There was an interesting thread on Reddit a while ago about job perks — readers, what employee benefits and perks does your company offer, and how are you optimizing these perks? There are, after all, a TON of them out there — I was blown away compiling this list!! — and there's a lot of money involved.

In the past, we've discussed how many vacation days we get, and tech budgets, and (eons ago) we had a guest post from my friend Sue on how she saves $10,000 a year by maxing out her work benefits, including her flex-spending account, commuter spending account, and dependent care spending account… but we haven't talked about employee benefits and perks too much. So let's discuss!

Here are the questions:

• Which of the following perks do you get automatically?
• Which perks were not automatic — you needed to be employed there for a certain amount of time, you had to get to a certain level within the company, you negotiated something different than your coworkers, etc.
• How do you find information about perks and benefits — word of mouth? Is there a portal, or just an HR department, or just lengthy paperwork you got on Day 1?
• Have you negotiated for any of these perks (either for a new job or as part of a promotion)? If you were choosing among multiple job offers (such as after finishing law school or grad school), how much did the employee benefits factor into your equation?
• What employee benefit or perk is your favorite? Will you try to negotiate for it if/when you leave your current company?
• What would your advice be to someone just starting who has the same perks you have?

Employee Benefits & Perks You Might Be Getting

Stuff You Probably Know About

• remote / hybrid policies and arrangements
• vacation days, “closed office” holidays, half-day Fridays, sick leave, and other PTO
• fully paid or discounted health insurance: You probably don't even identify this as a benefit unless you're comparing your employer's plan to the marketplace. I was surprised by how many people in the Reddit post said their health insurance is 100% paid by their company, often for the employee and dependents, sometimes the employee's entire family!)
• 401k contribution or match (or a pension): Some companies contribute 3% (for example) automatically, regardless of whether or not the employees contribute to their 401k; others will match up to a specific dollar amount.
• professional development funds / education reimbursement
• access to a Flexible Spending Account or a Health Savings Account
• signing bonuses, year-end bonuses, other bonuses
• company stock or equity: Sometimes “phantom stock benefits” — one Redditor described it as shares appointed that have no value unless the company goes public one day, but it seems like the phrase typically means a form of compensation that tracks the company's actual stock, but without giving equity in the company, as described in this Smart Asset article.
• relocation package or reimbursement for moving expenses (One friend's relocation package even included broker help with selling their home!)
• Employee Assistance Programs: You may not know that EAPs typically provide more than mental health services. Offerings may also include legal advice, assistance with financial issues, referrals to childcare and other family supports, and more.

Other Health-Related Perks

• free or discounted therapy sessions
• Health Advocate services
• executive physicals (such as those mentioned in this PartnerMD article)
• free/discounted gym memberships, free ClassPass memberships
• disability benefits
• life insurance policies
• “earned perks” such as $25 if you walk 10,000 steps or work out for 30 minutes for X days in a particular month
• pet health insurance

Note also that employers can often choose what the company plan will and will not cover, or create different tiers of employees. For example, one of my employers did not cover birth control pills (until the women rioted, ha) — and there's been a lot in the news lately about whether insurance plans cover weight loss drugs)

Parental and Family Planning Job Perks

• maternity and paternity leave: Note that the FMLA only applies if your company employs 50+ people.
• on-site daycare or childcare stipend
• dependent care flexible savings accounts (such as those described by this Investopedia article)
• family planning reimbursement (e.g., freezing your eggs)
• bereavement leave (sometimes pet bereavement leave, also!)

{related: How to Negotiate Future Maternity Leave Before You're Even Pregnant}

Benefits You Can Taste

• snacks, soda, juice, etc., in the breakroom
• discounted / free office cafeteria for lunch
• reimbursement for dinner when working late / on weekends

Moving Fast: Job Perks for Travel

• cars home when working late / on weekends
• travel perks, upgrading your airline and hotel statuses
• reimbursement (partial or full) for mass transit, parking, gas

Mo' Money: Smaller Job Benefits

• tech reimbursement or “remote work stipends”
• discounted rates on mobile phone services, home internet, equipment such as iPhones
• discounted tickets (theater, theme parks, etc.) and museum memberships
• “cool office” perks: game rooms, private movie rooms, kombucha-on-tap, etc.
• company merch

Stock photo via Deposit Photos / zimmytws.

