In part of my research I was struck by the percentages of companies who don’t offer things that should be absolutely common sense and addressed at 100% rate. For example there is one benefit that’s tracked by Society of Human Resource Managers, i.e. airport parking.  If your traveling on business why wouldn’t the company pay your parking?!?  If 85% of companies offer something that is absolutely obvious, like airport parking, then why doesn’t everyone?  who are the 15% who don’t?  There are other benefits that fall into this category.  

they would pay for absolutely nothing unless legally required

Discounted uniforms is one that a surprisingly small number of companies offer.  How can an organization require you to wear a uniform yet not provide some way to facilitate easier access to that uniform?  There are several other examples but I don’t want this post to become a laundry list of benefits that can/should be covered by all companies for their employees.    

Sadly I know the answer to this question.  I have worked for a company that maintained this type of attitude when it came to any expense, they would pay for absolutely nothing unless legally required.  They made the case that my territory was like my own business.  I was like a distributer to their product line.  I made my own schedules, but I also paid all my own expenses out of my income.  They explained it like it was a Profit and Loss and I had tremendous flexibility.  But what about expenses?  well “you can write them off” was the company line.  Nevermind that it was highly onerous to track and float these expenses, some of which was very expensive.  Never mind that I couldn’t work for another company that sold the same types of products via an NDA.. Never mind that I was let go through no fault of my own and unable to keep the equity of my efforts.

The way I figure it, the idea of identifying costs of doing business as “benefits” that aren’t offered and maintaining an attitude that should be shouldered by the employee come from the same place that is afflicted by hemorrhoids.  Like hemorrhoids, the condition is chronic with flare ups that need to be treated.  

I wonder if someone makes “benefits” cream.