sas5814 Posted August 28, 2017 Share Posted August 28, 2017 This is more "vent" than "ask advice". I took a new position in January of this year for several reason mostly having to do with being closer to family and aging parents. It is an Urgent Care position and, at the time of employment, we were all required to work 13 shifts a month to maintain full time status and benefits. Most of the shifts were 12 hours but the weekends could vary because the 5 UCs in the system had 4 different sets of hours from 8 to 6 to 10 hours depending on location and whether it was Saturday or Sunday. Within 90 days of me signing on (and signing an employment agreement) our organization "partnered" with a giant organization and the inevitable changes started. First, even though the UCs were all losing money, someone decided all the hours needed to be the same so made them all the longest hours...10 hours on Sat and Sunday and 12 hours during the week. OK...didn't make sense to have longer hours when the patient population hasn't changed and the market is pretty crowded here but hey... bean counters. Then admin decided we are all going to work 40 hours a week (we are hourly) so there will be very little OT. Ok... makes sense from a management stand point and I don't have any really heartache so far. Then, to get the 40 hour week, they change us from 10s and 12s to a rotating schedule of 8's, 10's and 12's. This changes the number of shifts we work a month from 13 to 17 or 18 depending on the length of the month. it really makes the folks that have kids at home mad because now they are working more days a week for the same money. The most loathed shift is noon to 8PM. OK that is all the background. I have rolled with all this because my wife and I have no kids at home and we both have odd schedules and none of this particularly rocks my world. Then today the letter arrived. "Please sign this and return it." A simple letter we are supposed to sign acknowledging we have increased our required hours per month from 130 to 177 but "this doesn't affect PTO." Ok now I am getting a little put out. Not 90 days after they hired me and we signed an agreement they changed all the rules. I rolled with it so far but this letter was one thing too much. Functionally they have reduced my PTO by 30% because I have to use more in any given month to maintain my full time status to get the same amount of time off AND they want me to sign an acknowledgement as if we all discussed it, agreed to it, and are happy with it. I want my comments about the changes being made without my approval and it functionally changing my PTO included. If we are going to acknowledge an agreement let us include ALL the relevant information. Rant concluded.... *mic drop* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boatswain2PA Posted August 28, 2017 Share Posted August 28, 2017 I wouldn't sign it, and would start looking for another job. I bet it would take them 6 months to realize you didn't sign it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator ventana Posted August 28, 2017 Moderator Share Posted August 28, 2017 hand in notice due to them changing the position you were hired for.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
south Posted August 29, 2017 Share Posted August 29, 2017 Sounds like the entire reason you took the job is now no longer in effect, so we know what's about to happen. I say can the letter and start looking, ride it out for a while until they pressure you or change the schedule. Then resign for change of working conditions. As you are about to hand over your notice, you could offer them a stay of execution and just say you aren't signing it or changing your hours, see if they want to keep you on under the old rules while you both look for something else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reality Check 2 Posted August 29, 2017 Share Posted August 29, 2017 Totally get the rant and sympathize, empathize. Been there too. They pretty much ruined the reasons folks work UC. Standard jobs only work 160 hrs a month and they are pushing 177??? Is there a labor standard in the state? Hope you find something better or your colleagues band together and resist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ERCat Posted August 29, 2017 Share Posted August 29, 2017 Wow, so sorry you are dealing with that. Similar changes in our ER. Constant changes to "contracts"... I have signed three different ones since December... they cut our 12 hour shifts to 8 hours which just means MANY more days worked... I completely understand you're frustrated when it comes to that. For me, an eight hour day and a twelve hour day feel the same because... a day at work is a day at work. If I were in your shoes I would probably keep working and just ignore the contract. If I were forced to sign it I would be long gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cideous Posted August 29, 2017 Share Posted August 29, 2017 Welcome to Urgent Care in 2017. See my other posts on diminishing or complete loss of PTO by corporate owned and run UC's. I would say it might be different at another UC, but just about every UC I have looked at recently has markedly reduced pay and benefits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grinder993 Posted August 29, 2017 Share Posted August 29, 2017 You have two choices. 1) Approach the larger company that took over and express your concerns.....see what that gets you. 2) Do not sign the paperwork and immediately begin looking for another job. I have seen over and over again problems that arise with "non-competes", benefits reductions, hourly requirements, etc...when these larger staffing companies take over. Example: Large ER I worked at for many years was staffed with residency trained EM Docs, some of them were Med/Peds, IM etc. Many of them had worked in that ER for 20+ years. New staffing company came in, decided they would only employ EM residency trained MDs and fired all of the other docs. Most of them were outstanding ER docs but were let go b/c the company wanted to increase the "prestige" of the ER by only having residency trained ER docs. That was a sad day. Example: Another smaller ER lost all of it's MDs and PA/NPs when the staffing company that had the contract, lost the contract and a new staffing company came in. Due to the non-competes that they all had to sign with the original staffing company no one could stay under the new company and they all suddenly found themselves unemployed and scrambling for new jobs. It is my opinion that the only "safety" you have in medicine today is to be flexible and mobile. I am currently licensed in 6 states. I have a part time local ER job. I supplement doing locums ER work (which I really enjoy). Long story short I consider myself something of a "Ronin PA". I am loathe to become servant to any one employer as I do not want to get stabbed in the back when a corporate decision is made that suddenly leaves me in the cold. That's my 58 cents worth.....hope it helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cideous Posted August 29, 2017 Share Posted August 29, 2017 3 hours ago, Grinder993 said: You have two choices. 