She's On The Money - Negotiating Workplace Benefits

Episode Date: June 27, 2023

Today we talking about another tricky workplace topic that can be a big source of anxiety, but in the current economic climate is more important than ever! How to negotiate workplace benefits. If you've been on the end of a hard 'no' when it comes to pay rise, there are lots of other things you can ask for. So today we’re going to talk about how to prep for a negotiation at work, how to have that conversation, some of the mandatory things you should be getting in a workplace in Australia, and some of the optional extras that people ask for! Acknowledgement of Country By Natarsha Bamblett aka Queen Acknowledgements. The advice shared on She's On The Money is general in nature and does not consider your individual circumstances. She's On The Money exists purely for educational purposes and should not be relied upon to make an investment or financial decision. If you do choose to buy a financial product, read the PDS, TMD and obtain appropriate financial advice tailored towards your needs.  Victoria Devine and She's On The Money are authorised representatives of Money Sherpa PTY LTD ABN - 321649 27708,  AFSL - 451289.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hello, my name is Natasha Nabanunga-Bamblett. I'm a proud Yorta Yorta, Kernai, Wolperi and Awadjeri woman. And before we get started on She's on the Money podcast, I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land of which this podcast is recorded on Awadjeri country, acknowledging the elders, the ancestors and the next generation coming through. As this podcast is about connecting, empowering, knowledge sharing and the storytelling of you to make a difference for today and lasting impact for tomorrow. Let's get into it. She's on the money.

She's on the money. Hello and welcome to She's on the Money, the podcast for millennials who want financial freedom. My name is Bec Syed and I am actually really excited for today's chat because I'm so awkward about this topic, how to negotiate workplace benefits. Fortunately, we have a very, very skilled professional in this area with us today. That is one Victoria Devine. And I've got a lot of audacity. So you best believe I've got all of the tips and tricks. And what we're going to do today is try and channel your inner VD so that like you walk into your boss's office with like the most audacity, like don't do it too quickly though,

you might get fired. And as somebody who's self-employed, I do have a lot of audacity that maybe you shouldn't. So like take everything I say with a grain of salt. But at the same time, I feel like we all deserve better and we all should know our worth and we should all be kind of putting that worth on the table to say, no, actually I'm a human being who has a life and who has needs and wants and I want career progression and I also want some level of flexibility and I don't think it's unreasonable to ask for those things. That is so true. Also, what's the worst thing that can happen if you ask, Bec? Well, maybe you'll get

fired or maybe you'll just feel awkward for the rest of your life. Why would you get fired though? I feel like so many people are so anxious to ask questions about their workplace, even if it's just small things like, oh, I need a little bit more flexibility. Like what if your kid has, you know, some kind of sports practice after school on a Thursday. And you know what? You'd really like to go, but you feel bad asking your boss. Like, why can't we just ask? The worst thing they can say is no. They're not going to fire you over this. I promise you, if you ask kindly and go in with your research, they're not going to turn around and be like, oh my gosh, Beck, you're over and out. I mean, if you marched in and said, you're treating me like trash and you need to fix

this, like that's probably not going to go down so well. So we need to err on the side of caution and make sure that what we're asking for is suitable. But I think this is a really good conversation because, Bec, I actually got a message and I'm talking a lot today because I'm just really excited about this topic. I got a message from a girl who has been in the She's On The Money community for a really long time. And I got it this morning. And by this morning, I mean the second I woke up because she sent it to me, Bec, at 2am this morning. Oh my God. low-key, thank God I don't have notifications for Instagram on my phone. And the message was

essentially, hey V, I can't sleep. I'm so excited. And I just woke up and I thought I have to tell Victoria to buy this. She recently applied for a new job and it's like a career change. And she's so excited about this new role. But when they came back with an offer, the offer was $1,500 a year less than what she's currently on for taking on more responsibilities in a different area. And she was like, what would Victoria do? And I'm obsessed with this thought because obviously it's put her in a better position. But essentially she went back and said, hey, like I would expect, you know, X, Y, Z salary for this and like negotiated it well, put herself first.