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What should you look for in interview flats? When, if ever, must you wear heels to an interview? Which are the most stylish kinds of flats for interviews? Reader L wonders:

I'm starting law school in August, and I've heard that heels (3-4″) are a MUST for interviewing and working at a law firm. However, I am a 6′ tall female. I never wear heels, since when I do, I tend to tower over everyone. Would it be appropriate to wear a nice pair of flats in my case?

Great question! We've talked about how to look professional in flats all the time, how to wear heels (if you're used to flats), and whether flats are professional enough for court.

As far as shoe questions go, this is important, so even though we've talked about it a lot, I want to stress it again: you don't need to wear heels to look professional. 

{related: check out our entire Guide to Women's Interview Attire!}

There are a number of reasons why you wouldn't want to wear heels — from feeling too tall (although hey, I say rock it out if you have the height!), to having foot injuries or issues, to just I-don't-wanna-itis.

What to Look For in Interview Flats

A few things that I would note about wearing flats for big events like interviews:

{related: the rules for interview shoes}

a) There are many, many, MANY professional options for flats — and there are many that look like bedroom slippers, sneakers, or other casual shoes. Unless you have ethical objections, look for leather and suede options over faux leather or fabric (and keep your shoes well maintained!), and if you want a sleeker look, consider a slightly pointed toe.

b) Be confident when you wear them. Don't feel like you have to apologize for your flats or explain them away on an interview. Any time any of your clothes or accessories distract you (or an interviewer), you lose.

{related: how to look professional in flats—all the time}

{related: cute flats for the office}

Readers, which are your favorite professional flats? Do you think any styles of flats look more professional than others?  Do you agree with my advice that you CAN interview in flats, even if you're 6′ tall?

The Best Kinds of Interview Flats

Reader-Favorite Polished but Comfortable Flats

We often include good looking, professional flats in our “Coffee Break” posts — but these are some of the reader's favorite flats that have stood the test of time. These would be my first purchases if I were looking…

Some of our favorite comfortable flats for work as of 2024 include M.M.LaFleur, AGL, and French Sole. On the more affordable side, check out Rothy's, Sam Edelman, and Rockport. We've also rounded up the best loafers for work, and our favorite sneakers for work outfits!

Investment Ballet Flats

If you want to make an investment in flats, these are some of the most classic options. AGL and Ferragamo are reader favorites for comfort, while Chloé, Chanel and Valentino are all recognizable status symbols.

Comfortable Low Heels for Work

If you're willing to consider a heel but feel like it must be low, or a “comfort shoe,” we've got you covered…

These are some of our favorite comfortable low heels for work as of 2024… also check out CK Calvin Klein, Trotters, Sam Edelman, and Sarah Flint!

Picture below via Stencil.

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For those of you who have negotiated (or renegotiated) job perks and more, how do you think things have changed in the past few years? If you're on the hiring side, what requests seem to be more common these days? (For the hiring peeps: Are there any common requests that always strike you as ridiculous?)

In the past we've talked about

• Negotiating a great salary and other benefits (as well as some other less common benefits, like a tech budget — it may also be helpful to know what vacation benefits others get).
• Negotiating flexible work arrangements, like reduced work hours and/or selling a reluctant boss on remote work (that last link was written a few years ago, though, so I'm guessing it's much easier than it was!).
• How to save $10K a year by using job benefits (and which ones to look at when you're negotiating).
• Whether you can negotiate future maternity leave (before you're pregnant)

What other types of things are negotiating right now? Readers are having an interesting threadjack this morning about negotiating travel requirements (particularly in light of Dobbs); you may also be negotiating how much face time is required in the office, if at all.

Let's hear from you guys — how do you think job negotiations have changed recently?

Stock photo via Stencil.

