[speaker001:] what do you think about the benefits in jobs
[speaker002:] um I'm I'm relatively relatively satisfied with the benefits I have I think that um our health insurance is terribly expensive
[speaker001:] uh-huh
[speaker002:] I'd rather that we got a bit more coverage for a lot less money but um you know that's that's my major complaint I guess what about you
[speaker001:] yeah and a lot of times they turn down your claims so that leaves you paying for all of it
[speaker002:] uh-huh or or maybe that it's not understood what should be covered and what isn't
[speaker001:] uh-huh yeah
[speaker002:] yeah I
[speaker001:] right the the health insurance I have is MetLife and if it's the type that if you go to a certain doctor then uh you just pay ten dollars and then uh the insurance pays the rest of the bill or if you go outside you get uh seventy thirty
[speaker002:] I see now we I have just the regular insurance so that any doctor is covered but what I found recently is what they've been doing is they they poll somehow the area and then they have what they consider a justifiable price for the area where your doctor is located based on zip code
[speaker001:] uh-huh
[speaker002:] and so recently when when we had a claim um they didn't pay the eighty five percent they paid much lower and when I called they said oh well that's because your doctor is charging much more than the norm for the area and I was really surprised because either there aren't that many of that type of doctor within that zip code so that you know two doctors could balance each other out or their you know their statistics aren't very accurate
[speaker001:] right and and they're probably doing it to their benefit anyway so
[speaker002:] yeah I would assume that you know whatever doctors are willing to do the paperwork and send it in
[speaker001:] uh-huh
[speaker002:] but it's it's difficult What about other other benefits are there others that you're dissatisfied with
[speaker001:] well I work for Sears and and um that's about the the only real benefit you have is health insurance
[speaker002:] well you have vacation I mean
[speaker001:] yeah yeah but everybody gets vacation I mean like uh TI and some other places you know they have social recreational facilities and they have a driving range and weight room and you know I think they even have a swimming pool and
[speaker002:] huh
[speaker001:] I don't know if they have any tennis courts or anything like that
[speaker002:] yeah I'm not familiar with that sort of thing but but you know to me vacation is is an issue and I mean different places have different amounts of vacation I would assume
[speaker001:] uh-huh right
[speaker002:] and um you know the leniency with which they let you take leave without pay perhaps or um um I don't know I suppose um sick days some places count the number of hours and some places just sort of believe you
[speaker001:] uh-huh
[speaker002:] um ours is based on number of days and you know people try to build them up in case they really do get seriously ill
[speaker001:] right
[speaker002:] right but um otherwise I'm not not aware of any problems with the benefits around here so maybe that covers the topic then
[speaker001:] yeah well I don't know the working the working conditions you know if you could include that in benefits some places aren't very safe to work
[speaker002:] uh-huh
[speaker001:] and and some places don't compensate you for the hazards that you that you have to work under
[speaker002:] uh-huh or maybe a benefit uh not really a benefit either but would be the allowing you to use the telephone for personal calls
[speaker001:] right uh-huh
[speaker002:] um um but you know I suppose some places are are more stringent about that than others
[speaker001:] yeah I think so
[speaker002:] and and maybe arriving late or something like that you know how how they enforce the rules
[speaker001:] uh-huh
[speaker002:] but other than that I don't have much feeling for for the benefits since like I said um I don't have a big problem with with them I
[speaker001:] um Workmen Workmen's Comp is a big thing now in in Texas because um um how much it costs the employers and a a lot of them are going to their own insurance now
[speaker002:] uh-huh
[speaker001:] and it reduces some of the length of the benefits and uh and I don't know besides that but I I noticed right off that was a year less than what the state was allowing
[speaker002:] oh I I didn't know that somebody could avoid Workmen's Compensation
[speaker001:] well well they still have to pay it but they buy their own instead of going through the state
[speaker002:] oh I see
[speaker001:] so apparently it costs less that way
[speaker002:] uh-huh uh-huh I suppose that whenever companies can avoid um benefits it's to the to to the benefit of the company
[speaker001:] uh-huh
[speaker002:] and at least you know financially in the short run but I would think they would get a much greater turnover and that people would be dissatisfied working for them
[speaker001:] yeah that's what I what I think they they should be able they should be able to judge their benefits on how happy their employees are and how much profit they're making instead of trying to cut everything down and then have everybody be unhappy and and have a constant turnover of people
[speaker002:] right I mean sure the payroll is lower that way but I would assume that the productivity is way down also
[speaker001:] yeah the productivity and the training costs if they have to train the same employee a new employee every six months then I don't see how they can save money
[speaker002:] uh-huh uh-huh
[speaker001:] you know and once they once they get somebody good they ought to hang onto them
[speaker002:] that's right no I agree
[speaker001:] yeah okay it was nice talking to you
[speaker002:] well thank you for calling bye-bye
[speaker001:] yeah bye-bye