And then they said, oh, sorry, we can't do anything about that. The salary is the salary. And she said, okay, unfortunately, I'm unable to actually accept that. I'm going to have to politely decline at this point in time. It's not putting me first. And they said, oh, oh no, let us get back to you. And two days later, they came back to her. They're meeting her salary requirements. They're giving her slightly more flexibility because they took it to the CEO and said, hey, this girl's not coming across for the salary that

we've, you know, we've negotiated for this role. They reclassified the role, added a few extra things that she wanted to do anyway, but didn't think were going to be an opportunity. And she's in the salary band she wanted to be in, all because she put herself first and said, well, actually, I can't accept, I know it sounds like a dream role, but I cannot accept under this premise because that's not going to work out for me. That's not going to put me in the best possible position. You know, there's always going to be another opportunity, which is exactly how we all should see it. And now she's getting her dream role with her dream income. And she said the most awkward thing about this is she told all of her friends at work that she'd low-key said, you know,

I'm going and I'm interviewing for another job. She was like, oh, I told them I didn't get the job and I wasn't taking it. I wasn't leaving. Now I have to go back and say, sorry, that was just a joke. I am leaving. Bye. That is so cool. That is really cool. Isn't it cool? Like people in our community are knowing what they're worth and they are negotiating the things that are important and know that they can push back. And I mean, if she hadn't got that role at the end of the day, it wasn't worth it to take the role for such a significant cut. Like I just think obviously there are some instances where you need to take one step backwards to take two steps forward. But I think knowing your worth

is so important. And I said this, was it last week on the podcast, Annalisa? Our producer knows way more than I do. That having a low opinion of yourself is not modesty. It is actually self-destruction. And we need to hold ourselves to higher levels and we need to actually put ourselves in the best possible position. Because if we're not, we're being self-destructive and that's going to impact us in the future and it's going to be really negative. So with all of that in mind and that beautiful story, by the way, I know you're listening to this. So congratulations, Angel. I'm so proud of you. That is very exciting. Good for you. I know you're listening because I know you listen to every episode because I basically get a DM from this person every

second week about the show, which I'm obsessed with. I'm always chatting in my DMs with my community. But let's get into the show. Yes, let's get into it. Are you ready? I am so ready. And that is such a good story. And as Jessica Ritchie says. It was my favorite thing ever. I'll send you the screenshots because obviously I'm not going to share them online. Maybe I will. I de-identify them because it's so horrible. I was going to actually move forward, but because I just said what Jessica Ritchie says and I was about to quote her. She says, always do an outfit of the day. She says, do an outfit of the day. And she says many, many other very, very inspiring things. But the main thing is, she says, if you are going to change jobs, make sure that it

is at least a 10K pay rise. A step up. It's a step up, basically, is what she's saying. She's got big dog energy. Big dog. She's just the best. And our community is the best as well. But V, aside from the awkwardness, why is this conversation particularly important right now? Obviously, I think it's important 24-7. But particularly right now, you might have seen a spicy post that I posted a little while ago that you could say went viral because it got a couple of million views on TikTok and a couple of hundred thousand on Instagram. And I think one of the hallmarks of going viral is not necessarily the like views or the downloads. It's actually

the amount of abuse you cop in your DMs and in the comments section. So like story checks out for the amount of abuse I got, definitely viral. But I posted a video a little while ago and it was essentially saying that if you weren't being offered a 7.5% pay increase this year, you weren't keeping up with inflation and you were essentially going backwards. And that is true. I mean, in every segment, it's going to be different. I had a lot of people commenting and being like, but I work in healthcare or I work in teaching or I'm in a salary band. And like, it's not going to apply to everybody in terms of being able to walk into their boss's office and say, hey, Beck, I would like a 7.5% increase. And they go, yeah, no worries, Bec, I looked at the inflation rate

and that story checks out. Like that's not necessarily how it works. But what's important for you to understand is how inflation works and how it impacts you. Because regardless of whether you're able to get a salary increase or not, the important thing is you understanding that if inflation is at 7.5%, that means that without a salary increase at all, you're able to buy seven and a half percent less stuff each and every single year. And that can hurt. Like that adds up as well. We've talked about it so many times. We need to advocate for ourselves and understand our worth. And I mean, a lot of people commented and said, oh, but like that's not an option for me in my job. And I don't mean to be rude. Actually, sometimes I do mean to be rude. This is not one

of those times. You have to be. At the end of the day, if you're looking at your salary and you're super happy, that's great. If it still serves you, if it still puts you in the best possible position, that is so fantastic. But if that salary is no longer serving you, your entire life is not about work. I definitely don't believe that a job defines you. And I think at that point, we need to reconsider what our options are and go, well, what is going to help me create the lifestyle that I want and the lifestyle that I deserve? And at that point, we need to have a look at maybe changing roles or being a little bit more assertive when it comes to negotiating or being able to negotiate a few more benefits into your salary package that you weren't able to negotiate before?

