This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. When you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Your support is greatly appreciated. Please see my Disclosure Policy for further information.
Spread the love

In the modern employment climate, it seems that we should be grateful to have any job that we apply for. Despite the vast competition for one single role, if we get to our supposed “dream job”, we’ve got to cling onto it with everything we’ve got. And this can mean, on occasion, we don’t feel brave enough to get additional support from the powers that be. It seems that we should be grateful for what we’ve got, no matter how subpar it may be. You only have to look at the numerous internships floating around to see that many business leaders are more than content to go by offering people roles but without the pay to match it. If you’ve got yourself into a role that you are fiercely proud of, and you’re willing to put in the dedication, you still need your employer to meet you halfway. What are the things you should ask your employer to help you with?

Long-Term Development

We may have fought tooth and nail to get to this position, but after a while, we realize that we are at the bottom rung of the ladder. It’s important that our employers should prepare for our long-term development. While our personal circumstances can differ, and we may not be looking for the opportunity to progress anytime soon, the fact is that we can soon stagnate in a specific role. You may have been working towards this role for some time, only to find that it’s not as high-powered as you thought, or you, very simply, find yourself bored within a matter of years. This is something that happens to every single one of us, we have some sort of workplace malaise, where we get itchy feet, and we look for the next challenge. While you may find the industry you are in suits your needs and skills perfectly, what you need to look for is how the job can progress. Maybe your employer can put you on specific courses to develop your overall expertise, which benefits them as well as you. After all, in this financially difficult climate, employers need their workers to be multi-skilled. This is an angle you can use when approaching them to develop you in certain ways.

A Way To Wellness

We’re not all that equipped at dealing with stress. Sometimes we have to seek out our own path, but when you spend so long working for someone, and dedicated to the cause, it’s your right to feel emotionally well. Some employers are very hot on improving the wellbeing of their colleagues, but if you feel you’re giving so much of yourself that your work-life balance is tipped firmly in the favor of the former, it’s time to approach your employer with what is needed so you can function better in the working hours. After all, if we spend so much time, working 12 hour days, focusing on the needs of the business, and bending over backward when our employer has asked us to, the least they can do is provide us with some form of respite. Some people view courses in mindfulness as meditation as somewhat too “new age” for their tastes. But as an employer, they need to provide different options for the benefit of every single caliber of employee in the organization. Wellness is a key component to you working at your best, and it’s something that you can’t take for granted, not least in a working environment where you’re expected to give more than the standard one-third of your life!

Flexibility In The Role

We can feel indebted to an employer, so much so that our lives are completely given over to them. This means that we may not feel we have the right to ask for time off for doctors’ appointments, dentists, or even phone in sick. We need flexibility in our role, not just because it helps us function better within the office, but it’s a testament to what a good business does for its employees. We hear so much about the larger companies like Google working so hard on listening to their employees, and providing the things they’ve asked for, not just the standard break out room, but also giving them the opportunity to have time away when necessary. We need some form of flexibility, but we are at a precipice when we’ve worked hard at getting the job we want, because we may feel that if we let go of it slightly, someone will take our place. This is very common in the creative sector, especially when there aren’t as many perks in the organization. But when you’re in an established business, you need some form of flexibility. Many companies employ flexi-time, so as long as the work is done within the business day, it doesn’t matter what time the employee comes in. Of course, there are some concessions to this, but when it’s a standard working day, and there are so many people out there that have had to book time off and use precious vacation pay for an appointment, this seems somewhat unfair.

Compensation For What We Do

It is only right that we get paid for the job we do. It seems that this isn’t always the case, especially those that have worked hard at breaking into a specific industry. It seems that from the perspective of the powers that be, it gives them the right to cut corners, financially and in terms of the perks. A lot of people choose to apply for a job now because of the various perks involved. But when you’re looking for your ideal job, a sense of feeling secure should form part of your decision. Many organizations have an employee assistance program of sorts, either for their development or for their health, and there are many companies that provide substantial healthcare packages, as well as a lucrative pension packet or 401(k), and these could feel like gold dust in some places. Especially now that we now see the influx of self-employed and freelance professionals, seemingly going their entire lives without any workplace perks, and have to save their own money in order to provide a nest egg for their future. Because you realize when you get to a certain point is that you will have established yourself as a professional in a certain role you will go to a company that provides the perks, giving you a sense of security, but also the professional gratification you need. If you want your employer to secure your services, then they need to provide the perks. It’s not just the fact that employees have been paid the basics inspires them to do the best work, and it’s not about bonuses here and there. It’s about a holistic, long term effort to secure your talents.

Ultimately, we are there to do a job. And if we can’t do this to the best of our abilities, then we have to go to our employer to ensure that we’ve got the means necessary. An employer can feel that giving their employees basic pay is enough. But these days, as the millennial trends in employment steers towards a more comprehensive approach to working, not necessarily the pay, but a nurturing workplace culture as well, an employer needs to provide numerous options so that the workers can complete their tasks effectively, but this also keeps the business running. When approaching your employer for compensation, or help towards something, we have to remember that it needs to be framed in the context of the business. It’s not just about you, but how you can help the company. They have to meet you halfway.

This is a collaborative post.


Spread the love