Other Benefits

What is health insurance, and am I entitled to it?

Health insurance is a contractual benefit, so you need to check your contract of employment to see whether or not you are entitled to receive it. Health insurance would provide an employee with an income if they become incapacitated or unable to do their job because of a long term sickness.

What is staff discount, and am I entitled to it?

A staff discount is a benefit that allows an employee to purchase goods and services which are provided by the employer, at a discounted rate, because its being subsidised by the employer. You need to check your employment contract to see if you're entitled to any staff discounts.

What is a company car, and am I entitled to one?

A company car is a car provided by the employer to the employee to carry out his or her duties as part of their contractual obligations. You have to check your contract of employment to see whether or not you would be entitled to a company car. If you are entitled to a company car, you probably can probably only use it for business use, although it may also be able to be used for private use. Again, check your contract of employment. Alternatively, you may be offered the cash equivalent of a company car.

Will I automatically be entitled to a pension scheme?

There's no legal requirement for an employer to contribute to a pension scheme. What an employer does have to do is to set up a stakeholder pension scheme and allow employees access to that scheme, so they will make the deductions from an employees salary and pay that into the stakeholder pension. There's no obligation for the employer to make any contribution to that pension.

What are pro-rata' benefits?

Pro-rata just means a proportion. If you are a part-time employee, and you get pro-rata benefits, it just means that you're getting a proportion of the benefits of someone who is a full-time worker.