When I came back from vacation, I learned that as of January 1, 2010, I will lose all of my medical/dental/vision coverage. Because, you see, the company where I've worked for the past five years has now decided to stop offering benefits for employees who work part time.
I am very unthrilled by this news. I can't even tell you how much. Especially since my husband works for a small business and adding me to his plan is going to be expensive. Ridiculously so.
There were times over the past few days when I considered whether I should try to get my manager to change my half-time status to three-quarter status (and therefore increase my hours to thirty) so that I could keep my benefits. It seemed kind of like the wrong way to go, though. I took this job, mostly, because the benefits were great and the schedule allowed me to be a part-time employee and a part-time writer. Now half of that incentive is gone. If I work more, my part-time job will take over my writing time. That's kind of... not what this part-time job was supposed to do.
I talked to my husband about it. I talked to my agent about it. In the end, I decided to let the benefits go. I'll get on my husband's super-expensive plan (unless I can find a different better/cheaper option) and keep working part-time for as long as I need to. This is not a good thing for me, but the truth is, maybe it will become a good thing. I don't know if I ever would have been willing to give up my job while I had the insurance, even if it might have started interfering with my writing career. Now, I'm feeling highly motivated to get more going with my writing.
So, it's a little bit freeing, I have to say.