Vacation Time
Actually, most companies do offer some vacation accumulation. But, yes, sadly the vacation time does not accrue nearly as quickly as a full-time healthcare employee.
However, I argue that this whole experience is a vacation in itself. Even though I am working, I have always felt like I am on vacation while I’m traveling as most weekends I usually have a trip, event, or something different to experience. Even on week nights, your commute is new, your housing is new, your community is different, and your whole routine is changed. So that alone can be a vacation in itself.
Accumulating Vacation Time
To give you an idea of how vacation time accumulates, my current company offers 5 days of vacation after you have worked 52 weeks or basically 4 assignments. But this always should be a question you should ask when talking with the many different traveling companies.
Yes, this is slow. I get that. But on every assignment I have worked on, if I have a wedding, or vacation planned, you can work that into your contract so your employer knows. This has never been a deal breaker before.
I also have had the opportunity of working with very flexible managers who have let me take a day off here and there if I just ask in advance. Even if this time off request wasn’t in my contract.
Also, when working 10’s often times my managers would let me adjust my day off to Friday’s when I had an extended weekend trip planned. So there is plenty of opportunity to still get paid your full contract amount while taking the time off you want.
“Vacation” Time Between Assignments
Another, often forgot about perk in regards to vacation is the ability to take extended time off between assignments/contracts. Once you complete a contract, your time is yours and you can start another contract as rapidly or slowly as you please.
I often start my next contract immediately the following Monday to maximize my income, but the choice is always yours. So if you want a week or 2 or 3 to slow travel to your next assignment location: Take it! If you want to go spend 3 weeks in the Caribbean between assignments: Take it!
The best part, is you will never have a manager, supervisor, or co-worker asking where you are or being disappointed you aren’t back at work yet. You have no work to do list nor any other work related stress while you are away. And once you are good and rested, start your next assignment with nothing against your conscience.
For me, I had a family illness in which I needed to be home for this Fall. So when my assignment ended at the end of the Summer, I took 5 weeks off from work to be with my family. No one cared, and I felt no pressure to be anywhere else. I then was able to take my next assignment close to home to spend another 15 weeks with my family before I left again.
So I actually feel that vacation time can be looked at as a pro in some instances.
Sick Time
Sick time is another one that is often talked about when thinking about traveling. No one wants to not get paid when they are too sick to go to work. Which I fully understand.
Ask yourself, as a healthcare professional, how many sick days do you really use per year?
I know that for me, when I call in sick as a PT, my entire schedule needs to be canceled and rescheduled. This puts more work on your secretaries, irritates patients, and delays the recovery of some of your more acute patients. So as a result, I never call in sick anyways unless I am on my death bed or it’s a safety concern for some of my patients. But a headache, stomach ache, minor cold, I’ll see you in the office.
I know there are plenty of other healthcare providers who feel this same way. It’s just plain hard to call in sick in the healthcare field.
Now, ask yourself, do I get paid for these sick days that I don’t use at the end of the year?
*Most of us are shaking are heads no
So first off, many states and individual cities have started to mandate that employees working in these states have to accrue sick time. As of Winter of 2019, this list includes:
States:
- Arizona
- California
- Connecticut
- District of Columbia
- Massachusetts
- Maryland
- Michigan
- New Jersey
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Washington
Cities:
- Cook County and Chicago IL
- Duluth, MN
- Minneapolis, MN
- Saint Paul, MN
- New York City, NY
- Westchester County, NY
- Philadelphia, PA
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Austin, TX
- San Antonio, TX
Most of these states and cities accumulate sick time at a rate of 1 hr of sick time per 30 hours worked. So around 17 and 1/3 hours of sick time after one assignment. Which will give you around 2 sick days per assignment.
The exciting part, is that any time not used at the end of the assignment is then paid out to you. Further increasing your income.
Holiday Pay, Inclement Weather, and Low Census
Holiday Pay
Most companies do not pay you for any days missed due to any holidays unless you work on that day. However, you can still get paid during holidays, inclement weather, low census, etc.
How do you do this?
You do this by always making sure to negotiate into your contract 40 hours of guaranteed work every week. So therefor, when you are working an assignment and the 4th of July falls on a Tuesday so the clinic closes. You are still guaranteed your 40 hours, so you will still get paid to go do whatever you feel like.
You do need to be careful though, because some companies have it built into their policies that even then they won’t pay for missed hours due to holidays, even if you are guaranteed 40 hours. So again, ask on this before deciding to work with a new company. This is never a deal breaker for me, but it is something you should be aware before working there.
Inclement Weather and Low Census
My first few contracts that I signed were all guaranteed 36 hours of work, but the companies all told me that they would have 40 hours of work for me. So again, not knowing anything, I signed them anyways. My first few contracts never hurt me, because I always got my 40 hours and even overtime from time to time.
But then, I started my 4th contract with the same 36 hours guaranteed (which again has never hurt me). After I signed this, my boss immediately informed me that I would have my hours cut to 36 hours. And lucky me, he cut my afternoons on Wednesdays…Super helpful, thank you…
Lesson learned.
I now make sure to always negotiate hard for 40 hours even if they promise me they have the work. This protects me from getting my hours cut and missing out on pay.
It also allows me to still get paid for 40 hours of work even if I do leave early, start late, or have work called off due to low caseload or poor weather.
Yes, I would love to get paid to sleep in and hang out at home!
Conclusion
Make sure you are asking these questions BEFORE you sign your contract. This will help you maximize your pay while also maximizing your: TIME.
As always, feel free to reach out with any questions here or by commenting below!