Because at the end of the day, if they can't increase your salary, that's fantastic, Bec. What else can we negotiate? Could there potentially be a company car? Could there be more time off? Could you go from working a five-day week to a four-day week, but for the same salary? There are so many options that ultimately you could be negotiating. And at the end of the day, that's what this entire episode is about. It's about negotiating workplace benefits. Yep. I totally agree. How can anyone have a bad comment to make about the 7.5% increase TikTok? I just don't understand what, like, is that offensive for people to say that? Well, at the end of the day, it's like talking about sex and politics and religion, right? Like

no one wants you to talk about money. It inherently makes people a little bit uncomfortable and not everybody just like sex and politics and religion, not everybody is on the same page about what it is and how it works. And I think it does elicit some spicy comments and I'm okay with that. I choose to exist in this space. But I think what really gets me is when people say, oh, my boss said, no, I'm not worth it. Or we get so many beautiful comments, like the story that I told you at the start of this episode, where we know that the content Beck we create puts people in better positions. And I'm so insanely proud of that. But I mean, TikTok's a wild place to live. Like I have never got worse comments on the internet than I have on TikTok. Instagram,

semi-nice place. Facebook, really nice place. Like the people on Facebook, they're relatively kind, but TikTok, wild. Some people are absolutely vile and that's fine. That's no worries at all. I think my favorite comments were, oh, you don't understand inflation and how it works. And I was like, I think I do, but thanks anyway. And someone else who was like, glad you don't run a business. And I was like, oh, glad you can read. So, you know, I don't take any of them personally. I just think it's quite funny because at the end of the day, a lot of this comes from people's perceived, I guess, idea of what it looks like when it comes to negotiating pay and this idea that the employer is always the most powerful person in this circumstance and in this relationship.

and that's not necessarily the case. Like you work for them because they need you, Bec. Completely agree. You have so much value. It's time for them to start seeing it and not abusing that power. That's very solid advice. And just to kind of, you know, help people along, if you do want to listen to some older episodes about the same topic,

we do have a few. There's one, having difficult conversations with your boss back in May of 2022. An employee writes, September 21, 2022. So go back and have a listen if you haven't already, if you need more information. But we are going to continue on, aren't we, Victoria? We are. Actually, Bec, before you were saying that you find this stuff really challenging to talk about, but I guess it's really important to also challenge yourself because even though

you find it really scary and sometimes a little bit challenging or a little bit hard, if you don't learn to have these conversations now, you're essentially going to lead yourself down a path where you either burn out or you're feeling really frustrated with your job or your life or that you're not getting out of it what you deserve like there's nothing worse and I mean I say this having not been through this circumstance at all but I can imagine that there's nothing worse than you know getting to a point in your career where you look back and you go I'd be so much further along and I deserve to be so much further along and I deserve so much more than what I'm currently getting I wish I'd been able to speak up or I wish I'd been able to see

my worth or my value and there's something about finally seeing your own value where it's obviously empowering but it empowers those around you and I would argue I'm that type of person right like I did not see my own value historically and that's not just financially that's individually like as a person I was just like oh like I don't have a lot of confidence I don't have a lot of self-worth like I don't I think it's really rude when people have a lot of confidence because they must be cocky or have a big ego and like that's not the case at all but I look back and I go oh baby Victoria I wish I could like pick you up and say you're worth more than that like people can't talk to you that way or you know you should be negotiating a pay rise here or you actually

should be paid for the work you're doing it's not for free there's just so many times where I want to scoop myself up and I guess I've translated that into the community and now I want to scoop all of you up and give you all those tools and resources because you deserve them and I don't think anyone should be feeling frustrated or burnt out because of work. Yes, I completely agree. I mean, I define myself, I don't define myself this way, but I feel like sometimes I define myself as a career girly, right? Like I love my job. I love what I do. It's what I live and what I breathe, but like, it's not the entirety of who I am. And I think it's important to kind of put those things aside. But if work is not serving you, it ultimately ends up taking over and you

deserve more than that. Yes, that is so true, Vicky D. Also, I would love to meet baby Victoria. I just want to put that out there. You don't. She had really bad eyebrows. Terrible. Before I met Brooke Sutherland, holy moly, my eyebrows, like they're embarrassing. There's a reason I went through my entire Facebook history and deleted all those bad photos because it's honestly embarrassing. It's so cute. We've all been there. Don't even worry about it. But V, what should we do in the lead up to negotiating workplace benefits? Lots, because you can't just march into your boss's office and be like, I listened to a podcaster in Victoria and Beck and they said I deserve more. So what have you got for me? Like, that's not going to work. I mean, it might work.

