job lock
Benefits prevent leaving
Job lock is the situation where someone stays in a job they would otherwise leave because they depend on benefits—especially health insurance—that they would lose or struggle to replace.
Common in discussions of American healthcare policy, where employer-provided insurance creates strong disincentives to change jobs, start businesses, or retire early: She'd love to go freelance, but job lock keeps her at the company.
- workEffort toward a goal
- careerLifelong occupational pursuit
- rat raceExhausting competitive work routine
- brass ringSymbol of sought success
- retirement savingsMoney reserved for post-career
employment · occupation · side hustle · security · risk aversion · income stability · portability · debt repayment · minimum wage laws · health insurance · pre-existing condition · COBRA coverage · open enrollment · safety · vesting · protection · benefits · peer pressure
job lockjob mobility
Ability to change employment
labor mobility · free agency · at-will employment · gig economy · job hopping
job, jobs, jobbed, jobbing, jobless, joblessness, lock, locks, locked