job lock

job lock
n.
The fear of leaving a job because it might mean losing or reducing health care benefits.
Example Citations:
There's no shortage of sad stories about health insurance. But for pure frustration, nothing beats job lock: being frozen in a job you hate because leaving it means losing key health benefits. You're stuck because you have a bad knee, your daughter has diabetes or your wife has emphysema. No new insurer wants your family unless it can draw a big red circle around your maladies and refuse to cover everything inside.
—Ellyn E. Spragins, "How to Beat job lock," Newsweek, December 14, 1998
Deborah Chollet, vice president of the Alpha Center, a Washington health research organization, said 1996 legislation designed to end the problem of employees refusing new jobs for fear of losing health insurance — commonly known as "job lock" — was vastly oversold.
—John A. MacDonald, "Health care troubles remain unhealed," Hartford Courant, November 21, 1998
Earliest Citation:
Employed survivors often complain of "job lock," the feeling that they have to stay put because they will be unable to get health insurance with their next employer. Both getting and keeping health insurance is a real concern for cancer survivors. After reviewing studies in the early 1980s, the California division of the American Cancer Society estimated that as many as 25 percent of cancer survivors will subsequently run into health-insurance problems.
—Joanne Silberner, "First, you beat the cancer," U.S. News & World Report, November 6, 1989
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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Job lock — occurs when a person feels unable to leave a job which is strongly disliked or unsuitable to their abilities because doing so will result in the loss of employee benefits (usually health or retirement related). It is more common in the United… …   Wikipedia

  • job lock — ˈjob lock noun [uncountable] HUMAN RESOURCES a situation in which someone feels that they cannot leave their job, especially because they would lose their health insurance * * * job lock UK US noun [U] US HR ► a situation in which people stay in… …   Financial and business terms

  • job-lock — «JOB LOK», noun. commitment to a job in order to keep the health insurance and other benefits that go with it: »One spreading phenomenon is known as “job lock”…those with chronic diseases are most vulnerable (New York Times). –job´ locked´,… …   Useful english dictionary

  • job lock —  Situation of employees who want to leave their current positions but feel they cannot because they would lose their health benefits. In the United States, health benefits are provided primarily by employers, but most benefit programs do not… …   American business jargon

  • job´-locked´ — job lock «JOB LOK», noun. commitment to a job in order to keep the health insurance and other benefits that go with it: »One spreading phenomenon is known as “job lock”…those with chronic diseases are most vulnerable (New York Times). –job´… …   Useful english dictionary

  • lock keeper — UK US noun [countable] [singular lock keeper plural lock keepers] someone whose job is to operate a lock on a river or canal Thesaurus: people who guard or look after places or people …   Useful english dictionary

  • lock-keeper — lock keepers N COUNT A lock keeper is a person whose job is to be in charge of and maintain a lock or group of locks on a canal …   English dictionary

  • Lock Martin — (February 22, 1916 January 19, 1959) was the stage name of American actor Joseph Lockard Martin Jr. He was from Pennsylvania and had a series of odd jobs before going into acting. He was reportedly 7 foot 7 inches (about 231 cm) tall. If true,… …   Wikipedia

  • lock keeper — lock .keeper n someone whose job is to open and close the gates of a ↑lock on a ↑canal …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • lock keeper — lock ,keeper noun count someone whose job is to operate a LOCK on a river or CANAL …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

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