Hidden benefits of being a government employee?

[PhillyDude]

I been working for the city government since December and last week I was informed about a unexpected benefit

 

A coworker found out from another coworker that Government employees get a 16% discount off their T-Mobile bill every month.

 

Now I wonder why this benefit was such a secret? Wonder why HR didn't provide me with a lost of benefits for being a city employee? This just makes me wonder what other benefit is out there that I don't know about? Any other government employees experience finding out about benefits through word of mouth?

[Art_Critic]

These are the kind you spoke of but are benefits...

 

cost of living increases

 

it's hard to get fired from a government job

[tbf]

Most reasonably sized firms and public employers usually publish these types of benefits on their Intranet or it's sent out via mass email. You might want to ask your H/R Department where this information can be accessed.

[pink_sugar]

I've worked two different retail jobs that give cellular discounts. This isn't anything special just for government employers.

[PhillyDude]

Most reasonably sized firms and public employers usually publish these types of benefits on their Intranet or it's sent out via mass email. You might want to ask your H/R Department where this information can be accessed.

 

 

Just went to the city of philadelphia website benefits section and it just mentions medical and dental and pension.

 

Nothing about T-Mobile.

 

So in march of 2012 I was unemployed with a 60 dollar t-mobile bill

in march of 2013 I;m employed with a cheaper t-mobile l

 

LOL

[Art_Critic]

These are NOT the kind you spoke of but are benefits...

 

cost of living increases

 

it's hard to get fired from a government job

 

I meant to post this, I forgot the not

[PhillyDude]

These are the kind you spoke of but are benefits...

 

cost of living increases

 

it's hard to get fired from a government job

 

 

 

Just read about the COLA increase this morning. And I also like that this will be the first year of my working life since 1999 that I won't have to worry about if I will have a job on 7/1.

 

Working In non-profit for so many years it was always about june 30th and a new budget for the next fiscal year on 7/1

[CarrieT]

Now I wonder why this benefit was such a secret? Wonder why HR didn't provide me with a lost of benefits for being a city employee? This just makes me wonder what other benefit is out there that I don't know about? Any other government employees experience finding out about benefits through word of mouth?

 

It is entirely possible that the HR department knew nothing about it.

 

There are a TON of programs out there similar to what you described. When I worked for an educational non-profit, I discovered a tremendous discount program available through the Gates Foundation to employees. I asked our H.R. department about implementing the program in our office and they had never heard about it.

 

If you google "government benefits," you will see a slew of website devoted to such programs.

 

And, instead of placing yourself in the stance of victim because you think no one told you about something you are entitled to, why don't you be proactive in researching what might exist and sharing it with others who may not know about them as well?

[PhillyDude]

It is entirely possible that the HR department knew nothing about it.

 

There are a TON of programs out there similar to what you described. When I worked for an educational non-profit, I discovered a tremendous discount program available through the Gates Foundation to employees. I asked our H.R. department about implementing the program in our office and they had never heard about it.

 

If you google "government benefits," you will see a slew of website devoted to such programs.

 

And, instead of placing yourself in the stance of victim because you think no one told you about something you are entitled to, why don't you be proactive in researching what might exist and sharing it with others who may not know about them as well?

 

 

That's what I have been doing this afternoon and just found out about the hotel discounts.

 

All the stuff I found out today along with the t-mobile discount has made up for the slight pay cut I had to take when I accepted this job.

 

I feel so much better now that I did 2 weeks ago

[Trimmer]

It is entirely possible that the HR department knew nothing about it.

Yeah, this doesn't sound like it even meets the definition of a "benefit" as far as something provided for, and paid by, your employer. It sounds more like an available "discount" that you now qualify for, with no administrative effort or interaction on the part of your employer.

 

And, instead of placing yourself in the stance of victim because you think no one told you about something you are entitled to, why don't you be proactive in researching what might exist and sharing it with others who may not know about them as well?

Seriously - is this glass half empty, or half full?

[PhillyDude]

Yeah, this doesn't sound like it even meets the definition of a "benefit" as far as something provided for, and paid by, your employer. It sounds more like an available "discount" that you now qualify for, with no administrative effort or interaction on the part of your employer.

 

 

Seriously - is this glass half empty, or half full?

