Whether you work at a company with a cafeteria plan or one with a set standard package, you still need to know what they're worth. Look at the individual components of the package. Call some health care providers such as Blue Cross and Kaiser Permanente to find out how much you'd have to pay for an individual policy comparable to the one your prospective employer is offering. Finally, think about what you're being offered and decide whether you really need those benefits. If your employer offers a free membership to the gym next door but you already belong to a great kickboxing studio, that perk may not matter at all.
Benefits can be great.
They can save you money and provide the ease of getting everything for you instead of making you run around collecting health insurance, retirement accounts and childcare expenses. But before you sign on, consider what your needs really are and what you're getting in your benefits package. Above all, be sure your employer is offering you a benefits package that has real benefit for you. Use this checklist to see what a prospective employer is offering and the dollar amount the benefit would translate into. Who's Hiring mock interview quiz 1.