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Antiwork

Don’t pay for any extra benefits

I knew when I signed up for all the benefits that I very well may need them and here's what I learned. Don't pay for the disability packages, getting that approved was near impossible, I did not get enough time for a recovery anyway, and I never even got all the money I was owed. Also the money I did get came literally months after I was already back to work. Plan on quitting for a while if you have an emergency. The add ons that say they help with any extra hospital costs: never saw any benefit to those and I've been in the ER, seeing specialists multiple times a week, had a major surgery, never saw any benefit to these. Don't pay for the lawyer service. Just be a good person and always keep a paper trail. Keep copies of all documents. Record calls with your HR (of…


I knew when I signed up for all the benefits that I very well may need them and here's what I learned.

Don't pay for the disability packages, getting that approved was near impossible, I did not get enough time for a recovery anyway, and I never even got all the money I was owed. Also the money I did get came literally months after I was already back to work. Plan on quitting for a while if you have an emergency.

The add ons that say they help with any extra hospital costs: never saw any benefit to those and I've been in the ER, seeing specialists multiple times a week, had a major surgery, never saw any benefit to these.

Don't pay for the lawyer service. Just be a good person and always keep a paper trail. Keep copies of all documents. Record calls with your HR (of course after making sure you work in a single party consent state). If you ever have a case, you will be able to find a lawyer willing to back you if you have evidence.

The only one you actually arguably should have is health insurance. Be super careful with this. If your company is not opening enrollment by the first of November, they're trying to switch insurance providers to something that is complete trash and costs them almost nothing. Starting in the first of October go to healthcare.gov and see what you can get there. Look up reviews, look them up on job sites and see if employees of that company like working there, make sure the insurance provider covers your current doctors or the major healthcare system in your area. Know what that will cost and then when your work tells you what healthcare they will provide, research the heck out of that in the same way. If they don't tell you what it is until December, it's some garbage that won't pay for any claims anyway. If it says Assured Benefits Adminstrators, First Health, or Excel Health Plans, trust me when I say you do not want that, literally could not possibly be worse insurance out there! I swear they're the office that Bob Parr (Mr. Incredible) worked for.

I would suggest also getting the dental insurance. YMMV but my dentist by default does charge a lot less for people who simply have insurance even if that insurance pays nearly nothing on your claims.

Also, don't pay for life insurance unless you really have someone who cares about you for a fact no matter what. Call them and tell them you're an atheist or queer or that you're thinking about a tattoo or piercing. If they don't try to listen, they don't deserve your life insurance benefit!

Lastly, do not ever, ever let your employer know of anything until two weeks in advance of it happening and you being prepared for the possibility of being let go. Being nice and letting them know a month or two ahead only makes them see they can save money by having a reason to let you go now and either fire you or ask you to write a letter of resignation. Never ever write this letter, let them fire you if it comes down to it. If you simply resign, they don't have to help pay for your unemployment (and by resigning you may in fact not be eligible for unemployment).

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