 

 

I qualify for it because I work for the government, so help me to understand what you are talking about?

[pink_sugar]

Many employers provide this type of discount...so it doesn't have anything to do with the type of job you have.

[MsSmurf]

I been working for the city government since December and last week I was informed about a unexpected benefit

 

A coworker found out from another coworker that Government employees get a 16% discount off their T-Mobile bill every month.

 

Now I wonder why this benefit was such a secret? Wonder why HR didn't provide me with a lost of benefits for being a city employee? This just makes me wonder what other benefit is out there that I don't know about? Any other government employees experience finding out about benefits through word of mouth?

 

Because technically it isn't a benefit that your employer is required to provide to you, it is a perk that an outside company is choosing to provide to you. Benefits are things like health care and retirement. Perks are things like cell phone discounts, public transportation incentives, food discounts, complimentary gym memberships, etc. Usually there is a person in HR that keeps a list of these perks or they have a page on the company website for them. They may also be called incentives, employee wellness, or something along those lines. Sometimes HR doesn't know about these perks because the outside companies or fellow employees have to inform them.

 

FYI this type of thing isn't limited to government employees. Every company I've ever worked for whether government, private, or nonprofit there were outside companies that offered us these kinds of perks.

[tbf]

Just went to the city of philadelphia website benefits section and it just mentions medical and dental and pension.

 

Nothing about T-Mobile.

 

So in march of 2012 I was unemployed with a 60 dollar t-mobile bill

in march of 2013 I;m employed with a cheaper t-mobile l

 

LOL

Is there a perks section of your Intranet? Make sure it's your Intranet and not the Internet.

[PhillyDude]

Because technically it isn't a benefit that your employer is required to provide to you, it is a perk that an outside company is choosing to provide to you. Benefits are things like health care and retirement. Perks are things like cell phone discounts, public transportation incentives, food discounts, complimentary gym memberships, etc. Usually there is a person in HR that keeps a list of these perks or they have a page on the company website for them. They may also be called incentives, employee wellness, or something along those lines. Sometimes HR doesn't know about these perks because the outside companies or fellow employees have to inform them.

 

FYI this type of thing isn't limited to government employees. Every company I've ever worked for whether government, private, or nonprofit there were outside companies that offered us these kinds of perks.

 

 

Well this is the 1st ever job I had where I was able to get an incentive like this so it's really cool. The past 2 employers I was with I had no type of incentive at all. Actually the last 3 employers.

[PhillyDude]

Is there a perks section of your Intranet? Make sure it's your Intranet and not the Internet.

 

 

Would the intranet be the home page for employees when they log on in the morning called city of phila?

[tbf]

Would the intranet be the home page for employees when they log on in the morning called city of phila?

Intranet.

[PhillyDude]

Intranet.

 

 

Well I'm on intranet every morning and see nothing about incentives

[tbf]

Well I'm on intranet every morning and see nothing about incentives

These aren't incentives. They're also not benefits. They're perks which might or might not be sanctioned by your employer. Quite often, corporations will approach employees from either private and public industry, to try to encourage more to sign onto their services. Consider how crackberry dominates public service.

[PhillyDude]

These aren't incentives. They're also not benefits. They're perks which might or might not be sanctioned by your employer. Quite often, corporations will approach employees from either private and public industry, to try to encourage more to sign onto their services. Consider how crackberry dominates public service.

 

 

Ok Perks.

 

I just know I didn't get NOTHING working in non-profit

[pink_sugar]

My discount is actually better. 22% on my phone bill and it was from when I worked at a job that paid $1 more than minimum wage.

[Radu]

I've actually been doing this for about 1 week now, need it for figuring out career path and what is better in the long run.

 

With some jobs PD, you can even get your rent paid by the employer.

The biggest ammount of perks/benefits that i've seen adds almost 75% to the wage.

[MissLiberty]

Well found out another surprise today

 

I was informed by my supervisor I can start taking vacation days now thjat I completed the probationary period.

 

I thought I had to work atleast 7 months before I. Could even think about taking a vacation.

 

Well are the very least, you should get your passport now, as you don't want to be running around at the last minute, when getting ready to go on vacation.

[Got it]

If you have any question like these and you aren't sure where to look, contact your HR representative and they can point you in the right direction.