And if it does, please call me. I'd love to hear that story. But first things first, we're going to do our research. We're going to understand our rights. We're going to know what we are worth so that when somebody comes back to us and says, no, you can be like, actually, yeah, like actually yeah that is happening before entering any type of conversation or I guess you could say negotiation about your position or about your rights I think it's important to understand where you stand so whether that is in Australia or in New Zealand or in the US or whatever country you are listening from there are going to be I guess regulations and rules and here in Australia we have the Fair Work Act of 2009 which needs to be updated because it's

from 2009. I know, right? Like it feels like it was yesterday, but like Bec, it was ages ago. Like that's the year that I graduated from high school. That was so long ago. And I don't want to admit that. So maybe like, let's not. But the Fair Work Act 2009 actually sets out minimum standards for employment conditions, including benefits. And obviously we're going to cover some of those non-negotiables, but essentially know that and go to the website and look at that. So you just Google Fair Work Act 2009 and it will pop up and it's going to be different based on what segment or what industry you work in, whether you're casual or part-time or full-time or a freelancer, there's going to be different segments and it feels overwhelming because the act is huge.

Like Beck, if I said, hey, here's the act, I'd be like slamming it down on the table and you'd be like, well, it's thicker than a Bible in type 12 font. Like, yeah, it's massive, right? But the website actually sets it out really easily. So you can kind of jump to the sections that make sense for you. So if you work in retail, you can go and read the retail segment, or if you work in hospitality, you can look at that segment. So don't think it's too overwhelming because I promise it's not. And it's written in a way that is going to make sense to you, not be overwhelming because it's definitely written for everybody to understand where they stand. Yeah, absolutely. And if you want to have a look at that in today's show notes,

you'll see the links to the Union Charter of Rights Leave Entitlements and also Superannuation Entitlements. What a sexy little list. Like other podcasts have like link to my leggings in the show notes or link to my discount code for this really exciting beauty product. And I'm like, so have you heard of the Fair Work Act 2009? Really hot. It's in my bio. Have a look. I prefer that to be honest with you. So Vy, what should we cover next? All right. All right. So next we need to identify what you want and what you need. So you can't just walk in and be like, I want a better deal. Like what does that actually mean for you? So

have a really good think about what your needs and priorities are when it comes to workplace benefits. Like let's talk about more than pay. We did episodes, as you mentioned before, we've done episodes on negotiating salary. We can do that. I'm actually dropping very, very soon. actually, when this episode comes out, I've probably already dropped it. And that's a script to negotiate your salary so that you feel a little bit more empowered. But you need to think about factors like flexible work arrangements, paid parental leave, superannuation contributions, potentially health insurance. That's not as common in Australia, but it's becoming common because health insurance costs are going through the roof. And having that in your, I guess, employment

package. It's pretty hot. We've got professional development opportunities, work-life balance. There's so many different things that could be included because you need to sit down and work out, well, what is of value to me? What's going to actually provide some benefits? Because Beck, if you and I sat down and had a look at this, like I'm pretty sure at this stage in your life, paid parental leave is probably not on the top of your list. Not at the moment. But looking at like work-life balance you might go oh I'd love some more like leave days or you might say oh I'd really love some more flexible working arrangements because I'd love to work from home a few more days a week or at least one day a week or whatever that looks like and all of those things can be

negotiated at the end of the day I think it's so wild it's 2023 like we can be flexible and still have super productive staff it's not the 90s anymore where our staff only have access to a computer that's a big clunky desktop at their desk and they have to come into work like I can work from literally anywhere yeah yeah exactly and I feel like you know there was a time maybe a time in life where things were done like there were a lot of physical jobs so that does take time you can't speed that up but productivity for like the everyday office worker you don't you don't need to be trying to fit that into five days 40 hours a week you know I don't know it just seems silly so 100% 100% you've got to be really reasonable about it too right

Absolutely. If you're a receptionist, you probably can't go, I know I work an office job. I want to work from home. It's like, well, actually, my friend in your job is greeting clients that come into the office and, you know, being on front desk. Sure. Like work from home benefits probably not going to work that well. Sure. If you're a traffic controller, you probably can't work from home. Like that's not really that remote. You can try. And if it's so valuable to you that you do work from home, maybe we should be considering a different career path. Right, right, right. But that's just me, babe. That's just me.