1) Approach the larger company that took over and express your concerns.....see what that gets you. 2) Do not sign the paperwork and immediately begin looking for another job. I have seen over and over again problems that arise with "non-competes", benefits reductions, hourly requirements, etc...when these larger staffing companies take over. Example: Large ER I worked at for many years was staffed with residency trained EM Docs, some of them were Med/Peds, IM etc. Many of them had worked in that ER for 20+ years. New staffing company came in, decided they would only employ EM residency trained MDs and fired all of the other docs. Most of them were outstanding ER docs but were let go b/c the company wanted to increase the "prestige" of the ER by only having residency trained ER docs. That was a sad day. Example: Another smaller ER lost all of it's MDs and PA/NPs when the staffing company that had the contract, lost the contract and a new staffing company came in. Due to the non-competes that they all had to sign with the original staffing company no one could stay under the new company and they all suddenly found themselves unemployed and scrambling for new jobs. It is my opinion that the only "safety" you have in medicine today is to be flexible and mobile. I am currently licensed in 6 states. I have a part time local ER job. I supplement doing locums ER work (which I really enjoy). Long story short I consider myself something of a "Ronin PA". I am loathe to become servant to any one employer as I do not want to get stabbed in the back when a corporate decision is made that suddenly leaves me in the cold. That's my 58 cents worth.....hope it helps. ^^^ That's good advice. I currently have licenses in 2 states and if needed, can go to work in either tomorrow. The age of retirement pensions and the gold watch at the end of a career are long over and they are not coming back. It's one of the reasons why our field desperately needs more autonomy. Without it, the corporate OverLords own us....and they know it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boatswain2PA Posted August 29, 2017 Share Posted August 29, 2017 51 minutes ago, Cideous said: ^^^ That's good advice. I currently have licenses in 2 states and if needed, can go to work in either tomorrow. The age of retirement pensions and the gold watch at the end of a career are long over and they are not coming back. It's one of the reasons why our field desperately needs more autonomy. Without it, the corporate OverLords own us....and they know it. Autonomy won't fix that either as physicians are having the same problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sk732 Posted August 30, 2017 Share Posted August 30, 2017 9 hours ago, Boatswain2PA said: Autonomy won't fix that either as physicians are having the same problems. Up here, docs and any other small business owners that use corporations as their businesses are about to be bent over the barrel and get it with extra sand and no KY courtesy of the mentally challenged government our apathetic electorate put into office... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boatswain2PA Posted August 30, 2017 Share Posted August 30, 2017 1 hour ago, sk732 said: Up here, docs and any other small business owners that use corporations as their businesses are about to be bent over the barrel and get it with extra sand and no KY courtesy of the mentally challenged government our apathetic electorate put into office... Details? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d2305 Posted August 30, 2017 Share Posted August 30, 2017 I had a job that I couldn't quit for 24 years as you did too. I quit my last job due to unreasonable demands. I never worked more than 30 hours a week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sk732 Posted August 30, 2017 Share Posted August 30, 2017 8 hours ago, Boatswain2PA said: Details? The Federal Finance Minister has decided that personal corporations are "a tax grab" and especially/directly pointed the finger at physicians, so they're going to heavily tax investments and other corporate income - since most of those investments are for pensions and such, if it goes through, a lot of folks (not just docs - lawyers, tradesmen, farmers, etc) will essentially be working for the rest of their lives. Between that and some of the nonsense going on in Ontario regarding billing, many docs are thinking about looking south. The reason I don't like my government is (a) I didn't vote for any of them; (b) I didn't like the current Prime Minister's Dad when he was PM and Junior isn't any better (certainly not as smart); (c) they're all about Look Cool Factor instead of doing anything actually useful (legalizing dope, being more worried about political correctness instead of being effective, taxing the shyte out of people that actually work for a living, etc). The Canadian population in general doesn't think before they speak or act when it comes to elections (if they even vote at all) - they just wanted some change, but got the wrong kind of it unfortunately. A good portion of the country likely couldn't tell you how the parliamentary system even works here. Still have another 2-3 years of "Trudeaumania 2"... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boatswain2PA Posted August 30, 2017 Share Posted August 30, 2017 Sounds like you guys are about 8 years behind us and our cult of personality elections. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sk732 Posted August 30, 2017 Share Posted August 30, 2017 Justin got in based on his Dad's name (and his personality - he was quite charismatic)...however, dad had a law degree (Justin is a drama teacher by profession) and was a smart politician and had substance. Trudeaumania was a real thing in the late 60's and into the 70's. Pierre really stomped hard on some Quebec terrorist activity in 1970, essentially suspending many rights and freedoms and increasing powers of arrest and detainment and putting all but martial law into effect in Quebec; however, he kinda wussed out in the end by letting the asshats get a free flight to Cuba (where they found out life wasn't quite as forgiving as it was in Canada). I doubt Justin would have the testicular fortitude to do that if push came to shove, IMHO. SK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paula Posted September 6, 2017 Share Posted September 6, 2017 Back to contracts......My company sent me a new contract to sign (two weeks ago)after I requested to work .9FTE last January. It took them 8 months to get the request to contracting. I was supposed to have signed it by September 1. I didn't sign because the new contract was not updated with the new company name on it and we just got the official notice that my employer is no longer MHC but is now AHC. Plus the contract said my compensation would be based on the new .9FTE, work hours based on .9 and all other purposes including PTO time. I emailed back asking for clarification regarding compensation and PTO and need to know how it will change September 1st? Are they reducing what I still have left in the pot? I already was approved for my vacation in Oct, two CMEs this fall and medical time off to attend a family members surgery. Can I still take that time and do I have enough hours? Every day I eagerly log in to my email to get a response to my questions. Nada. This is what happens when the powers that be no longer are present at the clinic/hospital, instead have been let go, administration is completely in shambles and the contracting office is 5 hours away. I am just a name and a number. @SAS5814: I will get my questions in writing first...hope yours all works out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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