CATEGORY: BUSINESS

GROUP: 1. JOBS/PEOPLE/ORGANIZATIONS
Topic: 4. Pay & Benefits
Introduction:
The pay and benefits that an employer can offer an employee are an important
consideration when taking a job. Inadequate pay or a lack of benefits are one of the
main reasons people quit their jobs or refuse to accept a job.

Dialogue:
Rachel is interviewing for a job. As part of her interview, she has the chance to talk to
Denis, an HR representative at the company, and discuss the pay and benefits that the
company offers.

Denis: Hello, Rachel. Its nice to meet you. My name is Denis.

Rachel: Its nice to meet you.
Denis: Hows your interview going so far?
Rachel: I think its going pretty well. It seems like a very interesting position and the
people here seem very friendly.
Denis: Yes, we have a great work environment here. Well, our meeting is a chance for
me to tell you about the pay and benefits associated with the position, and for
you to ask me any questions you have about this.
Rachel: OK.
Denis: First of all, lets talk about salary. The salary for the position youre applying for
is $45,000. How does that sound to you?

Copyright 2007 English 1 on 1 Corp. All rights reserved. No reproduction without expressed written permission of English 1 on 1.

Rachel: That sounds very fair. Actually, Ive been a student up until now and I was
making minimum wage and tips at a restaurant. So, that will be a very good
salary for me.
Denis: Good. Its a very competitive salary for the type of position.
Rachel: I have one question about the salary.
Denis: Sure.
Rachel: Are employees paid overtime for any extra hours they work?
Denis: No, with a salaried position like this one employees are not paid overtime. Youll
receive the same salary each month, regardless of the number of hours you
work.
Rachel: All right.
Denis: The company also offers a very attractive benefits package and retirement
plan.
Rachel: Oh, yes. I was reading about that on the companys website.
Denis: We offer a very good medical, vision, and dental insurance plan. Also, the
company matches your contributions to the retirement plan up to $600 a year.
Rachel: That does sound very good.
Denis: Ill give you this information packet on the company benefits. It explains all of
them in detail. You can look that over at home and then let me know if you have
any questions.
Rachel: Sure, Ill do that.
Denis: The company also offers some other great perks: every employee gets a
company car, we offer annual bonuses, and employees get rewarded for good
work with extra vacation days.
Rachel: That sounds great. Ive never had a company car though. How does that
work?
Denis: The company owns the car, but you drive it and get to keep it as if it were your
own. The company pays for the insurance, repairs, and registration. The only
thing you pay for is the gas.
Rachel: Wow! Thats a great perk!
Copyright 2007 English 1 on 1 Corp. All rights reserved. No reproduction without expressed written permission of English 1 on 1.

Denis: All the details of the company car are in the information packet I just gave you
too.
Rachel: OK, thank you.
Denis: So, do you have any other questions youd lilke to ask me about the pay and
benefits for the position?
Rachel: I dont think so. I think you answered all the questions I had.
Denis: OK. Well, take a look through that information packet. My contact information is
listed at the back. If you have any questions, just let me know.
Rachel: I will. Thank you.
Denis: Its been nice talking to you, and I look forward to potentially working with you in
the future.
Rachel: Thank you. I hope to see you soon.
Denis: Bye-bye.

Vocabulary:
HR representative: Human Resources representative; Human Resources is The
department within a business organization that monitors the availability of
qualified workers; recruits and screens applicants for jobs; helps select qualified
employees; plans and presents appropriate orientation, training, and
development for each employee; and administers employee benefit programs
salary: fixed compensation paid regularly for work or services
minimum wage: the lowest hourly rate of pay a worker can receive, as determined by
the government; varies from state to state
tips: an extra amount of money given for good service; for example, people in the U.S.
tip waiters and waitresses at a restaurant
overtime: wage paid for working time in excess of a standard day or week
benefits package: all of the services (ex. health insurance) or rights (ex. taking
vacation time) provided by an employer in addition to wages or salary
retirement plan: a fund that employers and employees contribute into each month,
which pays the employee after they retire
perks: a privilege, gain, or profit incidental to regular salary or wages
company car: a car owned by a company that they give to an employee to drive

Copyright 2007 English 1 on 1 Corp. All rights reserved. No reproduction without expressed written permission of English 1 on 1.

Discussion Questions:
1. If you had to choose between a satisfying job and a well-paying one, which would
you choose?
-If I had to choose, I think I would pick a well-paying job over a satisfying one.
Money is important in life, and you need enough of it to lead a satisfying life. If
you have a low-paying but satisfying job, you might not be able to afford to live,
and your life will not be very satisfying in general.
2. Have you ever gotten a pay raise? What for?
-Sure, I have gotten pay raises at previous jobs before. I got them because of
the length of time I worked for a company and because of good work
performance.
3. What kinds of benefits does your company offer?
-My company offers pretty good benefits. The best ones are the insurance plans
we can enroll in. The company offers a pretty good health and dental insurance
plan. Other benefits offered by the company include a retirement plan and plenty
of sick/vacation days.
4. Are company cars common in your country?
-Yes. In the U.S., company cars are fairly common, but they are only common
with large companies. Also, its usually only employees with a fairly high position
who get them.
5. What kind of retirement plan do you have?
-I have a state-run teachers retirement plan. Each month I pay into my
retirement account. When I retire, this will be used to support me for the rest of
my life.
6. Did salary and benefits affect the choice you made to accept your current job?
-Yes, they did. I could not have accepted a job that didnt provide benefits.
Health insurance in the U.S. is extremely expensive, and you need it if you get
sick. Because of this, I would only accept a job that provided health insurance
for their employees.
7. What are the highest paying jobs in your country?
-I think entertainers actors, singers, sports players have the highest paying
jobs in the U.S. After them, I think doctors and lawyers make the most money.
8. Is there a minimum wage in your country?
-Yes. There is a minimum wage in the U.S. Actually, each state can set its own
minimum wage, so it varies from place to place. The U.S. Department of Labor
sets the national one, and right now its at $5.85 per hour. I think its way too low.
A person working full time at minimum wage does not make enough money to
live.
Copyright 2007 English 1 on 1 Corp. All rights reserved. No reproduction without expressed written permission of English 1 on 1.

9. Would you take a job that didnt offer any benefits? Why or why not?
-No, I would not. A good, professional company offers their employees benefits
such as health insurance. There are many companies that offer benefits out
there, so I wouldnt accept a job without benefits.
10. Are you satisfied with the current salary you are making? Why or why not?
-Actually, no. Id like to be making more money! Id be happy if I was making
twice as much as I was making now. That would make life much easier.

Copyright 2007 English 1 on 1 Corp. All rights reserved. No reproduction without expressed written permission of English 1 on 1.