But also, so I could like say, for example, I want my phone or internet bill taken care of like in my contract. Like I could ask for that kind of thing or like try and negotiate that. A hundred percent. In fact, I find it so interesting. At this point in time, I don't pay my team's phone bills and I don't pay my team's phone bills for a few reasons. One, because I think that they work from, you know, nine to five every day.

I mean, they actually work from nine till three on Fridays. lucky little ducks but I don't actually if we can avoid it I don't want them using their phones for work because they aren't actually available to me 24 7 yeah I think that you should have your laptop on you to access emails if you really want to have your emails on your phone for your own ease of access that is absolutely fine but I find it so interesting because I had a friend the other day go oh my boss said that I had to download this particular software so that I can have my work emails on my phone and it's like a security software but it's essentially a tracking software that like tracks the phone and they can wipe my friend's phone remotely like if they lost

it or you know there was a data breach or whatever I just feel like that's such an invasion of privacy and that's okay like if you accept it no worries like if you're a bit like me and you're like man I don't say anything bad in my dms go for it I think that's fine if you accept that but that's now a work device like that's now a device that to me exists for work so you either give me a work device that at 5 p.m i can put in my drawer and i only use it for work or are you trying to tell me that you think i need 24 7 access to my work emails in which case why right right like i'll do my job during work hours and i mean there's lots of different i guess caveats to that like there could be people saying oh i'm less stressed if i can see my emails coming i am too

Like I love seeing push notifications to know the world is still spinning. I don't care if I'm out for dinner with my friends or I don't care if it's a Saturday. I just like to know that things are still going on because that reduces my anxiety. So I'm happy with that. And if, you know, my team are like that, then great. But I want that to be for their own benefit,

not because my team need to, you know, be accessible to me 24-7. And I think that there's a lot to say about asking your boss to pay your phone bill if it becomes a work phone. Am I expected to use this device for work? Yeah, great. Pay me. Yes. Okay.

So I guess it's kind of like maybe like, for example, in hospo work where you don't really need to be using it unless, oh, but then you might need a call. I don't know. Different strokes for different folks. That's something to keep in mind, I suppose, if that's you're going to be using it. And everything's negotiable, right?

Like you mentioned before, like internet bills, absolutely they could be taken into consideration. but at the same time be reasonable yes like if you are somebody who has you know a work from home day one day a week and there's a lot of flexibility and you already have an unlimited internet plan and you're using it to stream netflix and play games and you know spend a whole heap of hours playing the sims like i do sometimes like maybe that's not that reasonable to ask for but if maybe let's say you live in an apartment and you're expected to work from home five days a week and you don't actually use the internet for anything else and you had to have it connected

specifically to work from home, that's when I would mention to my boss like, oh, hey, what does this actually look like? I wouldn't have this service otherwise. It's definitely a work expense. Yes, I understand. Okay. What about if it's like half work expense, half regular things? You just use your Wi-Fi. Well, they don't have to pay the full bill. Right. Like let's say your phone bill each and every single month is $60 and you say, I use a half for personal, half for work, maybe they pay $30 of your bill and that just gets added to your salary so that you can pay that. Or maybe it gets taken internally and it's like, there's a lot to do and it's up to your boss how that happens. But I do think that we need to be advocating for

those costs. Like, don't even get me started on reimbursements. Like, crazy. Okay. So this is actually kind of looking exciting and not so daunting after all. It shouldn't be. Yeah. Yeah. I think that's the case, but it feels very awkward. It feels very uncomfortable. But V, what other things should we take into consideration moving forward? You need to gather up your information, like collect it into one nice central place. And I would connect with like mentors or like other colleagues and I guess anyone in your network who could help you understand your own perspective. So when it comes to advocating for your own rights, especially in a workplace, it can feel really overwhelming. But Bec, if we took a step back

and I said, all right, you need to go to your boss and ask for, you know, let's say them to pay your phone bill. And you go, oh V, that's actually really scary. I'm not sure. Like I don't want to get them offside. I don't want to have a bad conversation. Go, all right, Beck, well, what's going to make you more comfortable with this? Collect your information, do some research about whether your boss should be paying it. So I would Google, you know, media phone bills boss pays and forums are probably going to come up and conversations are happening. These conversations happen every single day and now she's on the money community. So if you're not there, you're missing out, but you could have that conversation. I'd go, Bec, go and ask your

colleagues, are any of them having their phone bills comped? And you might go around the office and a few people go, nah, I haven't thought about it. Nah, I haven't thought about it. And you're only asking trusted colleagues. Like these could be people that you see as friends in your workplace, or they could be people that you see as friends outside of your workplace that are in similar roles. And, you know, a friend that works at a competitor goes, oh yeah, Bec, actually my boss pays for half my phone bill. And you go, oh, how'd you negotiate that? Oh, I asked and they said, yes, it made a lot of sense. These are the things I said. And then you come across someone in your workplace and they say, yeah, of course, I negotiated it when I started. So you go, oh,

