BHR 3301 Unit 6 Journal

Unit 6 Journal

According to the textbook, Netflix employees can choose from a mix of stock options and salary, and Whole Foods employees can vote on the benefits they want according to need and/or demand. How important are employee benefits to you? How do you feel about those options for Netflix and Whole Foods? Do you think you should be given the choice of selecting the benefits based on your personal needs?

Employee benefits are extremely important to me. It helps make up the differences in the compensation packages you are offered. To me, as a United States Army Soldier, the pay is not the greatest, especially as an Enlisted Soldier. The benefits that are included in the pay, however more than make up for the missing holes within the pay system. For example, we get free healthcare for our family members and our self, free dental coverage, free college education, up to $500,000 life insurance policy, $100,000 for each family member, Housing Allowance, Food Allowance and Cost of Living Allowance all added to the set amount monthly base pay. These are just some of the benefits I receive. Overall, with the things I do not have to pay for with my paycheck, I actually get paid very well. Having the option to pick your salaries and stock options like Netflix employees get to do is a good idea in a sense because it gives them the power to control their finances. Also, it lets them risk their finances in the overall possibility of having their stock investment skyrocket in the stock market and surpass the salary they selected. Voting on benefits is a great plan. Sometimes employees have to spend money on plans and benefits they will never use because they are covered under their spouses plans. So, when they have the choice of voting on what they want and don’t want, it gives them a voice, and it can save the company money. I think companies should offer, within reason, a list of offered benefits within the company that employees can choose from. This way, there is no excess expenses being paid and the services not being utilized. That wastes the company’s money and that money can be put in other areas making the overall company moral and workplace better. Also, employees that are under their spouse’s job benefit packages will not be utilizing certain benefits, so why should they have to pay for them?