Obamacare has touched every aspect of American Daily Life. It must be fought at every turn.
This is why I hate looking for a new job today.
Why can't we just have an honest discussion between the job applicant and the employer? If you accept this job you will have to find insurance elsewhere and you can take it or leave it.
Instead there are loaded questions like this all over the place and if you don't read their mind and answer the right way, you never get the job and never have a clue as to why you don't get the job. So you have no basis on which to improve yourself as an applicant to make your self more attractive as a potential employee.
There was a time when that question most likely would have been a harmless effort to determine what benefits you will be seeking if hired. Nowadays, I’d be suspicious of some ulterior motive.
I hope you didn’t sign the application with your FreeRepublic name.
Welcome to the United Socialist State of America!
The new fundamentally changed America is in your face, and on your back.
“and if they are using the answers as a means to disqualify applicants.”
You’ve got the wrong attitude. You should write to corporate officers and thank them for giving you the opportunity to apply for the job. You should be thankful, and work hard for them to ensure that you make them more money than the pay and benefits that they offer you.
The private sector is not a jobs program. If you are going to this job, assuming you get it, with the idea that they are somehow an evil corporation out to screw the employees then you may actually be a Marxist.
You are not owed a job, yet you sound entitled and disgruntled already. Give these guys a break. They are creating jobs in an environment where it is being highly discouraged through government regulation. Maybe unemployment suits you better?
Not participating in their group plan saves them money. Employers typically pay half or more of the premium. All other considerations aside and given two equally qualified candidates, they’d choose the one that was least costly. That can mean salary requirements, benefits or both.
This is a common question. Not that it doesn’t give us pause, in this day, but I don’t see that an employee has any choice but to answer it.
Not sure if it is O-care related or not.
Check “no” and then once hired, of course, re-evaluate your life and perhaps choose “yes”. If they dump you, say “Yes” to the lawsuit.
If you are former fed worker, just by the size of your salary, you are “over-qualified”.
If your favorite color is not on the screen of choices, i.e., orange, (another psych game), you are “over-qualified”.
If you are over 45, you are “over-qualified”.
If you have prior military experience, you are “over-qualified”, or at least I was, in all of my job hunting in Portland, Oregon.
Do not be too alarmed...question is asked because many spouses and dependent minors/adults are covered under other existing plans...and the company plan may cost employee more than plan already on.
This was before ObamaCare...of course there may be other reasons now
If I were an employer, I would see that question as an excellent way of knowing whether or not you are an Obama supporter... WITHOUT tipping my hand or exposing my bias.
Answer it honestly and move to the top of the list. ;)
Yeah, that is a sure fire way to get a job offer.
On the topic of healthcare.. had a friend go to a new doctor yesterday, had a physical then a sit down with the Doc who asked the standard family history, are you a smoker etc. The Doc then asked if he had a smoke detector in the house. He asked what the relevance was and the Doc mentioned risk evaluation and then asked if he had any guns in his house and if he did are they locked up and secure. His response was, this questioning is terminated and I’ll find another doctor. While getting his coat on he said the doctor continued asking questions including does he have any children living at home with him. He walked out.
The theory at one of the schools I sub for is: If you don’t want our insurance, we can give you more hours. If you do, we can’t. So far, no problems. Maybe that’s what employers are thinking now days.
Perhaps if you answer no they will pay you more than if you answer yes.
That would be very illegal if they did.
Ignore the guy that can’t read English so doesn’t understand the difference between “question” and “complaint”.
The insurance question could be something to rule you out as a candidate but may not be. If it is, it’d obviously be cost.
It could simply be an indication to them as to whether or not they need to have insurance info w/them at an interview, or to synch up HR schedules if another person provides that info.
Nevertheless, I wouldn’t sweat it. If you’re really curious, ask a manager at a branch one day - anonymously.
Then again, I work for a large corporation that is growing. Maybe the mindset would be different in a small business.