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Thoughts on Starting Work
Today was my first day in the corporate world, although I didn't do much in the way of corporate work. Being a first day, it was mostly spent learning about the company and filling out paperwork.
I almost thought I wasn't going to make it to work this morning when I turned on the traffic report and it said that highway 71 northbound was closed due to a truck spilling hazardous materials on the road. Luckily the part that was closed was much south of here, but it seems like just yesterday that I would wake up and watch Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters at 6 AM rather than a boring traffic report. I think tomorrow morning I'll go back to cartoons.
In the next 30 days I have to decide what benefits to get, and by "get" I mean "have money removed from my paycheck to pay for". I'm not a big fan of insurance, as you probably know. Our system is a vicious circle, since health care providers and car repair places can charge a lot of money for services since no one pays for them out of pocket, and then insurance premiums go up, and then we are more likely to commit insurance fraud to get some of our money back. Insurance is like playing blackjack where if you lose the dealer takes your money, but if you win the dealer pays you and then cuts off one of your fingers. You never really win.
I get issued a company laptop on Wednesday, which means I will have to finally break down and use a laptop. I've been avoiding this day for years due to tiny keyboards, uncomfortable pointing devices, and itty bitty screens that hurt my eyes. I guess I should sign up for the Vision plan...
Comments
I've been at this "full time job" thing for a week now, and I'm just about done. I'm ready to go back to sleeping until 1. Hopefully you'll adjust better than me.
On Friday I have to choose benefits as well. I have no clue what I'm going to choose, but I have a feeling I'm going to choose all wrong and some how end up getting coverage that only covers me if I have feet problems, or something.
Posted by: Nathan at June 7, 2004 8:34 PM
Yeah, the worst thing about the benefits stuff is that I have 30 days to choose. After that, you only have 1 time per year when you can change your coverage. PPO? HMO? I have a feeling I will select the one that costs me the least money out of my paycheck and that I'll regret it if I actually get sick.
Posted by: Chris Hill Festival at June 7, 2004 9:26 PM
Yeah it's crazy...Wash U threw papers at me and said "Choose! Choose NOW!" I went cheap for now betting on good health....
Posted by: James at June 7, 2004 10:57 PM
Having been in the corporate world, let me offer the following advice: if they have a matching plan for a retirement fund, it's good to have as much as possible taken out for that, since it's free $$ to you and you couldn't earn that much in interest on the $$ if you took it yourself and put it in the bank or (likely) if you invested it in stock. Also some of them let you say how you want those reitrement $$ invested so you get the best of both worlds.
Insurance is really, really disappointing, and it's harder to find a doctor you like than a doctor who is "on the plan". So my advice for the mostly healthy is to get good coverage in case something awful happens (puh puh puh [spitting noises to ward off the evil eye]), and then pony up what you must as you go.
Needless to say here is further advice that you haven't asked for but I'll give anyway. Live a healthy lifestyle which means getting regular, strenuous exercise (preferably on a slippery, cold surface), as that's the best investment of all.
Posted by: rkc at June 8, 2004 6:44 AM
Young, single dudes usually go with the ppo with the high deductible. Also, the "uncomfortable pointing devices" can be replaced with a wheelie mousie (w/ no expense or paperwork).
Posted by: clint at June 8, 2004 1:30 PM
I have different thoughts on insurance. It's important to have, as Ron said, in case the worst happens. For me the "worst case scenario" was being diagnosed with Type I Diabetes (the kind that can't be prevented with a healthy lifestyle... I was a competitive swimmer when I was diagnosed). If you're not covered when stuff like that happens to you (or your family), obtaining any sort of coverage in the future becomes much more difficult. Insurance is there for when the worst happens, and is a necessary evil.
Posted by: Chris at June 8, 2004 2:53 PM
Perhaps you should get yourself diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome, at which point the workplace would have to buy you a USB mouse and keyboard - or you could eBay one of each. At least at work you wouldn't have to worry too overmuch about the crappy keyboards and mice that laptops have.
On that note, does anyone remember when IBM came out with their thinkpads with fullsized, fold-out keyboards? What ever happened to those?
Posted by: Brian at June 8, 2004 3:48 PM
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