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Where the heck CAN you find interview suits if you're pregnant? While many offices have relaxed their dress codes a bit over the past two years, you may still find yourself in need of a suit sometimes, even if you're not job-hunting — and that can get complicated when you're pregnant. Stylish maternity workwear is pretty limited, but good maternity suits (and even maternity blazers) are particularly lacking — especially over the past few years. It's even tougher if you're looking for plus-size maternity.

So what DO you wear to interviews and on “big career days” if your normal clothes no longer fit and your maternity clothes aren't professional enough? Did you find a mythical maternity suit? Thrift one from an older collection? Buy a too-big maternity suit off the rack and tailor it? Wear two black pieces to “make” a suit? Or did you just shrug and wear whatever, like a dress and blazer?

(Another question: Do you think it matters how close to your due date you are, i.e., if you have one interview in week 39 it may not be a big deal to wear a blazer and dress, but if you have a three-month jury trial starting around Month 5, you may want to try to find an actual maternity suit?)

{related: check out our entire Guide to Women's Interview Attire!}

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Best Bets for Where to Find Maternity Suiting in 2022

• Seraphine: Their maternity workwear styles include a couple of blazers and tailored black pants, like this under-bump slim-leg pair.
• Angel Maternity: The brand's workwear collection includes suiting separates, including navy and black maternity pants (in sizes up to 3XL!), and this black blazer (see below).
• Motherhood Maternity: The site has some suiting separates in the company's bi-stretch suiting line, but zero blazers as of June 2022. (The brand is also available at Amazon.)
• ASOS: ASOS's maternity line has a few very affordable suiting separates, including this black maternity wrap blazer (lucky sizes only) and this other black wrap blazer (sizes 2–16)
• Isabella Oliver: The brand sometimes has suits or suiting separates — though unfortunately, not as of June 2022. Its workwear section mostly consists of dresses.
• A Pea in the Pod: The brand has some suit separates among its maternity workwear.
• Emilia George: This high-end, sustainable maternity brand is available at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, and Saks Fifth Avenue. At the moment, they don't have a ton of options (one of them is this, er, theatrical blazer), but check back.
• Figure 8: The site carries various maternity brands, although the maternity suits category is currently empty, and the maternity career wear category contains a single Isabella Oliver blazer.
• J.Crew: The company has a collab with maternity brand Hatch, but currently, no suiting is available, so try resale sites for past styles. (Hatch itself doesn't have any suiting on its own website.)

Speaking of maternity resale sites, try checking places like eBay, Poshmark, and thredUP for maternity blazers and suits, particularly for hits from the past, such as suits from Theory or from A Pea in the Pod‘s suiting line. Also look for maternity suiting from Eva Alexander and Slacks & Co. (both no longer in business), and search Etsy for vintage or new finds that might work.

We've talked about where to rent maternity workwear in the past, but you can also buy “pre-loved items in excellent condition” from Rent the Runway, such as this maternity blazer from Soon Maternity.

{related: what an ideal maternity leave looks like}

Some Of Our Favorite Interview Suits If You're Pregnant

As we noted above, inventory is changing quickly — but we wanted to feature a few of the very limited options out there right now. If you really feel like you need an interview suit during your pregnancy, or maternity suiting in general, these are our top picks right now:

You don't have to worry about any problems with buttons with this maternity blazer from Seraphine — the tie waist gives you more size flexibility than buttons ever could. The ties are removable, so you also have the option to wear the blazer open, and the style is versatile enough that you could get a lot of use out of it during your pregnancy. Sizes 2–8 are in stock at the moment, and with the current 20%-off sale, this blazer comes down to $167. (It isn't labeled as washable, but you can avoid dry cleaning with certain dry-clean-only clothing.)

Unfortunately, the matching pants are currently out of stock.

You might not think to check ASOS for maternity wear, but their maternity offerings in the ASOS Design line include some affordable suit separates, including this soft jersey tie-waist blazer, on sale for only $25. (Yes, this item may not last you beyond one pregnancy.) The blazer is “designed to fit you from bump to baby,” and the absence of buttons definitely helps with that. (Note that the blazer has padded shoulders, but they don't look too drastic in the pics.) This maternity blazer is available in lucky sizes 2–16.

