You will need to do your research into the history of the performance of the construction employer in order to know the value of long-term compensation in your benefits package. Consider that many companies are moving away from traditional stock options toward other types of stock compensation based on your performance and the construction employer's performance. You'll need to know whether the stocks you are being granted have long-term value. The best you can do is look at past performance, examine the current corporate culture, then make an estimate of future performance.