Cape Blue

Not true - I don't contribute towards my health insurance costs, due to comparison with NHS. The company can easily vary what it contributes towards healthcare costs, some of our staff get 70%, some get 80% covered.

I also have UK vacation of 25 days, when many of my US colleagues have 10, 15 or 20.

lj2

Ive mentioned 130k in this thread - meaning pre-tax salary.

Jscl

That's very interesting. Let's just say in my experience you must be a very good negotiator to have done that!

lisa67

My OH has his UK vacation allowance too.
If you have the niche skills that a company really wants then it makes negotiating vacation days, company car etc. a lot easier

Englishtart

From what I have read on this forum over the years, it seems to be more the norm' than the exception.

Sally Redux

I have seen it a lot for L1 but not H1.

N1cky

and we got bugger all on an L1, we were just grateful for the job

Englishtart

Ah, ok thanx Sally, those letter number thingy's always confuse me!

lisa67

I've know several people on H1s who have negotiated excellent packages as the hiring company is investing a lot of money to get them here, if they're a large corporation they'll spend the extra money to get who they want.
Usually happens to be people who've been head hunted for their niche skills

Sally Redux

I am willing to believe it but have not come across it before.

Jscl

Why I was so adamant was that my last job was in HR at a Silicon Valley tech company. I actually was the benefits administrator. Most of the employees (on the tech side) were H1, greencard or used to be H1/GC and were now citizens, and not once, even with the silly salaries and heavy courting, was there the option to change the medical options available to them. Salary and stock, yes, but never benefits. I had the impression that not only was it company policy, but it was also some kind of Federal/California business law to ensure that companies did not abuse the system to give perks to senior people. I guess I was mistaken!

md95065

Yes - while, in theory, "everything is negotiable" in practice there are some things that are not. Vacation time can be a problem and I have heard of cases where companies effectively said - "sorry, we can't and won't give you more vacation than you would normally be entitled to, but you can take extra time off as unpaid leave and we can pay you a higher salary so that you effectively have the deal that you want"

Jscl

Precisely!

lisa67

But if you don't ask.............. And from what people have posted, they have asked and in some instances have got what they wanted regarding vacation time etc.

christmasoompa

I think it must depend on the skills and how badly the company want you - my husband has very niche skills in his industry and is regularly headhunted from companies in the US. He's not interested, but if he did go it would be on a H1B and when he's mentioned vacation allowance to them, they've all agreed to match his 30 days that he gets in the UK without so much as a quibble.