Health Insurance?

[AfRoMaN36]

Why not, as a backstage rule, we add the option to provide health insurance to the members of the roster.

 

I'd imagine this would be extremely expensive, making it only possible for large companies to afford. But it should be a giant boon to backstage morale, and possibly shorten injury occurrences and duration. Possibly even improve lifespan overtime.

 

Thoughts?

[Jaysin]

Very good idea

[d12345]

This would be complicated as it would really only be applicable in the United States. For every other country the health insurance costs would be covered under the taxes expense pretty much.

[AfRoMaN36]

This would be complicated as it would really only be applicable in the United States. For every other country the health insurance costs would be covered under the taxes expense pretty much.

 

You can disable the feature for non US based countries.

[Vinsmoker]

"Healthcare Covered" could be a option in the contracts.

 

And not all independent contractors are fully covered in their healthcare elsewhere either

[AfRoMaN36]

"Healthcare Covered" could be a option in the contracts.

 

And not all independent contractors are fully covered in their healthcare elsewhere either

 

I like that idea. And yes, that's true too. Good point.

[Zero]

Yes, and make it super expensive.

[cmacias94]

I actually really like this idea. It could tie in with injuries. Say a wrestler needs surgery, if it's part of their contract to cover it the company pays for it. Same thing for rehab. If it's in their contract they can still get paid while in rehab, but if health isn't covered it doesn't cost the company anything.

[djthefunkchris]

<p>Does any company actually offer Health Insurance? I heard even the WWE doesn't because it would cost them so much it would ruin any big money they pay their workers. I hear the workers would rather NOT get it, and instead get the bigger checks. </p><p> </p><p>

You may need a certain amount of employees to get any kind of employee deals with it as well.</p><p> </p><p>

I could be 100% wrong on all accounts, but thought I would ask as it's always what I thought.</p><p> </p><p>

There was a rumor spread about AEW offering it, but I heard that's untrue.</p>

[justtxyank]

They don’t offer it because the wrestlers aren’t employees of WWE (or any other company) they are independent contractors. This is one the single biggest reasons for the independent contractor status for wrestlers in the United States. As they would be extremely high risk and over 50 employees the rates would be insane or they’d be declined outright

[thedinosaurwizard]

Does any company actually offer Health Insurance? I heard even the WWE doesn't because it would cost them so much it would ruin any big money they pay their workers. I hear the workers would rather NOT get it, and instead get the bigger checks.

 

You may need a certain amount of employees to get any kind of employee deals with it as well.

 

I could be 100% wrong on all accounts, but thought I would ask as it's always what I thought.

 

There was a rumor spread about AEW offering it, but I heard that's untrue.

 

From my understanding, AEW is offering it for wrestlers who're also filling backstage roles so it's easier to justify them as employees. Christopher Daniels, for example, works in talent relations and doesn't really take indie bookings anymore, so apparently he's covered.

[Self]

I could see this as a fun, slightly-fantastical element to add to the game once you hit the top end and are making tons of money. I see it as similar to purchasing a venue. Not something modern companies do, but also not outside the realm of possibility.

[Jaysin]

I mean, you also have to remember how unrealistic countless elements are already in TEW. This wouldn't break the realm of reality either.

[St. Templar]

Two things spring immediately to mind:

 

1) Health insurance for a large company with a large number of employees in the United States is not that expensive from the corporate side. If a WWE or AEW did offer health insurance benefits (acknowledging their wrestlers as employees), the per-person cost would be around $250-$400 per month (with greater non-corresponding expense for families being covered by the company if that was wanted). It would be an extra expense you could see for a larger company, though, but I don't think it would have to be a huge expense. For smaller companies, it wouldn't be truly economically feasible. Hence, I would love to see it as an option that's really only beneficial for larger companies (and possibly ruinous for smaller companies whose owners are more about "doing the right thing" than "making a buck"...we do have those types of businesspeople in the U.S.).

 

2) I believe that WWE (like AEW) offers health insurance benefits for those in-ring workers who also have backstage roles. It's not as "usual" in WWE as it seems to be in AEW, but I'm almost positive that there was a line-item for health insurance for Paul Levesque in the last quarterly reports for his corporate role even though he remains a semi-active in-ring performer. I would suppose (because I'm not digging that report back out) that it would be the same for anybody whose still active in-ring but also works out-of-ring.

 

TL;DR Version: Yes, this is a great idea. I would rather see it as a "backstage rule" (a la travel and hotels being paid for) than as a contract issue. That way, you could set it to see no real benefit to it if the company were outside the U.S., but it could give a backstage morale boost within the U.S.

 

St.T