ANCHOR LEAD IN:
Source: MetLife study
LITERALLY MILLIONS OF AMERICANS HAVE CHANGED JOBS OVER THE PAST YEAR...AND THOUGH THE GRASS MAY LOOK GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE JOB FENCE, IF YOU'RE NOT CAREFUL, LEAPING TO A NEW JOB MAY MEAN TAKING 'GREEN' OUT OF YOUR OWN POCKET! IN TODAY'S HEADS UP - LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP TO PROPTECT YOURSELF IN YOUR NEW JOB...

TRACK ONE Length: :06
KERRY ANTUNES (ann-TOONS) HAS A NEW MASTER'S DEGREE, A NEW APARTMENT - AND A NEW JOB. IT'S EXCITING, NEVERTHELESS...

SOT:
NO KEY (QUICK!)Kerry Antunes, New employee
"It's hard to make ends meet."

TRACK TWO Length: :09
SO, WHEN ANTUNES ACCEPTED THE NEW POSITION, SHE WAS PRETTY UNHAPPY TO LEARN THAT... UNLIKE WITH HER PREVIOUS JOB...SHE WOULD NOT BE GETTING HEALTH INSURANCE RIGHT AWAY...

SOT:
KEY @: :19 Kerry Antunes, New employee
"It won't start for 90 days. They have also have additional benefits like a 401K after you've been there for a year, so that's pretty much it."

TRACK THREE Length: :10
ANTUNES HAS BEEN IN AND OUT OF FULL TIME WORK FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS WHILE COMPLETING HER DEGREE. EACH TIME, SHE'S HAD TO STRUGGLE BETWEEN A GOOD CAREER MOVE AND A GOOD BENEFITS PACKAGE.

SOT:
NO KEY Kerry Antunes, New employee
"I definitely considered what um, I would be walking away from and it was a big decision."

TRACK FOUR Length: :08
Source: MetLife http://www.whymetlife.com/benchmark
ACCORDING TO A NEW SURVEY, ONE IN FOUR AMERICANS CHANGED JOBS IN THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF. AND INTERESTINGLY, MONEY WAS NOT THE MAIN REASON...

SOT:
KEY @: :49 Randy Stram, Vice President, MetLife
"The most important consideration was the relationships they have with their coworkers and or customers."

TRACK FOUR Length: :05
THAT WAS KEY FOR ANTUNES. BUT EXPERTS SAY, JOB CHANGING SHOULDN'T CAUSE FINANCIAL HARDSHIP...

SOT:
KEY @: 1:01 Randy Stram, Vice President, MetLife
"It's critically important that a change in jobs or positions does not have an adverse affect on someone's financial, protection plan or savings plan."

TRACK FIVE Length: :15
QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE YOU JUMP SHIP?
IS THERE A WAITING PERIOD FOR HEALTH INSURANCE OR 401-K PLANS?
WILL I LOSE STOCK THAT HASN'T VESTED?
WILL MY NEW EMPLOYER COMPENSATE ME FOR A LONGER COMMUTE OR ADDED DAY CARE NEEDS?
AND, WILL I HAVE SIMILAR VACATION TIME?

TRACK SIX Length: :02
AND, IT NEVER HURTS TO RENEGOTIATE.

SOT:
NO KEY Kerry Antunes, New employee
"They are trying to see if they can pay at least a portion of what I've been paying for the next 90 days until my health insurance does start."

ANCHOR TAG:
STRAM SAYS IT'S ALSO REALLY IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT NOT ALL JOB CHANGES ARE HAPPILY EVER AFTER STORIES...FORTY-FIVE PERCENT OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO CHANGED POSITIONS OVER THE LAST 18 MONTHS ENDED UP SAYING THEY WERE NOT SATISFIED WITH THEIR NEW POSITIONS.

SOURCE INFORMATION:

Randy Stram,
Vice President, Institutional Business
MetLife
Communications Contact: Karen Eldred
MetLife Public Relations
212-578-9561
keldred@metlife.com

About the MetLife Benchmarking Survey:
The MetLife Benefits Benchmarking Report and Benefits
Benchmarking Tool were developed based on findings from
the company's 2005 Employee Benefits Trend Study and cover
benefits-related topics from the perspectives of both
employees and employers. Data is presented by size - from
the smallest firms (2-49 employees) to the largest (25,000+
employees), industry - construction, manufacturing, retail
trade, finance/insurance, services, transportation and public
administration, and geography - Northeast, Midwest, South
and West.
Among the topics addressed are employees' preferred benefits
channels and their attitudes towards benefits and benefits
communication, as well as employers' top benefits objectives
and strategies. Benefits offerings, such as work/life, executive
and retirement benefits, are also featured. The tool may be
particularly valuable to intermediaries who are seeking to
advise their clients on ways to create a more competitive
benefits program. The free report and tool are available at
www.whymetlife.com/benchmarkpr.