[speaker001:] [Clicking] Uh, I think, uh, actually I'm fairly pleased with the benefits that we have at the, uh, working for a large corporation. And, for me, there's absolutely no question what's the most important benefit [LAUGHTER] [child]
[speaker002:] [Talking] Right.
[speaker001:] I think it's health care. It's what, I think everybody would say that.
[speaker002:] Oh, and if you try to get it outside of your corporation, you're going to pay an arm and a leg.
[speaker001:] [Bird squawk] Right. Belonging to a group is the, belonging to a health group is probably the most important protection you can have after you,
[speaker002:] Right.
[speaker001:] [Sniffing] Uh, so-, the, uh, [throat clearing] sometimes I think it's more important [LAUGHTER] than salary.
[speaker002:] Uh, do you also get dental?
[speaker001:] Yes. And, uh, I don't know if I would rank that second but, uh, since I have three boys, uh, it, it can turn out to be important. Yeah, you know
[speaker002:] Oh, I know.
[speaker001:] in a, in a given year, dental ca-, dental expenses can really kill you.
[speaker002:] Now my husband is with, uh, Northwest Airlines and he gets, uh, you know, the full health and dental and, uh, we have four children and what you pay just to have teeth cleaned is outrageous.
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] And I don't know how people that don't have it can afford it.
[speaker001:] Right. It's, uh,
[speaker002:] Or maybe they don't [LAUGHTER].
[speaker001:] [Throat clearing] Right, uh, and then, uh, uh, if the cleaning doesn't get you, the orthodony will.
[speaker002:] That's right [LAUGHTER]. That's right [LAUGHTER].
[speaker001:] Uh, I guess that would be up there. Uh, I'm not sure if I would rank, uh, how I would rank that next to, say compared to retirement or, uh, uh, uh, pretax savings was another thing that I think is a
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] a great, a great benefit.
[speaker002:] Right.
[speaker001:] [Throat clearing] And I, I think it's really something that the, uh, the government ought to encourage more because, uh, there are all these complaints about how we're not a saving country
[speaker002:] Right.
[speaker001:] and where the average savings rate is something like four percent in this country and fifteen percent in, uh, Germany and Japan. Uh,
[speaker002:] Well, it's a lot easier to, to save it when you don't get your hands on it first [LAUGHTER].
[speaker001:] Right. When you have the, when you have the, uh, the economy to scale and everything that a large corporation has, and you can, uh, offer some incentive and if the government goes along by not taxing it when you put it aside
[speaker002:] Right.
[speaker001:] you can really build up, uh, the savings and the, that you wouldn't otherwise do and,
[speaker002:] Uh, what about, what about, uh, lesser, uh, benefits perhaps for you but for, for the women in the, in the corporation. For example, uh, [lipsmack] oh,
[speaker001:] Leave?
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] [Throat clearing].
[speaker002:] Do they e-, even, do they have father leaves or anything like that?
[speaker001:] [Sigh] You know, I, I don't think so yet. They may have, uh, just plain parental leave, which either one can take.
[speaker002:] [Static] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] Uh, I, their, uh, I know their maternity leave is on the order of six weeks which I think is too short. Uh
[speaker002:] Oh, I do too.
[speaker001:] [Throat clearing] uh, uh, I really think that we need to get into the mold where we talk about years rather than months or weeks.
[speaker002:] Oh, I think, I think it's just a crying shame, uh,
[speaker001:] [Throat clearing].
[speaker002:] for a mother to have to go back to work at six weeks.
[speaker001:] Right, and, uh,
[speaker002:] She isn't recovered [LAUGHTER]. And, uh
[speaker001:] There,
[speaker002:] the infant needs her desperately,
[speaker001:] [Cough].
[speaker002:] at that point and time.
[speaker001:] There ought to be, uh, uh, some compromise that could, where, uh, where the person would be guaranteed [swallowing] a, uh, career type position but not necessarily a continuation of exactly the same position
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] uh, in exchange for a longer period of time.
[speaker002:] Right, I agree.
[speaker001:] It's, uh, it's so important to families then and, uh, and yet anybody who's gotten far enough to get a good salary is really reluctant to give that up.
[speaker002:] Oh, sure.
[speaker001:] Uh,
[speaker002:] Especially in this day and age.
[speaker001:] That,
[speaker002:] You don't want to start over again anywhere.
[speaker001:] Yeah, you're right. I think you've put your finger on the one benefit that I, that I would most like to see, uh, changed [throat clearing]. Uh, the, uh, parental leave.
[speaker002:] Well, I think they're at, they're com-, they've come a long way.
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] Uh, at least some companies. Some of them, uh, my girlfriend, in particular, that works for a, a rental car agency and, uh, as manager and, uh, they have a very, very poor leave policy and, uh, I just don't know how, how women do it. Particularly, single parents who don't have the support at the other end. Uh,
[speaker001:] Right [throat clearing]. They do it by shortchanging their kids. There's no other way. I mean
[speaker002:] That's right. That's exactly right.
[speaker001:] uh, unless they're part of some extended family which is unlikely. Uh
[speaker002:] Right.
[speaker001:] people moving as much [sniffing]. And, uh, they just, it's just a terrible choice, you shouldn't have to make it.
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] Uh [sniffing] you're right.
[speaker002:] [Talking].
[speaker001:] And, uh [throat clearing],
[speaker002:] One of the benefits we get, of course, is travel [LAUGHTER].
[speaker001:] Oh, right. Boy, would I like to have that.
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER] It's wonderful [LAUGHTER].
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] The only trouble is that you can afford to go anywhere but you can't afford to stay once you get there [LAUGHTER].
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER] Oh, listen I have friends in a lot of different cities. If you just fly me there, I'll take care of that [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER] That's right. You have to have an awful lot of fun just, just getting there, is, has to be half the fun.
[speaker001:] [Throat clearing] Right.
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER] [talking].
[speaker001:] So [throat clearing] and, uh, I guess the,