Chapter 1
SALT is You
Chapter 2
What We Stand For
Chapter 3
What Influenced US
Chapter 4
Where We Work
Chapter 5
Who Does What
Chapter 6
Benefits & Perks
Chapter 7
Getting Started
Chapter 8
How We Work
Chapter 9
Our Rituals
Chapter 10
Making a Career
Chapter 11
Our Internal Systems
Chapter 12
A Note about Moonlighting
Chapter 13
International Travel Guide
Appendices Executive, Manager, and Individual Responsibilities Code of Conduct Performance Plans Holidays Asking for help Harassment
Chapter 6:
Benefits & Perks
Since the majority of SALT employees work in the US, this section is written with that as the default. Some benefits don’t make sense in other countries, like private health insurance in other first-world countries with a well-functioning, national health care system. We will try our best to provide comparable benefits and perks outside the US as it makes sense, though.
Benefits
Health Insurance
Our health insurance is currently centralized under our parent company. This means that the terms and details are not quite what we’d like them to be but we’re working to improve them as often as possible.
Medical Insurance
Medical insurance is provided in the US via Cigna. At this time, the company pays varying range from 50-75% of the premium depending on tier and the employee pays the remaining 50-25%. Open enrollment is in November every year, with new coverage beginning December 1. Marriages and domestic partnerships are covered equally.
Comparison of Base PPO and Buy-Up PPO Plans
| Feature | Base PPO Plan | Buy-Up PPO Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Deductible | ||
| Individual | $1,500 | $500 |
| Family | $3,000 | $1,000 |
| Out-of-Pocket Maximum | ||
| Individual | $5,000 | $3,000 |
| Family | $10,000 | $6,000 |
| Office Visits | ||
| Primary Care | $25 co-pay | $20 co-pay |
| Specialist | $50 co-pay | $40 co-pay |
| Urgent Care | $75 co-pay | $50 co-pay |
| Preventive Care | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% |
| Hospitalization | Deductible + 20% co-insurance | Deductible + 10% co-insurance |
| Emergency Room | $250 co-pay (waived if admitted) | $150 co-pay (waived if admitted) |
| Prescription Drugs | ||
| Generic | $10 co-pay | $5 co-pay |
| Brand (Preferred) | $30 co-pay | $20 co-pay |
| Brand (Non-preferred) | $60 co-pay | $50 co-pay |
| Specialty | 20% co-insurance | 10% co-insurance |
Employee-portion of health insurance premium per pay period:
| Coverage Type | Base PPO Plan | Buy-Up PPO Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Employee-only | $34.83 | $57.35 |
| Employee + Partner | $331.65 | $378.93 |
| Employee + Child(ren) | $93.68 | $136.46 |
| Employee + Family | $337.00 | $404.53 |
Dental Insurance
Dental insurance is provided in the US via Principal. There is no company contribution at this time. Open enrollment is in November every year, with new coverage beginning December 1. Marriages and domestic partnerships are covered equally.
Employee-portion of dental insurance premium per pay period:
- Employee-only dental: $13.97
- Employee-partner dental: $28.40
- Employee-child(ren) dental: $34.58
- Employee-family dental: $50.68
Vision Insurance
Vision insurance is provided in the US via Guardian. There is no company contribution at this time. Open enrollment is in November every year, with new coverage beginning December 1. Marriages and domestic partnerships are covered equally.
Employee-portion of vision insurance premium per pay period:
- Employee-only vision: $3.64
- Employee-partner vision: $7.43
- Employee-child(ren) vision: $7.05
- Employee-family vision: $10.82
401K Plan
All eligible employees will be allowed to defer a percentage of their pay each paycheck into either a Pretax or ROTH account.
Paid Time Off
SALT offers the following paid time off:
- 15 paid vacation days
- 3 sick / personal days
- a customized subset of 10 additional days based on the US federal holidays.
As small but growing company, it’s crucial that we utilize this paid time off respectfully. That said, we’re not here to micro manage you. We have an informal tracking system, that empowers you to consider your teams circumstance, communicate with your oversight and ensure your team is prepared for your absence.
For any time off, team members should post in our #time-off slack channel and block the time frame on their work calendars. For periods longer than 3 days, please check-in with your oversight as we may be planning for your presense during a critical event. (Sales conference, Product launch, etc.)
Vacation
While there are not many, SALT will have some block dates where key roles are needed. In most cases we know our key events, conferences and product launches, ahead of time. Discuss these with your oversight so you can make informed plans.
Vacation scheduling amongst teams is first come first serve. While it’s our desire that you’re able to use your time off in a manner that best suits your need, as a small team, we can’t all be gone at once. Multiple absenses on a single team must be approved by your oversight.
Personal / Sick Days
Sick days are not something anyone is excited about. If you’re under the weather, take the time you need to feel better. Communicating with your oversight and team remains key. Not communicating will always be more egregious than your being sick, and the team having to cover for you.
Likewise, we understand that sometimes, you need to take an afternoon, or even a day to clear your head. We fully support this. Taking the space you need to be 100% ensures you’re feeling your best. Both you and SALT win as a result.
There is a lot of trust and autonomy within our time off policy if it’s utilized respectfully. We’re entrusting you with that decision making process, but reserve the right to review your useage of this time off if we feel your responsibilites are being ignored, or the company is seeing a negative effect from your time off scheduling. Please go to Jonathan with any questions about this policy.
Summer Hours
During summer, we work 4-day work weeks, aka “summer hours”. Summer hours are in effect from May 15th through August 15th each year. New employees may have to complete training to be eligible for this benefit.
While Summer hours is an important cultural pricipal at SALT and our desire is to continue it far into the future, we’d be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge that our capacity to offer this is dependant on many outside factors. The availability, period and terms of summer hours will be reviewed annually.
Perks
In previous years, SALT offered specific benefits to employees, fitness and wellness, co-working, internet stipends, etc. Due to complexities with accounting, and proper tax practices, we now offer what we call an “Employee Rent” benefit.
This $275 credit can be applied for monthly through Netsuite, and will be a direct deposit to your bank account each month after submission. Our desire is that your would utilize this credit for the following items:
Fitness
Desk jobs mean very little activity and we want to promote good health for all employees. We hope you will use these funds for a gym or yoga studio membership, a new pair of running shoes, or whatever activity you enjoy to promote a healthy lifestlye.
Wellness
What is wellness? We see this as a service or experience that enhances your overall mental well-being. For some people that might mean a monthly massage. For others, that could be alternative medical treatments like acupuncture or reiki. You could also use it to cover therapy fees, go on a wellness retreat, take a meditation class, attend a religiously-affiliated retreat, or book a service at a spa. Do what make your heart smile.
Co-working Space OR Gigabit Fiber Internet
The remote world requires quiet space and fast internet. Utilize these funds to help offset the cost of premium fiber internet, or your favorite co-working spot.