-hunter sent me this job and told me the hiring manager can't seem to get anyone with the combination of skills I possess. I'm not asking for the world, I'm asking for 15 rather than 10 days. But if they find that unreasonable, then I suppose you're right in that I might want to look for other opportunities.
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It's not a matter of being unreasonable, it's corporate policy. They are not likely to make an exception With salaries they have more flexibility than with benefits. It would not be fair to those that started well before you and got less days. That does seem low, by the way. We start at 15 days and still have sick leave for any hospitalization days or 3+ days sick with doctor's note.
My bigger concern would be the culture of a place that thinks 10 days of vacation is sufficient. They sound out of touch with work-life balance which may rear its ugly head in many other ways. The sick days included in those 10 days is completely absurd. One bad flu will wipe out your days for the year.
It totally depends on the corporate culture if they would be open to negotiating PTO instead of salary. We are a large international corporation and would not negotiate that for anyone below the executive level. I don't think it hurts to ask, and I don't think you'd appear lazy.
The places I have worked would not be open to discussing it at all unless you are being brought in at the executive level. That said, 10 days total is very crappy. I believe we start out at 10 vac days and 8 or 10 sick days.
So, what if I proposed unpaid leave? This is my issue: I live 3,000 miles away from my family and currently get a generous two weeks off for Christmas with my current employer. All I'd really want is Christmas Eve through New Year off to come home; however, under a 10 day PTO policy, that's 1/2 of my PTO gone from the outset. Is this an option?
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