PTO Calculation

[mgriffiths]

I am curious if I am crazy, or if others agree with my calculation.  Basically I started a new job late 01/2019 and administration is choosing to calculate my PTO differently than I do, and differently than previous jobs.

 

My "contracted" hours are 36 hours of clinic (four 9 hour days of clinic) and 4 hours of admin/week to be used as I see fit...we have some required meetings throughout the year, but also for paperwork, closing charts, etc.  While this admin time is "scheduled" we are not required to be in the building...we can do this at midnight at home, come in early, in between patients, etc.  If I am efficient and get my admin stuff done, then it is done...I am salaried so my income is set (apart from an RVU bonus) regardless of whether that admin stuff takes me 5 minutes or 50 hours/week.

 

So, my question is again about PTO.  Over the week of July 4th, I am taking Monday - Wednesday off.  Thursday, 7/4, is already paid off, and I don't work Fridays - so that is essentially "paid off,"  Therefore, three days.  How would you calculate this?  3 days of clinic, therefore 27 hours of PTO, or 30 hours of PTO because of the 1hr/day of admin time?  It's probably pretty obvious I calculate as 27 hours, and administration is calculating as 30 hours.  It may seem minimal, but over the course of the year, this is a difference of 4 PTO days (or a work week for me), and because we can buy down our PTO at the end of year, potentially ~$1500.

[sas5814]

I'd calculate it as 27 hours. You still might be crazy....I dunno.

[mgriffiths]

Well thanks...I guess

[thinkertdm]

You get 4 hours of admin time a week; you work ten hours a day, approximately, even if the free floating four hours are done at any time.  Ten hours is vacation, that leaves 30 hours unaccounted for.  You really can't expect them to eat the three hours of admin time if your aren't doing anything that requires adminning, in other words, no patients equals no need for admin time, at least on their dime.  

You might argue that you don't use those hours any ways because you are very efficient; this is irrelevant and your employer might wonder why four hours a week are just floating out of the window.

[mgriffiths]

2 minutes ago, thinkertdm said:

You get 4 hours of admin time a week; you work ten hours a day, approximately, even if the free floating four hours are done at any time.  Ten hours is vacation, that leaves 30 hours unaccounted for.  You really can't expect them to eat the three hours of admin time if your aren't doing anything that requires adminning, in other words, no patients equals no need for admin time, at least on their dime.  

You might argue that you don't use those hours any ways because you are very efficient; this is irrelevant and your employer might wonder why four hours a week are just floating out of the window.

You're argument is basically what they are saying - and I truly do understand, but my response is that we have meetings monthly and quarterly that are at least in part what the admin time is there for.  Therefore, I am not missing meetings while on vacation because we are required to be at a certain number per year, and missing too many even for vacation or other things is not an "acceptable excuse."  Plus, the lab results, consult reports, patient messages, refills, etc. don't stop coming in - therefore they build up while I am gone and require "make-up" time when I return from vacation.  Or, in reality I log in while on vacation once or twice and burn through them so I don't return with a massive pile of work...just equals increased stress when returning from vacation.  So, the reality is that I am completing that admin time...just not during the week while I was in the office - which is the equivalent to when I am there during a normal work week, because as you mentioned I am efficient and NEVER need those admin hours.  I never understand some of my coworkers who will sit around and jaw about nothing for a 60 minute lunch and during breaks between patients...just to stay for 30-60 minutes after their last patient.  I sit for lunch and converse...for about 15 minutes and then get to my admin stuff.  Therefore, I walk in at 7:30am (time of first patient) and out the door at around 5:15 - last appointment scheduled at 4:40pm.

[thinkertdm]

37 minutes ago, mgriffiths said:

You're argument is basically what they are saying - and I truly do understand, but my response is that we have meetings monthly and quarterly that are at least in part what the admin time is there for.  Therefore, I am not missing meetings while on vacation because we are required to be at a certain number per year, and missing too many even for vacation or other things is not an "acceptable excuse."  Plus, the lab results, consult reports, patient messages, refills, etc. don't stop coming in - therefore they build up while I am gone and require "make-up" time when I return from vacation.  Or, in reality I log in while on vacation once or twice and burn through them so I don't return with a massive pile of work...just equals increased stress when returning from vacation.  So, the reality is that I am completing that admin time...just not during the week while I was in the office - which is the equivalent to when I am there during a normal work week, because as you mentioned I am efficient and NEVER need those admin hours.  I never understand some of my coworkers who will sit around and jaw about nothing for a 60 minute lunch and during breaks between patients...just to stay for 30-60 minutes after their last patient.  I sit for lunch and converse...for about 15 minutes and then get to my admin stuff.  Therefore, I walk in at 7:30am (time of first patient) and out the door at around 5:15 - last appointment scheduled at 4:40pm.

That's true, of course- and returning from a break always requires make up time.  You mentioned log in- is there a way to account for this admin time?  Do you chart it or can you show remote log on records?

Just playing devil's advocate, of course.  You do have a good point that the life of the patients doesn't stop while you are out, and that there are times of the month where you use more, times you use less, and essentially charging you for the time just isn't right.

[mgriffiths]

I'm sure there is a way to track when I am logged in - the system has to doesn't it for HIPAA and malpractice stuff.  I could bring that up.

[ventana]

I think you are beat.  You are not working for the week.  

 

You are contracted for 9+1 = 10 hrs x 4 

Holiday should be 10 hrs paid 

the other 30 are the balance   

 

If if you are not in the office that week you don’t get credit for working 3-4 hours   Sorry  

 

my place would only pay 8 for holiday so I would have 2 more to make up