When we reported on Simpson Thacher’s bonus announcement, our tipsters pointed out that changes to the firm’s health plan would result in associates paying more for less coverage over the coming year. Happy Holidays!
That inspired more than a few tipsters to point out that Simpson’s new plan — while increasing the burden on employees next year — may not even be the stingiest health plan out there. One tipster claimed that one elite New York firm’s employee contribution is $60 more per pay period than Simpson’s and another top-of-the-heap firm plan is charging 60 percent on top of what Simpson is.
We’ve not gotten secondary confirmation on either of these tips, but if firms — big firms, small firms, or boutiques — are routinely bleeding associates on their health care, that’s something we want to know. Frankly, we don’t want only bad news, either! If a firm is going above and beyond to provide stellar care for cheap, we want to know that too.
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So we’re asking our tipsters — one and all — to tell us what their firms are charging for health care. Attorneys have overlooked the details of their health plans for too long — it’s not only literally a life-and-death issue, but it can really eat into your salary too. Let us know by email, by text message (646-820-8477), or by tweet (@ATLblog). Please include the memo if available. You can take a photo of the memo and send it via text or email if you don’t want to forward the original PDF or Word file.
Obviously these are all very much “first world problems.” Attorneys aren’t roaming the streets uncovered and the contributions they make to health care aren’t really breaking their bank accounts in the grand scheme of things. But that’s no reason to be complacent. Your bosses are putting more in their pockets and hoping you feel too ashamed to complain. Don’t fall for it.
Joe Patrice is an editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news.