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Giving it away
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Employers are taking advantage of current labor market conditions to make offers of employment which years ago would have warranted a laugh at best. Arguably, it could be said that this is out of the control of the job seeker. Contrary to that popular opinion it is not. Negotiation now focuses on the intangible benefits.
Upon receiving an offer of employment compose a chart divided into three sections. First the positives of the position, second the negatives, and third a place for suggesting a way to mitigate the negatives. Enthusiasm for receiving an offer usually clouds objective judgment of it's true merit. Get creative and enlist others to help you brainstorm. Later on this provides a foundation for your counter offer.
In the counter offer highlight areas of the position which you feel are negotiable. If on call work is necessary it would be reasonable to request a flexible start or stop time due to late night calls. The key here is to be reasonable. Asking for carte blanche to show up whenever you feel the need will have them rescinding expeditiously. Schedule, working at home when children are sick, or having one paid day to volunteer in the community per business quarter are areas that most employers would consider given the nature of the particular position as for a machinist working from home is highly unlikely.
Given the option of money or increasing their flexibility most employers would choose the latter. The only harm that could be done in this approach to a counter offer is if your request goes outside of the reasonable or the scope of the firm. Ask others, research the company, and if possible find examples of other companies in the area offer arrangements similar to the one your requesting. While the pay not exactly be commiserate with your experience you can still cash in.