I'm collecting all this information for me to feel more powerful and feel more, I guess, validated in the decisions that I'm making and the questions I'm asking. You've just been told by a friend who works in a similar industry, actually, yes, I get this. You've been told by someone who works for you that they negotiated it up front. So you now know that that workplace do pay it. You just didn't negotiate it up front. Now you do. So you're going to walk into this conversation a whole heap more empowered so that you can say, hey, I'm just wondering, you know, you're not going to throw the info in their face. Just wondering what your thoughts about, you know, helping me out with this are. I've been thinking about it. I do use the phone for personal use

half the time, work use the other half. So, you know, obviously I don't expect you to cover it all, but I'd like to propose that, you know, you pay half the bill. Let me know your thoughts. Obviously you don't have to answer immediately. And they're very likely to say yes, but also you're going to be so much more confident because you've had these conversations and you have a really compelling argument. And if they then say no, that's when you come back and say, okay, well, you know, I've got a friend in a different role at a different organization, similar to mine, same thing happens. And have those conversations, obviously without throwing your colleagues XanthroPass, but have those conversations so you feel really empowered and so that you don't feel

like you're asking for too much because I promise you're not. Yeah. So V, what else should we be considering during this time? You need to look at how long you've been in the job. I mean, tackling this in the first week is probably going to make your boss give you a little bit of a bombastic side eye. They're going to be like, well, why didn't you negotiate that first? Because it's so close to your, I guess, employment date. But also it's really important to kind of build a case around what you deserve and what you've got. So like talking about your accomplishments and your contributions and I guess your commitment to the organization, that's going to support your request for improved benefits, right? Emphasize how whatever you're negotiating for can contribute

to your professional growth and your overall productivity and development. Like we're not just saying, oh, I want to work from home because it's so nice. Like my cat's there. I like being able to wear my slippers all day. I really like that when I finish at five o'clock, I can just slam my laptop shut and jump on Netflix. Like that's probably not what your boss cares about. I think going to your boss and saying, look, I'd really like to work from home and highlighting the benefits to them, but also the benefits to your career and your overall productivity is going to make the most sense. So if I was trying to negotiate more work from home time, I'd go, hey, Bec, you're my really cool boss. I really want to talk to you about my benefits and being

able to work from home. So I currently commute an hour and a half to and from work. And I know that that time's not productive. It's being lost. I also feel like I'm quite distracted in the office by, you know, office politics and water cooler chat and all of that. I just think if I was working from home two days a week in comparison to the five I'm spending in the office. I think that I could be way more productive. I really want that, I guess, really solo time to smash out my emails and just get a whole heap of projects done. I think my productivity is going to increase. That's really good for, you know, obviously my career progression, but also for the business. Yeah. Yeah. This is so true. I cannot go into the office. I never get a lick

of work done. Yeah, because I'm always running up to your desk and trying to scare you from behind. Yeah, exactly. And so then I guess I'm scared and I can't do anything. I can't focus on anything else. I'm just scared that you're going to run up behind me again for the rest of the day. I'm terrifying. Honestly, watch out. Exactly. So what I'm going to do next, I'm not going to bring my laptop in at all. I'm just going to be staring and waiting for you to pop out of somewhere. That's a good idea. Yeah, I think that'll go down really well. I think that's probably the best thing to do. Is there anything else we should consider

at this moment? Timing. Timing should be impeccable. We need to make sure that we're considering at what time we're asking for these things. So picking an appropriate time. So whether that is during your performance review or a contract renewal or when your employer is actually discussing overall workplace policies. I would aim for a time when your employer is open to discussing these things, but also be relatively assertive about that time frame. So obviously those are really good suggestions, but if I were you, I would actually book a time. So I would make sure that I am sitting down with my boss. I'm not just going to like

