We just re-upped our medical benefits at work today . . . I had a very bad year, health-crisis-wise, and would have been totally screwed if not for the medical, dental and prescription plans from work. Not that my plans are particularly good—I had to spend $200 in cabfare to find doctors who would take care of my broken arm and take my insurance.
I would make more money—and do much more interesting work—if I freelanced, but I need the benefits. I have friends my age (mid-40s) who have no medical or dental coverage, and I don’t know how they do it, I’d be terrified.
Anyone else at their current jobs mostly for the benefits, rather than the base salary or, umm, “career satisfaction?”
I’m kind of in the opposite boat. I don’t have benefits of my own (I tag along on Mr. Echo’s benefits). But I have a brother who has no benefits and I don’t know how he can stand it. He’s 48 and has NOTHING in the way of a safety net. I don’t know what the solution is, except to look into a small group plan. They aren’t the best, but it’s still better than nothing. My girlfriend buys her own insurance (she’s a limo driver), but she’s got ongoing health concerns, so it’s worth it to pay the gigantic premiums.
Before I accepted this postion, I was a consultant. I made more money consulting than I do now. Since the kids were (and are) on my husband’s insurance, it wasn’t that big of a deal that I was without insurance for a while.
I didn’t accept this position just for the benies, though. I was tired of always ‘being on’, wearing suits and being my own marketing and accounting departments.
I kind of do, too. If it were not for the benefits, I’d probably have applied for a part time position here. I started out part-time and my husband had the benefits. Then this job I’m in now came along and I took it because I thought I would like it. I don’t. In the meantime, my husband’s employers benefits have become almost prohibitively expensive, so here I stay. We save about $4000 a year by using my medical coverage. As I get more vacation and sick time, it makes it more difficult to go back to part time, too, but I would if that was the only consideration.
I took this job because it sounded interesting. Now I’m ready to move on but dragging my feet because of the benefits–
$12,000–paid health insurance for family
$5,300–contributions to pension
$10,800–house provided
$3,000–paid utilities
$4,000–vehicle and gas provided
$2,500–estimated value of meals provided
plus 4 weeks vacation and lots of autonomy
Add in the salary, and it’s a lot to have to replace.
I will probably leave my current job (probably go part time) shortly. I would have gone part time a while ago, but the benefits made me stay full time. Things have gotten so bad that I have GOT to leave. The part time thing is only a stop gap measure to make sure I’ll have an income while I look for a different job.
It is too complicated to go into, but there are perils and risks involved in this job that I just don’t find acceptable anymore. Better to be without benefits for a spell than to put myself at risk at this job any longer.
Me. My husband’s a freelance journalist, and I continue to work at a job that gets crappier by the day to provide him and our one-year old with health insurance. Someday, I will go back to school and get a job I like. I used to love this job, but now I edit law books for a company that gets bigger every second and provides me with less and less benefits for more and more work.
Not me, Eve. I’m here for the challenge, the stimulation, the fantastic psychic rewards, the great company, the incomparable social opportunities, and the internet access. Uh - the paycheck’s nice too!
At my last job, the pay was poor but the benefits were excellent. I got 24 vacation days and 25 sick days per year, even when I started.
When I was laid off (budget cuts), I got a nice severance package - consisting solely of the compensable vacation and sick time that I had built up, as I was too busy at that job to take vacation. Each year I was there, I lost unused vacation days that went above and beyond the 48 that you could have accumulated at the end of the fiscal year.
Just the opposite: I get no benefits at all. Absolutely none. The only perk used to be filter coffee and membership of a gym that I never used, but even that has dried up. My company is cash-strapped and mean. But the pay is better than I could get elsewhere, so I put up with it.
If I had any sense, yes. Thing is, I never go to the doctor or dentist (not because I don’t NEED to, mind you…), so I’m not reminded of what great benefits we have until I’m discussing job perqs with other people.
Luckily, that doesn’t happen too often, so at the moment, I’m in search of a new job.
We currently have no income and no benefits. But hillbilly king has been applying for quite a few low-paying jobs just because of the good benefits. Most recently Correctons Officer. The state of Tennessee will give you a uniform, a gun and a ridiculously low income to keep decent folks safe from vicious criminals, BUT your family will be healthy and have pretty teeth.
I took the job I have now because at the time, I was unemployed. I started as a temp, and became permanent six months later. Once I became permanent, the benefits kicked in.
The job itself is okay, but it’s just a job. It’s not a career. Like **Ceejaytee, ** I really want to go back to school and get a job that I like. And I will someday, dammit. I never aspired to be a municipal employee.
But now I’m just hanging in for the benefits. I’ve got kids, and medical problems of my own. I need my insurance, until I get a decent savings that will allow me to get the hell out.
