Job Offer Question

[Janepod]

Glad you mentioned this as most people don't realize you can do this. I didn't know this until someone at a previous job informed me. Makes the decision much easier.


I've actually stayed at a job until the first or second day of the month to get coverage through the end of the month. I left my last job on 9/2 and started at my current job on 9/19. There was no lapse in coverage at all. I used my old insurance through the end of September while I waited for the cards, etc. for the new job. And thank goodness I had it. DD ended up in the emergency room with a severely sprained ankle, torn tendons, etc. 2 days after my other job terminated.

OP - I would leave this decision to your DH. He knows the field, he knows the job market. Unless you are in the same field as DH, let him make that call. Good luck with everything.

Me too! And in that time I cut my finger open on a can of cranberry, meaning ER, stitches, tetanus shot, follow ups, etc. It would not have broken the bank if I had to pay OOP but it was nice to have the insurance coverage.

 

[ccgirl]

Others have given some great advice. It is a different job market, in general, than it was in the past. Was the sign on bonus mentioned during the interview or in the position itself? If not, it's probably not something they were offering for this position. Has this position been available for a while? Was he the only one that was going for it?

As someone mentioned, is $2,000 (before taxes) or $1200 (after taxes) worth the possiblilty of them rescinding the offer? Sure, they could just say no or yes, for that matter. Or, if there was someone else in close contention they may just rescind the offer and go with the "cheaper" person. You already mentioned he was getting a raise to work for a better company/job.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[Arielle22]

As for COBRA, you have gotten some good advice. Your current coverage should not terminate until the end of the month your DH leaves his job. If your new coverage starts the first of the following month, you should be all set.

If there is no sign on bonus, there is no sign on bonus. Period. End of story. If your DH would like to negotiate, he should stick to negotiating salary or vacation time, not ask for a benefit that the company has not offered.

Personally if the job is what I wanted, and I was happy with what was offered, I would not negotiate for anything. When I took my last job, I negotiated for a slight salary increase and an extra week of vacation, since they were only offering two weeks.

Good luck!

When coverage ends depends on the company. I am in HR and handle negotiations for insurance. We cover until the end of the month. At my last company it ended at the end of the work week you were termed in. The reason is cost. If the company pays part of the premiums it will save money by cancelling immediately after the term.

OP, you say your husband has worked for the company before. Perhaps the company has a policy that you only get a sign on bonus once or the company may have stopped having to offer them.

It is a touchy thing to counteroffer. Like other posters have said, it depends on how in demand the skill set is.

Personally I wouldn't want to rock the boat if I really wanted out of my current position. Really the only cost you may be out is the part of insurance that the company pays for one month (since you would have had to pay the premiums if DH was still employed that is not an unexpected cost).

 

[design_mom]

In this job market, I would take the salary offered and ask for the month of COBRA to be covered, nothing more.

I agree, and I would probably ask for COBRA to be covered if it really made a difference in whether I could afford it. Any time you counteroffer, you give them the opportunity to say "no thanks, we've reconsidered." At my previous company, only a handful of jobs offered a signing bonus and those were jobs that they were having trouble filling.

Why do people go with COBRA vs getting a private plan for the interim? That is outrageous for Cobra!

I think it can be difficult to get a private plan, while COBRA is guaranteed. I am currently self-employed but my husband has medical benefits. When I was laid off last year, we switched to his benefits. However, several other people were laid off at the same time. I know at least two of them were the benefit-carriers for their families because their spouses either didn't work or were self-employed. Neither of them have been able to find private coverage due to pre-existing conditions. (And one of them is one of the healthiest, most fitness conscious people I know.)

 

[Green Tea]

You need to look at the opportunity long term, not short. If he will be happier a year from now, if he will be making a fair salary, if it is a good and stable company to work for, then don't worry about a sign on bonus.

As long as the new employer will cover preexisting conditions, like if something dreadful happened in the few weeks prior to the new policy's effective date, then the most you have to worry with is the COBRA payment IF an accident requiring a good deal of medical care were to occur.

The HR person gave a great explanation above. Sign up so the insurance remains in effect. Unless something terrible happens, don't pay. If something terrible happens, pay the COBRA for the month and slide into the new policy.

 

[mill4023]

Not in this economy. Be thankful for a job offer.

As others have said, it really depends on the industry, area, etc.
From my perspective, the job market is great.

I updated my resume on Career Builder about a month ago. Within 48 hours, I had received 26 calls or emails from recruiters. I'm still getting 3 or 4 calls per day.
I was interested in one job. I had a phone interview, then an in-person interview, then they offered me the job.

Their standard is to start people with 2.5 weeks of vacation.
I asked for 15k more than their initial offer and 4 weeks of vacation.
They countered with 5k more and 3 weeks.
I countered with 10k more and 3.5 weeks.
They said yes.
I start next week.

I'm in software development.

 

[sam_gordon]

For those saying simply "take the job"...

Just wondering if you think it would look bad if the OP's DH (or anyone in this position) goes back and says "Is there any room for negotiation?" Then, if they say "No, the offer's it.", he can accept or decline. If they say "Yes", he could then counter offer.

I'm guessing even if you've got a job offer from the local fast food place, asking such a question isn't going to result in them rescinding the offer.

ETA: If it was me and the $2K difference was the only problem, I probably wouldn't ask for more.