walk into their office because I've been inspired by a podcast and be like, oh, Beck, you free for a sec? Like that's just going to get them offside. They're busy. I promise you that's not going to go down well. But like preface it a little bit. Oh, I'd love to have a career check-in or I'd love to have a check-in about, you know, work from home and what that means and book a time. And if they say, oh, I don't have time for that, be like, okay, well, how do I make time for that? What would that look like? I'm happy to do it over lunch. I'm happy to do this. I'm happy to do that. And I think that by being relatively assertive that this is important to you, they're going to make time for it. But also if you pick a good time where you're already

talking about how well you're doing, like a performance conversation or you're re-signing a contract or, you know, your employer's asking for feedback, like that's obviously going to be taken a lot better than you randomly walking into their office, which I do not recommend. yeah another thing that I've just thought of is clear effective communication which can be hard because like how hard is it going into someone's office and being like oh I was just wondering if I could um yeah oh probably don't worry about it and they go oh no no no Beck what is it like let's be assertive but confident like there's a very big difference between confidence and arrogance I feel like in women particularly they get confused you're not arrogant you're just

confident. You know what you're worth and that is okay. I promise you that you aren't rude. You are not asking for too much and you're not in any way, shape or form arrogant. I think expressing your interests and concerns respectfully and professionally is very, very important. So make sure that when you go in there, maybe you've practiced it in the mirror, maybe you've practiced it in the car on the way in, but also to make yourself a little bit more confident, have some specific examples and some data to support your requests. Yes. So discuss the potential benefits, as I said before, for yourself, but also for the organization. So as I said before, saying, I really want to work from home, like my cat's so lonely, it's not going to go down well.

Yeah. Like, let's not do that. Let's put the organization first and go, all right, let's talk about more productivity. Here's some research that says people who work from home are way more productive. Let's consider that. Yeah, that's a really good point, Vee. I love that. I think this is a really good time to go to a break, absorb everything, and we'll see you on the other side. Welcome back, everyone. So we have been talking about negotiating workplace benefits if you can't get a pay rise. So V, what are some of the extra benefits Australian employers tend to offer to workers? All right. So there are lots, and it's really going to depend on, I guess, the size and the nature of the business that you work for. There are a few common ones

that I've written down. So we're going to fly through them as to not bore you too much. You're not going to be surprised about this one, Bec. Flexible work arrangements. We've just spoken a lot about them, but they could mean a lot more than just working from home. They could mean that you get to come in earlier and leave earlier, depending on your role. It could mean a couple of days a week, you work a longer shift so that on a Friday, you only work a half shift. And it really depends on what is going to work for you and how that works. And obviously, guys, it's 2023. Work-life balance is a top priority nowadays for most of us. And it's also something that a lot of organizations are talking about. So it depends on what you want to do and how it works. But there's

a lot of different ways that work-life balance could be prioritized with your work hours. Additional leave options are a very attractive one as well, Bec. So some employers, they might offer additional paid leave options beyond the minimum requirements. Like you might get extra annual leave days or you might get paid volunteer leave or cultural leave for specific events or, you know, extended unpaid leave for personal or travel purposes. And you can absolutely negotiate that. So I have a girlfriend who recently negotiated this and I'm so proud of her because I just think it's so baller. And she was like, V, I need to tell you about this because at the end of the day, I only did it because you told me that I could do it. She couldn't get a

pay rise. And she was a bit salty about it, to be honest. And I would be too if I was in her shoes because she'd been there for like five years, not had a pay rise, like nothing when it came to CPI, any of that. But she went back to the boss and said, hey, no worries. I know that you can't afford more when it comes to salary, but I'd like two additional weeks of paid leave. And so now instead of having four weeks a year, she has six weeks a year paid leave. She gets to go on her Europe trip, completely paid because she's, you know, allocating that time and energy to it. And I just think that that's such a sexy benefit because like for some people, having more paid time off makes sense because she wouldn't have been able to afford to pay for it herself. But now

it's in her contract. The employer's not out anymore financially. Obviously, there's obviously an implication to that. She's not there, but it worked out for everybody. Yeah, that's a great idea. Health and wellness programs you could negotiate. So a lot of employers actually offer access to health and wellness programs, and they could include things like gym memberships or fitness classes or mental health support or counseling services. And there's just lots of different initiatives that are there. You could talk to your employer about that. For me, something that is important is professional development and training. So there are a lot of employers that invest in their employees' professional development or their growth by offering training and skill

