Basic Trope: A character has a specific job not because they like the work, but because the job has a very specific benefit (often a health plan).
- Straight: Bob joins the army because the military health plan is better and cheaper than anything available to civilians.
- Exaggerated: Bob joins the army for its health plan despite the fact that he's a pacifist who hates authority figures and the color green and could easily get comparable health coverage as a civilian.
- Downplayed:
- The health plan is only one of the reasons he joins.
- Bob joins the army mainly for patriotic reasons, but was on the fence until he realized that the health plan is very good.
- Justified: Bob needs health coverage fast, so he can't really shop around for a job he wants.
- Inverted:
- Bob joins the army for patriotic reasons despite the fact that it's well known that the army has a terrible health plan.
- Bob leaves the army when they downsize their health plan.
- Subverted: When signing up, Bob seems to focus on the health plan, but in actual combat, it's revealed he's a true patriot and a great soldier.
- Double Subverted: But when not fighting, all he can talk about is the retirement benefits.
- Parodied: Bob joins a company for their good life insurance plan, despite the fact that he's an immortal and thus has no use for life insurance.
- Zig Zagged: Bob considers joining the army because of the good health plan. He then gets second thoughts because the army dental plan is terrible. He finally decides to join when he realizes that the army is giving away free coffee makers to those who join the infantry.
- Averted: No one chooses a specific job just because of one benefit.
- Enforced: The writers wanted to make a joke about how much H.M.O.s suck in their country by saying that, yeah, Mr. Killemall is the most vile villain this side of Dr. Doom, but he still has a better understanding of medical expenses than (insert idiotic politician here).
- Lampshaded: "Why did I ever accept this lousy job?" "I seem to remember you did it for the health plan." "Oh, that's right."
- Invoked: Baby Poison, Inc. offers an amazing health plan so none of its employees will walk out.
- Exploited: Charles offers Bob a job with an even better health plan.
- Defied:
- Bob joins the military because he's a patriot.
- Bob carefully weighs his job options, taking every aspect into mind.
- Discussed: "Why have you stuck with such a bad job for three years? Did they offer a really good dental plan or something?" "No, it's the only job I've ever found. The minute I get a better job, I'm quitting my current one."
- Conversed: "Is the health plan all that Bob cares about? That's dumb!"
- Implied:: The military has the best available health plan in Tropeland, and no other apparent benefits. Bob, who has some known health problems, sticks with it even though he hates the work.
- Played For Laughs:
- Bob goes to work for a company that pays amazing salaries (and bonuses), gives its employees free food from the local four-star bistro, and is, aside from Bob, staffed entirely with Playboy-quality single women, but he's still only in it for the health plan.
- Bob and Jim are extremist rivals in differing sides of a war, but at one point they sit down and argue the differences of their Weird Trade Unions and their benefits (Jim has better dental plan, Bob has better vision plan, Bob has a 30% reduction on premium payments, Jim has more paid sick days, they both hate that their vehicle insurances never seem to cover anything).
- Played For Drama: Bob is eventually Driven to Suicide (or at least becomes very bitter) when he's unable to stomach what he's forced to do for a living.
Go back to Signed Up for the Dental: The pay's lousy, but the dental plan's pretty good.
