Salary cuts due to COVID

[electric130]

Wanted to see where some of you were at as far as salary.  I know alot of us were furloughed or had hours or salary cut.  I did mostly telehealth visits up until the last couple weeks but still kept my same hours.  However, my hourly rate was decreased 30 percent in April.  I feel like most PAs that were furloughed are probably back in some capacity, and I know at least one of the PAs in our organization her pay is back to previous levels.  I have heard nothing from the two doctor's I work for.  No timeline to when my pay will go back, nothing.  I am getting more frustrated by the minute, but I also know there are limited opportunities right now and I feel like I need to time it right before I ask.  I also do medical reviews on the side and that doctor is so great to work for, I have asked if he has more work, but nothing right now, he has been slow also, but has not cut our pay at all.  I will probably go back to doing that and completely leave this practice once he has something to offer, but for now I am stuck.  So anyone still working same amount of hours, but making 30 percent less money?  It's getting really bad for my mental health.  Any advice is appreciated.  

[DarwinStarwin]

-Work 30% less hard.
-Look into opening another side gig.
-Spend some time coming up with a budget so that your motivation to get that 30% back has a goal?
-get in contact with HR and get it in writing when you can expect a return in your regular salary. Get outlined exactly what contingencies need to be met for this to happen.

Some ideas.

[bike mike]

If I had my pay cut 30% I'd be working 70% of my previous hours. 

[electric130]

Ya, that's what I would love to do.  I wouldn't mind taking an extra day off a week, that's exactly what I am not getting paid for at a 30 percent cut.  I would feel a lot better if it was just a reduction in hours, I would get that.  But, cutting your pay, when you are doing the same job and same hours is just insulting.  I have been with this group, (but with a different Physician) for 18 years.  I honestly think I have a target on my back right now because I am way up there on the pay scale.  I negotiated that though and they had no problem paying it to me before.  

I am in a very procedure heavy specialty and I think because they did not do procedures much for over a month they are trying to "make up for it" by paying all of us less.  It's terrible.  

[ANESMCR]

Yes same boat now for 3 months now. I’m working the same hours FT and my salary was cut 50% bonuses suspended. I’d probably be making more working at McDonald’s. Supposedly this will be addressed at the end of June but I’m not holding my breath. There are three of us and we’re all starting to get very frustrated. There’s rumor of backpay but I doubt that even happens. 

[electric130]

Wow, 50 percent, that's crazy.  Do you mind me asking what type of group your work for, is it a specialty,  are you hospital employee?  

I know this is not happening everywhere, I have some colleagues in the same type of specialty that have not had a pay cut or hours cut.  It is just wrong on so many levels.  They know we don't have any options right now though, although eventually that will change and how we were treated will be remembered.  I think at least two of us will leave when we are able.

[ANESMCR]

59 minutes ago, electric130 said:

Wow, 50 percent, that's crazy.  Do you mind me asking what type of group your work for, is it a specialty,  are you hospital employee?  

I know this is not happening everywhere, I have some colleagues in the same type of specialty that have not had a pay cut or hours cut.  It is just wrong on so many levels.  They know we don't have any options right now though, although eventually that will change and how we were treated will be remembered.  I think at least two of us will leave when we are able.

GI/Hep

[Febrifuge]

Yeah, 70% of previous for us too, starting May 1 and due to be re-assessed at the end of August. To be fair, even with all the telehealth going on, volumes are down a bit and I am actually leaving on time more often lately. 
 

[electric130]

Thanks for all the replies, helps to know what is going on at other practicies.  I am in GI as well,  I think because they rely on scopes so much that has been a factor.  My volume is down a bit, but not tremendously.  I am still seeing in person or doing video consults on 15-18 per day.  I also have a hard time with the fact that I know other GI practices  in the area that have not cut their PAs at all.  

I am going to wait it out until at least July.  I know if I discuss the topic now it will not go well.  I am really hoping by the end of the summer another opportunity will be available.  

[AbeTheBabe]

Had a 25% pay cut for almost 3 months. In the beginning it was fine, I was working a LOT less than before with 1-2 full days off a week. Then outpatient surgeries started back up, worked more. Then inpatient started, now working full time. Thankfully our pay returns to 100% next week! 

[Mayamom]

10 hours ago, electric130 said:

am going to wait it out until at least July.  I know if I discuss the topic now it will not go well

This sounds like a good plan.  The economy is till working its way back up and I think companies are a little nervous being hit so hard by the pandemic.  I bet once employers see $$ coming back in your pay will go back to baseline.  And GI is a great GIG. 

[True Anomaly]

I had shifts dropped in April, but much to my amazement my group actually filed for reimbursement for the CARES act and I got all my back pay that was cut.  Now currently I’m working 1-2 less shifts a month due to volume, but I know I’m very grateful to have a great job and an employer who bothered to apply for federal funds for their providers

[rev ronin]

My family/occ med cut our after-hours walk in (urgent care lite: no X-rays), and so I lost some hours.  Some of the providers took unpaid leave to keep the virtual schedule full--based on my occ med panel, I essentially kept all my normal hours except the one evening of extended hours I normally covered.

In eating disorders, I went down from 1.5 days/week to 1 day due to patient census drop.  What was left went to telemedicine.

In no case did anyone cut my pay and ask me to do the same thing. I doubt I would have stood for that.

[BayPAC]

no salary cut here but $$ and days off for cme are gone. 

