Exams are done. Convocation is over. You’ve found a pretty good job.

Like an obedient soldier, you bring yourself down to your soon-to-be office and the hiring manager plonks down a 10-page legal document for your perusal.

“Please read and sign on the last page.”

Before you sign your life away on the dotted line, are you sure you’re getting the best deal, benefits-wise? What else should you have in your contract after negotiating the pay and the job scope?

Averil Lee, a HR professional with seven years of experience, said there are important things to look out for when signing a contract: “There are two categories when it comes to benefits – the ‘must-haves’, and the ‘nice-to-haves’.

Lee also said: “Be careful that different companies employ different policies when it comes to benefits but in general, these are the most likely ones you will come across.”

The must-haves

1. Medical

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1.Medical

Can range from basic to comprehensive

2. Time off

Most organisations offer at least 14 days of leave per year

3. Termination terms and conditions

Before you get officially employed, find out how the exit will be like.

4. Salary and performance review

Find out beforehand the promotion opportunities and the frequency of employee performance review.

5. Allowance and expenses

Find out what you can and cannot charge to the company.

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Many companies cover for basic medical costs, such as the occasional Medical Certificate and outpatient care at hospitals.

A comprehensive medical plan covered would cover treatment for major surgeries, life insurance in the case of death, and for some companies, the medical costs of your dependents.

It is also quite common for each employee to be given $1,000 to manage medical, dental and optometric expenses.

2. Time off

The amount of paid leave one gets depends largely on the occupation and the organisation.

According to the Ministry of Manpower guidelines, the minimum number of days per leave for the first year of employment is seven days.

For every additional year of service, the number of days increases by a paltry single day. Fortunately, many organisations offer 14 days a year on average.

However, when it comes to other types of leave, there is no statutory entitlement. Marriage leave and compassionate leave are granted at the employer’s discretion. Some bigger companies give three days per death of an immediate family member, and some may give three to five days of marriage leave.

Under the Employment Act, employees not required to work on Saturdays are entitled to claim a day off or compensation when a public holiday falls on a Saturday. If you are required to come back to work on a Public Holiday, the employer must compensate you for the extra day’s work at a rate of 1.5 times the hourly basic rate of pay.

3. Termination terms and conditions

In the event of employment termination by either party, what is the notice period? Will there be remuneration? Some companies that deal with sensitive information and/or relationships will bar employees from working for competitors for a stipulated time after discharge.

In the unfortunate event that you are let go -- or heaven forbid -- fired, check to understand how the process will pan out.

The nice-to-haves

4. Salary and performance review

If you are taking a permanent position with a company, it would be useful to find out when exactly you will have a performance review, and how progression up the corporate ladder works within the organisation.

Bigger companies tend to have regular reviews and some will have this built into the contract. Think: Management trainee positions.

However, for smaller companies, reviews may be ambiguous. Even if performance and salary reviews may have been discussed verbally during the interview stage, it is easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of organisational goals and activities for employers to put this off.

Having good performance recognised gives you more bargaining power to clinch promotions and request for higher salary. By having this clause build into your contract, it saves you the effort of bringing up a potentially awkward conversation with your boss. A good time to have your first review would be a year after you start working, but it can vary from as soon as three months, to as long as two years.

The Annual Wage Supplement (AWS) is a one month fixed bonus that usually gets paid out in December for companies that provide it.

However, not all industries will have this practice. Such industries can be service bound in nature, for example the financial and F&B industries. What would be helpful for new employees is to instead ask, what the history of company bonuses has been. This gives you a ball park figure of what to expect and how to manage your expectations.

Remember: If it’s not in the contract, in the eyes of the law, it doesn’t count.

5. Allowances and expenses

Flight attendants get in-flight allowances, sales people get phone allowances, jobs that require you to wear uniform have laundry allowances etc. Other jobs give a meal allowance in addition to natural compensation for overtime work.

Entertainment can be a particularly heavy expense, which leaner companies may not subsidise.

Get informed on what can be claimed and what can’t be, to minimise out of pocket expenses.

Top photo still from 10 things you should not do during a job interview by Night Owl Cinematics.