# per diem?



## Prophet (Aug 10, 2010)

what does "per diem" mean? In reference to an er-tech position I saw posted.


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## akflightmedic (Aug 10, 2010)

No guaranteed hours.

You could work three shifts a week or you could work no shifts. It also means you do not get any benefits.

Typically, they fill in the holes on their schedules with per diem people. You have no say in what days or shifts you are working. Your only say is yes or no.

Per diem people are usually paid a slightly higher wage as the employer is saving money by not paying you benefits and not paying overtime to the full time employees.


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## emt seeking first job (Aug 11, 2010)

*I can not resist....*

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=per+diem

Seriously, if they offer you the job, take it, a part time job could always lead to a full time offer.


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## princessretard (Oct 10, 2010)

emt seeking first job said:


> http://lmgtfy.com/?q=per+diem
> 
> Seriously, if they offer you the job, take it, a part time job could always lead to a full time offer.



hahha! thats awesome. im gonna use that on my friends. hahah!


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## princessretard (Oct 10, 2010)

per diem means as needed or when needed. so you dont really have any hours set. you just pick up hours for the week.


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## goodgrief (Oct 12, 2010)

emt seeking first job said:


> http://lmgtfy.com/?q=per+diem
> 
> Seriously, if they offer you the job, take it, a part time job could always lead to a full time offer.



Freakin super!

Back in the dark days before I became an EMT, I use to work credit card services, man I would have loved to be able to use that for all my calls.


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## DrParasite (Oct 12, 2010)

akflightmedic said:


> You could work three shifts a week or you could work no shifts. It also means you do not get any benefits.
> 
> Typically, they fill in the holes on their schedules with per diem people. You have no say in what days or shifts you are working. Your only say is yes or no.


That isn't true.  

most places that have per diems require you to submit your availability, and they will assign you where they have openings.  they are also asked about open shifts first before they get offered to full timers as overtime.

In a perfect world, per diems would be used to cover full timers when they want time off.  in reality, employees will use per diems to cover full time openings since per diems are cheaper than hiring a new full timer.


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## fortsmithman (Oct 12, 2010)

I though per diem is latin for per day.


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## Aidey (Oct 12, 2010)

^^^ It is.


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## TransportJockey (Oct 12, 2010)

It's also known as PRN (per required need)


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## mcdonl (Oct 13, 2010)

As you can see it means many things to many people, with the constant being that you do not have a guaranteed permanent position.

At the department I "volly" for, I only volunteer at night. On the weekends I pull 12 hour shifts as a Per Diem. Many small town fire departments have a mixed setup like this now so that there is a paid professional who can roll the unit in 2 minutes but can still maintain a volunteer force.

At the hospital I work for it simply means you get no benefits (But higher pay) and they can just call you and say thanks but no thanks. My wife is a per diem at the hospital and often makes $3-$5 more an hour than those with benefits. Not biggee, as our bennies don't get better by us both carrying them.

Go for it, a job is a job.


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## fortsmithman (Oct 13, 2010)

Here in the Northwest Territories that's known as being a casual employee.  At the local corrections centre about half the Corrections Officers there are casual employees.


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## JPINFV (Oct 13, 2010)

jtpaintball70 said:


> It's also known as PRN (per required need)



"As required" is the basic functional meaning, but PRN is actually Latin and means "pro re nata")


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## TransportJockey (Oct 14, 2010)

JPINFV said:


> "As required" is the basic functional meaning, but PRN is actually Latin and means "pro re nata")



Thanks for the correction  I guess my old hospital HR was just lazy cause they spelled out PRN as what I posted


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