I've been working as a web developer for 8 years and have recently landed a contract role as a React developer for a national logistics company. My boss mentioned they want to hire me full-time at the same pay, which I'm fine with. However, when I reviewed the benefits, I noticed they only offer one week of paid time off (PTO) starting in January after my hire date, increasing to two weeks in the second year, and finally three weeks after ten years. I'm not familiar with industry standards and feel that this is a bit low. Is this typical? Should I try to negotiate for a better PTO policy?
5 Answers
I had a job a while back where I started with 10 days vacation and even that felt really limited. Most of my roles since then have given me at least 20 days; one week is almost unheard of in tech jobs. You should definitely talk to them about this!
That's definitely low! I started with four weeks and it felt right. Also, don't forget to inquire about sick days; you'll want that buffer! If I were you, I'd push for at least two weeks of PTO and consider other benefits like sick leave and educational reimbursement.
Good idea! Plus, you could also bring up higher salary or additional perks during negotiations.
Honestly, I wouldn't accept anything less than two weeks of PTO starting out. One week is way too low, especially given your experience. In many places, 15 to 20 days is more standard for new hires.
I’d definitely say no to that offer! In my experience, a minimum of two weeks is typical in the US for full-time positions. It seems unreasonable to expect you to work with just one week, especially in this day and age. You should negotiate for more!
Thanks for your insight! It really helps to know others have a similar view.
I totally agree! If they are a national company, they should be competitive. Don’t settle for low PTO!
Honestly, in some countries, what they're offering would be considered illegal! One week of PTO is just not acceptable, especially with paid holidays. Consider whether this job is really worth it if they don’t value work-life balance.
Great point about sick days! I hadn’t thought of negotiating those as well.