Floating “Off Contract” and Learning What to Negotiate on Future Contracts!
Monday of this week I worked one day in the OR pre-op or Day Stay unit, as they refer to it. It was considered “off contract” as my particular contract states No Floating. Because I have no experience in a OR Pre-op unit, I was limited in my scope of practice. I started IV’s, hooked patients up to monitors, and transported patients from one location to another. I was not given any pay difference for my willingness to step outside my contract terms.
The rest of the week was uneventful. I opened the unit every day at 0600, worked my shift, and went home. Some days, we were busy and I worked a full 8 hour shift. Other days, we were sent home at noon due to low census. Your contract can help protect you, but only if you know what to negotiate before signing.
Here are a few things I have learned about for future negotiations:
- Guaranteed hours: By negotiating guaranteed hours, the hospital will be required to pay you for your contracted daily hours even in the event of low census and flex off. Not all hospitals will allow this but it does not hurt to ask. The hospital will not offer it unless requested by you/your recruiter during the negotiation process.
- Max cancel days: If your hospital will not guarantee your hours, request that they put a max amount of days that they are allowed to cancel you per contract. For example, you agree that they can cancel you four days in a 13 week contract. Any more than four days and they have to pay you even if you are cancelled.
- Guaranteed Stipend: Some Agencies will only pay out your stipend depending on how many hours you worked that week and others will pay you 100 percent of your stipend no matter how many hours worked. Ensure that your contract states that your weekly stipend payment is guaranteed.
- Overtime pay rate agreement: Make sure the agency is offering time and a half of your overall “Combined” pay rate for any overtime or call back pay. Many agencies will simply offer a flat rate that when you do the math is less than time and a half. Do the math and negotiate fair compensation.
Two weeks complete, Six more to go on Contract #1.