{related: how to prepare at work for maternity leave}

If tie-waist blazers aren't your thing, here's a classic one-button blazer style from Angel Maternity. It's named “Corporate Jacket,” which is definitely apt, as it's pretty much a basic black notch-collar blazer. Bonus: It's machine washable! The website notes, “Match it with our Angel Maternity work pants for perfect work outfit,” but none of the brand's in-stock maternity pants have the exact mix of fabrics that this one does, so it's hard to tell if any of them are meant to be perfect matches for this jacket. (No free returns, alas.)

The blazer is currently only available in XS, S, and M, and is $69.95 at AngelMaternity.com.

What to Wear Instead of Suits When You're Pregnant

Maybe you've just given up on finding a stylish (or at least acceptable) maternity suit. Readers have shared the following ideas over the years for what to wear instead of suits when you're pregnant:

1. Wear a regular blazer over a work-appropriate dress. Many readers have mentioned wearing a regular blazer over a work-appropriate dress — even open, and even to court. Others have suggested blazers or jardigans over maternity dresses and pants, and a regular blazer worn open over a maternity skirt and blouse. Kat's even noted that she could wear her regular blazers up until week 38 or so, but your mileage may vary!

2. Buy non-maternity suits in a larger size (even several sizes larger) and make do with a BellaBand for any fit issues with the pants — or get them tailored.

{related: what to wear to work after maternity leave}

3. Wear neutral maternity bottoms — tailored maternity pants like this pair from Angel Maternity or a pencil skirt like this one from Emilia George — with a purposely non-coordinating, non-maternity blazer, such as something in tweed or linen.

4. Make a suit out of almost-matching fabrics. Mixing different black fabrics to create a suit is not usually recommended, but you get a pass when pregnant).

• Some readers have said they've worn a long, tunic-y style maternity shirt so the blazer/pants purposely didn't touch, preventing the mismatched fabrics from being obvious.
• Other readers went the other way and bought jackets longer than they normally wear, in fabrics that almost matched their maternity pants, since they thought that suited their pregnant frames better. (One particularly mentioned pairing Gap maternity pants with affordable Calvin Klein blazers-as-separates.)

Moms-to-be: Have you found stylish maternity suits you like(d)? If not, what have you been wearing as alternatives? Do you buy maternity blazers or simply wear your jackets unbuttoned?

{related: check out our roundup of maternity workwear essentials!}

Some of Our Favorite Maternity Work Separates to Build a Professional, Suit-Like Outfit

Stylish Maternity Pants for Work

Stylish Maternity Dresses for Work

Our latest favorite maternity dresses for the office in 2024 include dresses from Seraphine, LaClef, Kimi and Kai, Hatch Maternity, Isabella Oliver, and Quince. (Also: check out this new indie maternity workwear brand!) Some of our latest favorites are below:

Our Hall of Famers for Blazers as Separates (Non-Maternity)

All of the brands linked below are great bets for statement blazers that you can wear as separates…

Social media images: Deposit Photos / shippee. 

Updated social media images via Deposit Photos / HayDmitriy.

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I don’t think we’ve had this conversation in a few years, so let’s discuss: What “vacation time” comes with your job? What happens if you don’t take the time? How much time have you taken off in recent years, as a percentage of what you're eligible for? (If your company allows remote work, do remote workers have the same vacation time packages/expectations as in-office workers?)

I’ve seen four main kinds of paid vacation days given by companies:

Earn your vacation time: You have to work to earn your vacation time. At a smaller office, a newer hire may be prohibited from taking extensive vacations, especially around holidays, as more senior members get first pick of when they’ll take time off. Sick days may “blend” a bit with vacation. (I just saw someone tweeting about how she had worked a zillion days straight while trying to “save up” for her maternity leave. Whee!)

Use it or lose it: Your company may give you a set number of days for vacation — and if you don’t use it you’ll lose it. In my experience, people with these packages are the ones who take vacations the most, even if they’re just restful staycations, because it’s part of the company culture that everyone takes that number of days off.

Rolling over vacation time: Some companies grant a set number of vacation days, and those vacation days can roll over from one year into the next if they go unused. This can be ideal in a situation like a pandemic, where travel can be difficult — but also if you want to bank your days, either for a big trip (honeymoon!) or to extend a limited maternity leave, especially with a small company where FMLA doesn't apply.

