From Hourly to Salary
I'm an electronic technician making $23/hr ($47K/yr), working about 40 hours a week. I'm at home on evenings and weekends.
I have an opportunity to become a service rep which will require about 30% world-wide travel.
I'll be on the road (away from my family) about a week out of each month, and it's a more prominent position.
How do I convert/calculate my appropriate compensation for the time away from home and increased responsibility? Should I negotiate for per-diems, as well as set limits for more-than-expected travel per month? Any other things I should consider?
Thanks!
Hi,
The company that your considering may already have these things in place, you may want to ask them. Here are some examples...
Re: Per diem - The company that I worked for used the per diem rate for the city that you were in off the IRS website. From what I understand, this is what many companies refer to regarding employee reimbursement. If you do negotiate, remember that meals will cost much more in NYC than in the middle of no-where. Also, if you stay over the weekend, will your employer (or the client) pay for your drycleaning. This is usually a given, so you won't have to take two weeks worth of clothes in your suitcase.
Re: Travel - Find out if YOU get to keep the points for frequent flier miles, hotel frequent stays and car rental frequent stays. These points add up fast, and can get your family a free vacation to a nice place. Some companies keep the points though, so keep that in mind.
Re: Frequency of Travel - Have this written into your employment agreement. They WILL have you travelling on the weekends / holidays f you don't. I've gone through that and it's not pleasant.
The money for travel is good, but consider your family first. Will your spouse be able to / want to handle all of the child care, household issues, etc. while you are away?
Keep in mind that Salary = Free Overtime.
I'm not trying to rain on your parade; I just want you to be aware of some things that you may not have taken into consideration. Increased travel is stressful. Good luck with your decision.
1. My family would not want me to be on the road for more than a few days per month
2. The company would not disclose the salary range for this position
For the right amount of money, my family and I would have gladly made sacrifices of my time. I think companies who fish around for the "cheapest" deal/candidate, generally get what they pay for. Hopefully, they have found someone who's a real road warrior, and doesn't expect much in return.