development and career advancement. So what can your employer offer you? Are they maybe paying for you to go to a conference each and every single year? It could be anything from financial support for different certifications or workshops or conferences or just further education or even just time off for study. You could negotiate EAP, so employee assistance programs. So these are designed to support employees with personal or work-related challenges and they often provide confidential counselling services or legal advice, financial guidance and resources for mental health support, which I think is incredibly important. You could, if they say no to a salary increase, you could negotiate a bonus or an incentive. So an employer might be able to offer you a

performance-based bonus or incentive program to reward you for your exceptional work or meeting specific targets. And these can be financial, it could be like a profit share scheme or share options or non-monetary rewards like company-sponsored trips or events or even just like training programs that you want access to. You could negotiate a sneaky little employee discount or a perk pick. So these discounts could be on like products or services offered by the company that you work for or its partners. These could include a range of things, including reduced pricing on company products or subsidized childcare or transport or access to employee discount programs for shopping, travel, or entertainment. Like ask your employer about

these things because sometimes they have them and they're just not well communicated as well. Like I remember a couple of years ago talking to my dad and my dad works in corporate and he was like, oh, we got this notice in our emails to say that this specific car dealership that, you know, we've got a partnership with is ending their partnership. He's like, I wish I knew about that before, before I bought a new car, because I had no idea that we got a discount there. And I was like, what a good benefit, but also sad it's leaving, sad you didn't get access to it. He had no idea. So I think it's really important. If you don't know whether they do, do a little bit of research. It's probably on your like, you know how lots of companies have those like portals that you

can log into, like intranets. Have a look on there. See what other benefits are offered to you. And then again, work-life balance initiatives. I'm so about this and think it's so important that employers might implement, I guess, various incentives to promote work-life balance, like on-site childcare facilities or flexible parental leave policies or paid time off for family events or the ability to purchase additional leave. So ask all of these questions. I think that they are so important, but I guess you can see where my priorities lie when it comes to work-life balance. Yeah, absolutely. I could not advocate for work-life balance more. You're the work-life balance queen. Honestly, you are.

Totally. Life starts outside of work. That's where your life is. Let's talk about non-negotiables, V. What are we entitled to by law? Obviously, you mentioned before that we're going to have a whole heap of links in the show notes to some resources for you all, but the mandatory workers benefits for Australian workers include a few of the following. So, minimum wage. So, Australian workers are entitled to minimum wage, which is set by the Fair Work Commission and it's reviewed each and every single year. Superannuation. Employers must make regular contributions to their employee's super funds, which are designed to provide a retirement income. The current minimum contribution rate

is 11% of an employer's ordinary earnings. And as of the 1st of July, 2026, employers will have to start paying your super each payday, which is an interesting concept that I got asked about the other day because a lot of people get paid their super quarterly and they go, wait, why is it on my payslip for weekly or monthly or however often I get paid but only put into my account every quarter? So if that's happening to you, yes, that is legal. I do look forward to the change though because I feel like I would like everybody to be investing more consistently and more regularly to be making the most of dollar cost averaging. Aside from that, which I obviously am very, very passionate about, Meg. Annual leave and sick leave. So full-time workers are entitled to paid

annual leave, typically four weeks each and every single year unless negotiated otherwise, and personal or carer's leave. So sick leave based on the National Employment Standards or the NES, which you can Google for your industry. We then have parental leave. So the NES provides for unpaid parental leave for eligible employees, including maternity and paternity leave. The Australian government also offers the paid parental leave scheme, providing financial assistance to eligible parents, which is very cool. And then the last one I've popped on my list is workplace health and safety, because I just think it's really important to work in a safe environment. But employers are obligated to maintain a safe and healthy work environment

and provide appropriate training and resources to ensure that your safety is put first back. That's all I've got on my list, my friend. Oh, wow. Okay, so it turns out it's not so scary. It's not scary at all, I promise. Cool. I think that's a really good place to leave it. I would say at this point to all our community members

and listeners, go forth and good luck, and it's not as scary as you think. You can do this. Know your worth and then add tax, my babies. That's it. I love that. All right, guys. Have the best day, guys, and we will see you on Friday.

Bye. The advice shared on She's On The Money is general in nature and does not consider your individual circumstances. She's On The Money exists purely for educational purposes and should not be relied upon to make an investment or financial decision. If you do choose to buy a financial product, read the PDS, TMD and obtain appropriate financial advice tailored towards your needs. Victoria Devine and She's On The Money are authorised representatives

of MoneySherpa PTY LTD ABN 321 649 27708 AFSL 451 289.