Working for salary vs hourly?

[donrae]

I've always worked hourly. Seems the folks I've seen working for salary get boned a lot, they have to work over and don't get compensated, etc. I've not really seen the good side to it.

So, my current employer made all the RNs salary, starting Sunday. We are a home health agency (visiting nurses) and my area is pretty rural. We work under a point system, we have a base productivity we must make each week. Different types of visits are worth different points. A regular visit is 1 point, an admit or recertification is 2 points cause they take longer. We have a mandatory meeting once a week worth one point. My minimum is 27 points a week. We also get 0.5 points for every fifty miles we drive, over a base of 250 miles a week. Ya'll still with me?

I usually work 28-30 points a week, before my milage. I usually drive 450-500 miles a week, so I get 1.5-2 points for milage a week. I usually work 48-50 hours a week.

Our salary is our base pay ($32/hr) x 40 hours. We also still get milage reimbursement, that does not change.

So, in addition to our salary, we have bonus money available. Basically, $50 a point we work over our minimum. Regular visits average 35-40 minutes and admits are aroung 2.5 hours.

I'm thinking I'm going to lose money going salary, but would love input. Has anyone else worked for this type of system? I'd love to hear other's experience. As mentioned, my area is pretty rural and I have a lot of drive time. I'll still get paid for the points for milage, but not for the actual drive time, if you follow what I'm saying. Plus, the patients that live 4 miles off the pavement. 4 miles isn't far enough to get me milage points, but the roads are so bad those 4 miles take me almost 20 minutes.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this, and how it will affect my check. I'd appreciate any feedback.

 

[SSDreamin]

I have never dealt with salaried work as far as your situation, but the people I know that are salaried tend to gripe a lot, and get taken advantage of, but won't quit because they usually get an amazing compensation package to go along with the salary. Visiting Nurses, like any other, is a company. They are going to do what's best for their bottom line. Not saying that's wrong, it's just fact. Can you live with the change? That is the main question, IMO.

 

[Wannabefree]

My DH has almost always worked for salary. Sometimes you get the shaft, other times..you get to slack a bit. It balances out. Sorry i'm not much help, but it has always balanced out here. Totally different line of work, but still. Do you ever have a slow week? Bad roads, inclement weather etc. that would keep you from being able to do your job normally? If so, you'll not miss anything on your check with salary whereas non salary you likely would.

 

[stubbornhillfarm]

I work salary and have for a few years now. I have in the past 28 years off an on as well. It used to be a benefit back in the day. If you were an efficient worker and you could get your work done acurratly and quickly, you could then go home before your 40 hrs, etc. However, in the past years there has been a change that for most, a salaried position means that you get paid what you get paid and if you have to stay late, "oh, well" it's your job. I have set boundries and I do not "allow" myself to be taken advantage of. If I want to work late or want to do someone a favor, I do. However, I make it perfectly clear that my scheduled hours are my scheduled hours. I work to live, I don't live to work. I also do my job to the best of my capabilities while I am there, am a team player and will do what is asked of me without supervision as long as it lines up with my morals and ethics. So the boundries I have set also have to be complimented with work ethic. I like knowing every week what my paycheck is going to be.

Your salaried pay seems a bit complex to me, however, it also seems that you don't have a choice as you state that your employer has "made all, etc". So I would say, set some boundries and see how it works out. If it works out in your favor, awesome! If it doesn't, you have some choices to make.

I hope it works out for you!

 

[donrae]

Thanks all. I'm still trying to figure out how this is going to work. It's been made VERY clear to us that we have to put in the full forty hours, even if we meet our points before that. So, I'm really not seeing the benefit. Well, I was looking for a job when I found this one..........

Thanks again.

 

[FarmerChick]

if you are hourly and you don't show for work you don't get paid.
if you are salary, and you don't show for work, you will get paid, is that correct?


I have done both. There are advantages and disadvantages to both and the company you work for also plays a huge part in how well you are treated and what is expected.


your post--it threw me LOL

best I can say is work it. it is mandatory salary. best you can do is do the job and see where the money stands. You will either be happy or unhappy. if unhappy it is time maybe to check for a new job???

 

[ChaneyLakegirl]

I was switched to salary a few years ago. I, too, was really afraid that I would be taken advantage of. My salary is based on working X,XXX number of hours per year. I have been very close to that base expectation. Certain times of the year I work more and others less. So some weeks I do feel ripped off, but other weeks I feel treated adequately for the extra time. Yours maybe a little more difficult to monitor with the point system you have. Good luck!

 

[so lucky]

My most recent job was a salaried position. At one time we also got bonuses for putting in extra work. It was kind of similar work situation to what the OP has, except in mental health. As with many jobs that depend on state budgets, my job got harder and harder, with ever-increasing rules and regulations trying to squeeze the most work out of fewer workers. After working there for 7 years, I found that I eventually could not make my quota, had my supervisor on my back way too often, and had no time or energy left for anything but work. As soon as I turned 62, I quit. I am still trying to recover my health, a year later.

 

[odd_duck99]

I think it all comes down to the company, your supervisor, and your boundaries. I know in nursing it can be hard to really set boundaries and be able to stick with them. I worked in Dementia care for several years (as the Activity Director, but close with the nursing staff), and most of the Directors were on salary. Those that weren't, weren't for a reason - like your job could very easily take over your life, but not like nursing, where people actually NEED you there. There were times where the salaried folks seemed to get the short end of the stick, but sometimes they got the good end! I think it ALMOST evened out in the end. It really just comes down to whether it works for YOU specifically.

 

[donrae]

Well, I rocked it pretty good the first two weeks, I kept my hours pretty tight and made extra with the bonus productivity points. But then, I got suspended for a day (another story about My Job, My Hell) and it made me realize according to the rules Admin set, I could in no way earn any extra money that week. I couldn't make five days of points in four days (well, I could, but am not interested in working twelve hour days), thus won't get any bonus. So, I took five points a day, really pissed off mgmt and the scheduler but hey, I didn't ask to be off a day without pay. I wound up working maybe seven hours a day, getting paid for eight. That was okey-dokey with me. Same thing for this upcoming week, I'm taking Friday off to go see my folks, so no way to get bonus points. I'll tell the scheduler I'll see five points a day, that's it.


I'm so going to get fired, I think.

But I don't see why I should see more patients than I get paid for. We've been telling our mgmt we are stretched too thin, one nurse out on indefinate medical leave, we had one nurse quit, one on vacation. Well, mgmt kept admitting new patients, apparently thinking they were just going to pull nurses out of their nether regions to manage all these patients. When the nether regions ran dry, they expected us to again/still work like dogs to see all these patients we didn't want them to admit in the first place! Apparently the corporate is all about the money, cause this branch boss we've all complained about got PROMOTED. Yep, they took our concerns so seriously they promoted her. And co workers wonder why I refer to corporate as the Evil Empire.


And don't even get me started on the psycho meth head we see, where we have to go out in PAIRS cause he's potentially violent. Well, I say "we" have to see in pairs, even though he's in my area I've told them no way no how I'm seeing that man unless my honey is standing in the room, armed. Period. Mgmt knew his history when they admitted him. Go figure.

Okay, sorry for the rant.............