Originally Posted by
thelark
I think the point that many posters are trying to make is that even with the supposed benefits (e.g., increased pay and the privilege of travel) you are offering, you will still lose (or never acquire) top talent. Maybe you pay a bit more in salary, but many will consider the travel and reimbursement policies, make a judgment on how you treat your employees, and decide that it isn't worth the hassle of dealing with. "Do I really want to work for someone who is going to nickel and dime me?"
Every company nickles and dimes, those that don't tend to go out of business extremely quick.
If you're saying that most companies can't acquire "top" talent because they nickle and dime, then they probably don't want the top talent anyways.
The problem with employees is that they tend to think they're irreplaceable, in a global market no one is THAT talented.
A lot of "top talent" is unemployed because they refuse to accept that they might not be worth as much as they think they are worth; they're only worth what the market will pay.
If the market dictates that the per diem can only be used at certain restaurants, the employees can suck it up or end up unemployed, there will be another dozen people willing to do the job at the pay/compensation offered.