For those that have left CDW either voluntary or involuntary, what are you seeing as far as compensation and benefits outside of CDW? I know CDW’s comp and benefits are not great (5 sick days a year is a joke!) but are other companies similar?
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CDW made a bet that they could reduce comp plans and hold everyone to their non-competes. In April 2024 FTC ruled these agreements are largely in enforceable. The completion knows this and are looking for good resources. Keep hunting.
I use my spouse's Insurance coverage for everything except Vision because their Insurance costs / benefits are multiple leagues beyond CDW's. As in we pay a third of the cost in premiums, and have a fifth of the deductible. Not even close. Their retirement match is also multiple times better than CDW's. Dental covers 75% more for 50% less compared to CDW.
Reading this makes me want to seriously picket outside 😂
What doesn’t su-k? The sick days you lose when you leave or are laid off… the paltry 401k “match” and “profit sharing” that aren’t really there for five years…
Use your sick days!!! Do not be a conscientious coworker who saves them up.
The majority of tech companies offer some form of equity on a vesting schedule, typically RSUs for public companies or stock options for pre-IPO companies. Even accepting a similar position at a similar base salary with a company that offers equity could increase your total comp by 10-20%.
Whether you can expect a higher base depends largely on how long you’ve been at CDW. If you started at CDW pre-pandemic, you missed the significant increase in tech salaries a few years. In the current market, new hires aren’t receiving top dollar offers but should look for a modest increase in base comp relative to the number of years since you last negotiated. (CDW’s ~3% raises leave coworkers significantly underpaid when compounded over time.)
CDW has the worst benefits package I’ve seen at a large tech company. (In my case I negotiated a large enough increase to my base to make up for the lousy benefits.) Health insurance tends to be significantly less expensive at the average tech company. You can also expect more holidays, a more generous 401k match, and work from home reimbursements (furniture, some telecomm costs, etc) elsewhere.
Yes there are so many companies that have better compensation, options. and matches. They also value and incentivise their employees in a positive manner. Not instill fear of losing a large portion of their check each month for not hitting a goal. Negative modifiers just added to the anxious toxic environment this leadership has created. Once you are gone you can truly see how much this organization was keeping for themselves.
And they have a match that is truly a match… none of the vesting restrictions
401k match stinks here.
I just love how 5 years ago you heard nothing but "Coworker first" organization. Since then, we've seen the steady decline of benefits of being a coworker... while watching more and more jobs walk out of the country. Time will tell how things go.
I've worked for several companies and CDW's benefits package (401k match, insurance, PTO, holidays, etc) is among the worst. For example, in my decades-long career, I may have only seen one other company that didn't give you the day after Thanksgiving off. The last couple of companies I worked for either covered all of your insurance premiums or it was super cheap (like $25/month for employee). Many companies do have unlimited PTO as well, but it can be a trap - IMO, CDW's PTO allocation is too low but add another week or so too it and it's probably fine.
Most tech companies have better stock options and unlimited PTO.
Most other companies have significantly better 401(k) match.