Discussing Employee Benefits and Compensation
An employee meets with an HR specialist to understand their current benefits package, including health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off, and potentially discuss a compensation adjustment.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
benefits package
A set of perks and services provided by an employer to employees, like insurance and vacation time. Use it when talking about what your job offers beyond salary.
health insurance
Medical coverage paid for by the employer or shared with the employee. It's common in job discussions to ask about what illnesses or treatments it covers.
dependents
Family members, like children or spouse, who rely on you for support and can be covered under your insurance. Mention them when discussing family benefits.
retirement plan
A savings program for when you stop working, often with company contributions. It's useful in conversations about long-term financial security.
matching contribution
When the company adds money to your retirement savings equal to what you put in, up to a limit. This encourages saving and is a key benefit to understand.
paid time off
Vacation or sick days where you still get paid. Ask about this policy when starting a new job or reviewing benefits.
accrue
To build up or earn over time, like vacation days each month. Use it in professional settings to discuss accumulating benefits.
compensation
Money paid for your work, including salary and bonuses. It's a formal term for discussing pay raises or job offers.
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
Thanks for taking the time to meet with me.
This is a polite way to start a meeting, showing appreciation for someone's schedule. Use it in professional conversations to build rapport. It uses 'taking the time' as an idiom for making an effort.
What specific aspects were you hoping to clarify or discuss?
A helpful question to ask for details in a meeting. 'Hoping to' expresses expectation politely, and 'clarify' means to make something clear. Useful for HR or customer service talks.
I wanted to confirm the details of my health insurance coverage.
This sentence requests verification of information. 'Confirm' means to check and make sure, and it's in past tense for politeness in requests. Great for ensuring understanding in benefits discussions.
The company matches 100% of your contributions up to 6% of your salary.
Explains a policy clearly with percentages. 'Matches' means equals, and 'up to' sets a limit. Use this structure to describe financial benefits or rules in a job context.
How many vacation days do I accrue annually?
Asks about yearly accumulation of time off. 'Accrue annually' is formal for building up each year. This is practical for inquiring about work-life balance in employment talks.
You can roll over up to 5 unused days into the next year.
Describes carrying over unused vacation. 'Roll over' is a phrasal verb meaning to transfer, and 'up to' indicates a maximum. Helpful for explaining PTO policies to avoid losing benefits.
Given my performance and increased responsibilities, I was wondering if there's any room for a review or adjustment.
Politely requests a pay raise by linking to achievements. 'Given' means considering, and 'I was wondering' softens the request. Use in performance reviews to negotiate compensation.
I'll follow up with you early next week after speaking with your manager.
Promises future action and contact. 'Follow up' means to continue or check back, and 'early next week' specifies time. Essential for professional follow-through in meetings.