Asking about benefits (401(k) matching, health ins., etc.) Forum

[Anonymous User]

After receiving (but before accepting) SA offers, have people asked HR employees about the details of benefits packages? While SA jobs are only temporary, we all know that they almost always lead to a full-time job; once you get to the point where you have a full-time offer, other full-time employment opportunities are limited, so it would make sense that you ask about full-time benefits before accepting an SA offer.

Thoughts?

[chasgoose]

I could be wrong, but I think these are definitely legitimate post-offer questions. Yes, you still don't have a full time offer so it could be presumptuous, but after you accept an offer you are most likely locked in at that firm for the next few years (barring success at trading up during 3L OCI, getting a no offer, or clerking and trading up after a clerkship, which aren't going to be the case for most people).

[Haymarket]

Do you really see yourself having so many offers at firms that are so similar that the level of your co-pay for eye exams is going to tip the scales? Maybe my priorities are different, but in all likelihood I don't think there's a firm out there that's going to wow me with their cap on 401(k) matching and seal the deal for my SA.

[thesealocust]

It's probably not 'wrong' to ask, but as others have pointed out, there also isn't much need if you're looking at major firms (who all offer extremely similar benefits). Most large firms also make their benefits info very public, so you should be able to get 95% of the information you could possibly want by checking out NALP forms, firm websites, etc.

If you're looking at smaller firms with less publicized information then it's more legitimate. Either way it seems unlikely that you'll see negative repercussions for asking. Even if HR thinks it's a dumb question, no harm will come to you.