Why don't you ask them about their plan in terms of having your pay back to normal? I think this is a fair question. 

[greenmood]

I had my salary cut by 7%, and my hours cut by 10%. I fully realize many people are much worse off, but I am definitely getting concerned that the money (at least) is gone for good. My only consolation is that admin took a larger cut and I can't imagine them being okay with that forever. So when that returns my pay had better return as well.

 

The lost income is mostly off set for me, because I'm not paying loans or childcare right now. Saving like mad for September.

[Cideous]

I had my salary cut 100%....

[PDXPAC]

I am in FM, doing the same amount (or more as I have just as much desktop but less admin time and having to do All the work for a doc on parental leave) for 10% salary reduction. Not happy. The media has helped highlight the unfairness in these large hospital systems, naming mine several times, and how they have gotten bailout money but cut pay and still pay CEOs millions. It’s clearly common in my area so I don’t see a better option at the moment. 

[pavlovacloud]

I'm glad this topic was brought up. I work in primary care in SF. Our salary is the same but no merit raises, bonuses, incentives, a hold on contributions to our 401k, holidays cut from 11 to 8, work half hour longer each day. Some are temporary holds, but some will be permanent. This is a big cut to our total amount earned.

Now that patients are afraid to come in, they are not only making us work longer, but we have to call 26 patients per day to "keep the lights on". That is 130 patients we have to call and potentially bill per week. And if our schedules aren't filled, our MAs are threatened with furlough.

This week they also announced they're taking away our microwaves and water dispensers.

I wonder what comes next.

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[electric130]

Thanks everyone for sharing.  It does help to see where everyone is at, seems like some of us were not affected at all, to completely losing your job, to cut hours, or cut hours and pay.  I honestly would not have minded having my hours cut, I still have teenagers at home and would have enjoyed those extra days with them.  The pay cut especially such a big one for doing the same thing I have been doing is the frustration.  I also am not sure why my company did not apply for the CARES act paycheck protection program.  I think it was only for companies up to 500 people, so we must not qualify.  

The NP I work with did confront one of the doctors about when our pay should go back to normal.  He said he would look into it.  She told him that Family Medicine practioner's pay in our group went back 1st of June, so I hope that lights a fire that they need to go ahead and fix this soon.  

[AbeTheBabe]

4 hours ago, pavlovacloud said:

I'm glad this topic was brought up. I work in primary care in SF. Our salary is the same but no merit raises, bonuses, incentives, a hold on contributions to our 401k, holidays cut from 11 to 8, work half hour longer each day. Some are temporary holds, but some will be permanent. This is a big cut to our total amount earned.

Now that patients are afraid to come in, they are not only making us work longer, but we have to call 26 patients per day to "keep the lights on". That is 130 patients we have to call and potentially bill per week. And if our schedules aren't filled, our MAs are threatened with furlough.

This week they also announced they're taking away our microwaves and water dispensers.

I wonder what comes next.

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Well this is great way to kill morale. They should cut the hours to save money, not destroy benefits and make you work more when there is less volume.

[pavlovacloud]

Well this is great way to kill morale. They should cut the hours to save money, not destroy benefits and make you work more when there is less volume.

Our morales are definitely low, but it's a hiring freeze out there. In a way, there is more volume. To call 26 ppl about med issues, we have to call nonstop! And the MAs have to call more patients to just fill 26 slots a day.

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[AbeTheBabe]

How did they come up with 26 patients a day? How much are you actually collecting from those calls? Wouldn't it make more sense to cut costs by decreasing hours and then you wouldn't have to make those calls? How much money are they saving by getting rid of a microwave and water dispenser? That last one is the most ridiculous thing I've heard.

[pavlovacloud]

26 because it's 15 min phone calls. So about 4 phone calls per hour. We work 8 hours and about 1 hour is for huddle/admin time. Yeah, it's ridiculous. We're all stressing. But unfortunately C's and admin make all the decisions. I don't bill for all of them i.e. no complaints, med refills, or not picking upetc but I still have to call and write down the reason why I can't bill. Management has been scrutinizing the encounters we don't bill for, but I'm not risking my license when audits come round.

They're taking our water dispenser and microwaves because "they're fomites and can't trust ppl to disinfect after each use". They say it's a new SF law / DPH recommendation? But interestingly they're not taking away door knobs, copy machines etc that everyone also touches.

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[Cideous]

6 hours ago, pavlovacloud said:

Our morales are definitely low, but it's a hiring freeze out there. In a way, there is more volume. To call 26 ppl about med issues, we have to call nonstop! And the MAs have to call more patients to just fill 26 slots a day.

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I can just see admins sitting around laughing with each other saying, "Hey this Covid is a great excuse to force providers to work harder while we pay them less....".  If you really want to know the truth?  Look at their quarterly reports.  If they are making money, they are F'ing you guys.

[MediMike]

16 hours ago, Cideous said:

I can just see admins sitting around laughing with each other saying, "Hey this Covid is a great excuse to force providers to work harder while we pay them less....".  If you really want to know the truth?  Look at their quarterly reports.  If they are making money, they are F'ing you guys.

I see these sick bastards sitting around saying "Hey this COVID thing is a great reason to really screw with these guys, let's take away their MICROWAVES!"

... Seriously. Likely the least fomiteish item out there, unless I'm using it wrong. Or you guys are.