Make sure to consider all the benefits when re-evaluating in January

January is a time of change. Many people begin to evaluate the past year and figure out what will be acceptable or not for the upcoming year. Most employees put where they work, the type of work they do, and their pay scales under a microscope in January. Maybe the Christmas bills have started to come due, maybe the heating bills are beyond reason, or maybe the commute to work is too long, cold, and stressful, all of which force us to re-evaluate our lives. Employees may also be tired of whatever the past two years in a rough economy has done to them emotionally.

Believe me; employers are just as fed up with whatever stresses they dealt with during the recession. I think it is time to get back to a trusting, mutually beneficial relationship between employers and employees. Before an employee breaks down and quits because money is tight and the job is too stressful, take a clear look at a few things.

Was the job always too stressful or has it just been the last few months, or even the past couple of years? Is there light at the end of the tunnel as far as workload goes? Is revenue increasing? Did your boss say they will hire more help in 2011? Are you working a regular work week or are you constantly working overtime? Some employees are complaining about workload and their bosses don’t know about it, so how fair is that to either party? Are you wasting time at work, then stressing because deadlines are tight?

As far as budgets and wages go, I am finding that employees want to be paid more for doing less, beginning every January. To be realistic, employees should look at what they produce or do for the company and how long that takes to do. Then, compare with other similar jobs to see if they are paid fairly for what they do. There are many online sites that will give wage comparisons. Use the available information to make a case to the boss or to realize you are already right where you should be.

Before presenting stresses and wage reviews to anyone, think about all the additional benefits of the job. Remember to consider health benefits, parking, expenses, incentives, bonuses, education allowance, freedoms, flexible hours, social activities, opportunities for growth and advancement, or anything else that would be lost with an abrupt “I quit” in January.

The most important thing to evaluate is the relationship with the boss. A mutually trusting relationship with open positive communication between boss and employee is the toughest thing to replace. If the relationship is great, do the stress/wage analysis and present it to the boss, and be sure to respect what is required of the job and all benefits the company does offer. Soon it will be the February blues and we will forget the January stress.