”Unlimited” vacation days: These benefits SEEM like they'll be amazing at first because, woohoo, unlimited vacation! But in my experience a lot of people in these jobs take less vacation than people with limited vacation days. I think this happens for a few reasons, the biggest of which comes to company culture — without the “use it or lose it” mentality, a lot of people just don’t take vacation. (On the flip side, I know one friend of a friend who's the top executive at a hospital who has taken probably 10 weeks of vacation between January 2021 and now … so if you can actually take it, good for you!) If you have unlimited vacation days, I'd love to hear how many you take, and what a “reasonable number of vacation days” is (unofficially) among your coworkers.

So let's discuss, readers: What do your vacation benefits look like? Does your office or team have rules (written or otherwise) on who can go on vacation at what time? Finally, how much vacation have you taken in recent years (and how much are you planning to take over the next 12 months or so)?

Stock photo via Stencil.

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When is it NOT acceptable interview in a gray suit? Reader L, a med student, wonders…

I am in medical school, and will be applying for residency next year. Seeing applicants this year, I notice that it is a sea of black suits (women in pantsuits). I have a gray skirt suit from Banana Republic in 2004 that still fits perfectly and is unembellished. Should I be on the look out for black pantsuit like everyone else, or a grey skirt suit still in the realm of acceptable interview wear?

Wow, I've never heard that — let's discuss!

Can You Wear Gray Suits to Interviews?

I think YES, you can wear gray suits to interviews!

I often feel like I take the fuddy duddy line when it comes to interview advice — wear a skirt suit (at least for traditionally conservative job interviews, which may not include medicine), wear pantyhose, wear walkable shoes — but here I'm going to be a little loosey goosey: wear whatever muted color of suit you like best.

Gray, black, navy — knock yourself out. If you're feeling crazy, wear a beige suit, or a pinstriped suit. Honestly, I think that as long as you're dressed in muted colors, interviewers aren't going to notice your suit, at least in a negative way.

Readers, do you think a gray suit would ever NOT be acceptable for an interview? Have you ever thought less of a job candidate for wearing a conservative suit choice?

(Psst: In the past we've shared our roundup of the best suits for women right now, given tips on suiting alterations for women, and offered advice on dry cleaning women's suits. Also check out our post on C-suite style for women if you're interested in power dressing, or

{related: budget-friendly interview suits}

Some Of Our Latest Favorite Interview Suits

If you’re on the hunt for basic suiting, note that we did major updates to our roundups of interview suits for women, including doing roundups for eco-friendly suits for women, interview suits if you're pregnant, and plus size suits. We also pondered whether you should button a double-breasted blazer, and which Ann Taylor suiting line is the best. We also did a major update of our guide to stylish tops under suits!

I'm guessing a med student would prefer a budget-friendly suit, but do check out our latest guide to the Best Suits for Women — we have the best suits at every price point!

Some of our favorite budget-friendly interview suits for women include stores like Banana Republic Factory*†, J.Crew Factory*†, Mango*, and Express†, as well as widely available brands like Anne Klein Executive, Vince Camuto*, Calvin Klein*†, and Tahari ASL. For a vintage vibe, check Amazon seller Marycrafts*. (* = some plus sizes also, † = petites)

Some Of Our Latest Favorite Gray Suits

These charcoal gray suits have been around for a while and are a great bet for where they'll be in stock as of 2024… Brooks Brothers also has a classic gray suit as of Jan. 2024.

A Closer Look at Our Latest Favorite Gray Suits for Interviews

Ann Taylor

We've got a whole post taking a deep dive into which Ann Taylor suiting line is best — the bottom line is that while many of their suits are machine washable, the seasonless suits are best for interviews, whether it's the bi-stretch suiting (pictured) or the

You can usually find numerous blazers (collarless! 2 button! 1 button!), numerous cuts of pants (curvy, regular, ankle, trousers), and often numerous cuts of skirts and dresses to match.

This suit was originally written in 2014, but substantially updated in 2023 and beyond as indicated.

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