Minority Career Network

Minority Career News
January - March 2002


Pay: What's It All About?
By MCN Staff

Compensation is a more inclusive term for what people generally refer to as pay. In fact, it is the term of preference since corporate perfidiousness is rampant. The structure of your compensation deserves your attention in view of recent events. Below are some questions you may ask as you examine how you are compensated.

Questions

  1. What benefits do I receive?
  2. How much does the company contribute to these benefits?
  3. How much do I contribute to these benefits?
  4. How much of my compensation is tied to company stock?
  5. How is vacation or comp time handled? Can I roll it over, or will I lose it if I don't use it within a certain time frame? What other perks do I receive?
  6. How is the company 401K structured? Who manages it? Who monitors it?
  7. Is there a separate company retirement plan? What are the vesting requirements? What is my status?
  8. Is my compensation tied to a sign-on non-compete agreement? How long is the agreement in effect? Are there circumstances under which the agreement is non-binding?
  9. What is the current severance pay policy? How is it calculated? Who is eligible?
  10. What dollar amount do I take home? Are there bonuses? How are they determined? How often are they given?

As you can see compensation involves more than a bottom line figure. It involves the important element of structure. This reveals risks and true rewards, and provides a basis for realistic pay comparisons.


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