Work 24, get paid for 16

[TransportJockey]

That's actually not a bad deal if you work 2 shifts a week.

I actually took that one. Gotta do 10 24 hour periods a month. And you can stack days and work up to 72 on at a time.

 

[DrParasite]

my initial thoughts were similar to others: if I can't drink beer, and I'm forced to be away from my family, than I expect to be paid for every hour I work.

However, I left a job at a very well known and respected agency that paid you different rates if you worked 12 hour shifts, 24 hour shifts, or 8s. So if I was assigned to a 24 hour shift, I made $11.33 an hour, with an estimated gross annual salary for 2912 hours worked to be: $37,722. If I was assigned to a 12 hour shift, I made $15.19 with an estimated gross annual salary for 2184 hours worked to be: $37,134. If I was working admin, and 8 hours per day, it was $16.05, with an annual salary of $33,384 for 2080 hours worked.

So while I got paid for all the hours worked, the rate varied on what shift I worked. Not the same as not getting paid to sleep, but they did not pay the same for 24 hour shifts.

I now work for an agency that pays me the same regardless of what shift I am working.

 

[Tigger]

I now work for an agency that pays me the same regardless of what shift I am working.

I wish this was the standard, when I worked in Massachusetts that's how it was.

If you work more hours, you should be compensated more. The end.

 

[triemal04]

I wish this was the standard, when I worked in Massachusetts that's how it was.

If you work more hours, you should be compensated more. The end.

The places I've heard of that have variable rates depending on the shift length also had different schedules so that you still ended up working about the same number of hours per week. As in, 2 24 hour shifts in a week, or 4 12 hour shifts, or some such. So while the rate was different, the total weekly, or monthly compensation was the same, it was just the time off came in different blocks.

If you have multiple different lengths of shifts at one department that does make sense to do.

 

[Tigger]

I work at a place that only does 24s, but previously at an AMR operation with a variety of shifts. Eight hours shifts meant a 40 hour work week, 12s equaled out to 42 over the pay period, and 24s came out to 56 hour work weeks on a three platoon schedule.

You made the same amount of money regardless of hours per week worked. Those on 24 hour shifts got lower hourly rates to account for more OT, which is absurd. Of course there is more OT, it's scheduled...

 

[triemal04]

I work at a place that only does 24s, but previously at an AMR operation with a variety of shifts. Eight hours shifts meant a 40 hour work week, 12s equaled out to 42 over the pay period, and 24s came out to 56 hour work weeks on a three platoon schedule.

You made the same amount of money regardless of hours per week worked. Those on 24 hour shifts got lower hourly rates to account for more OT, which is absurd. Of course there is more OT, it's scheduled...

A 16 hour difference is getting pretty bad. I'm sure the arguement from management was that, while the 24 hour shifts technically worked more hours, they only had to work 2, or sometimes 3, days in a week, versus 5 for the 8's, and 4 for the 12's.

Really, just have a single shift length. If you want to keep trucks constantly on the road stagger the start times, but it makes it so much easier to have everyone work the same type of shift.

 

[Tigger]

A 16 hour difference is getting pretty bad. I'm sure the arguement from management was that, while the 24 hour shifts technically worked more hours, they only had to work 2, or sometimes 3, days in a week, versus 5 for the 8's, and 4 for the 12's.

Really, just have a single shift length. If you want to keep trucks constantly on the road stagger the start times, but it makes it so much easier to have everyone work the same type of shift.

That was one half. The other half was that the 24 hour crews did not have post in the city at night, so therefore they could sleep in a bed. Nevermind that their UHUs were higher than the 12 hour cars. But I digress.

 

[Leatherpuke]

I just got hired today at a County run shop that runs all 24's, two shifts per week on a rotating schedule so every third week you get a normal weekend off. All the part timers work the wednesday shift so no full timers are on that day. It works out pretty good from what I've seen.
Mandatory 8 hours of overtime every week. None of this work 24 get paid for 16 stuff, I wouldn't have taken a job that tried to pull that.

 

[ZombieEMT]

Am I the only person who has done this and does not see the issue? If you worked in most other industries, you would not even have the opportunity to have the down time, that we can occasionally get. How many jobs, can you truly say, you get scheduled for 24 hours of work, only get paid for 19, but work even less?

I do get the fact that you are confined and limited to what you do. That does not mean you can not do anything. I work with a squad that has full kitchen, rec area, gym, computers, laundry facilities, and dorms. I can get a lot done in down time. I can also sleep, how many other jobs do you make money and sleep?

For those of you that say you will not work for free, well good for you. I guess you have never worked as a volunteer, good to know you give back.

 

[Chewy20]

Am I the only person who has done this and does not see the issue? If you worked in most other industries, you would not even have the opportunity to have the down time, that we can occasionally get. How many jobs, can you truly say, you get scheduled for 24 hours of work, only get paid for 19, but work even less?

I do get the fact that you are confined and limited to what you do. That does not mean you can not do anything. I work with a squad that has full kitchen, rec area, gym, computers, laundry facilities, and dorms. I can get a lot done in down time. I can also sleep, how many other jobs do you make money and sleep?

For those of you that say you will not work for free, well good for you. I guess you have never worked as a volunteer, good to know you give back.

Nope I absolutely will not work for free, if I am in uniform and at the station (yes we have all those amenities you mentioned) I will be getting paid. Why would I go work somewhere who doesn't pay me the whole time for being at WORK. You're right, because of this I don't give back. I haven't spent hundreds of hours in numerous organizations to help veterans in the community. I have never volunteered to go to children's hospitals to spend time with them. Keep working for free bud, we who do nothing to give back commend you.

 

[NomadicMedic]

Am I the only person who has done this and does not see the issue? If you worked in most other industries, you would not even have the opportunity to have the down time, that we can occasionally get. How many jobs, can you truly say, you get scheduled for 24 hours of work, only get paid for 19, but work even less?

I do get the fact that you are confined and limited to what you do. That does not mean you can not do anything. I work with a squad that has full kitchen, rec area, gym, computers, laundry facilities, and dorms. I can get a lot done in down time. I can also sleep, how many other jobs do you make money and sleep?

For those of you that say you will not work for free, well good for you. I guess you have never worked as a volunteer, good to know you give back.

Sorry. If you want me to be AT THE BUILDING, IN UNIFORM, READY TO RESPOND... pay me.

 

[Tigger]

Am I the only person who has done this and does not see the issue? If you worked in most other industries, you would not even have the opportunity to have the down time, that we can occasionally get. How many jobs, can you truly say, you get scheduled for 24 hours of work, only get paid for 19, but work even less?

I do get the fact that you are confined and limited to what you do. That does not mean you can not do anything. I work with a squad that has full kitchen, rec area, gym, computers, laundry facilities, and dorms. I can get a lot done in down time. I can also sleep, how many other jobs do you make money and sleep?

For those of you that say you will not work for free, well good for you. I guess you have never worked as a volunteer, good to know you give back.

I hope you are not implying that people that do not volunteer in EMS are somehow lesser people than those that do. Some of us are trying to make a living off this industry...

 

[Jim37F]

Sorry. If you want me to be AT THE BUILDING, IN UNIFORM, READY TO RESPOND... pay me.

Seconded. No you're not paying me to sleep...what you're paying me for is to be able, with no prior notice before the tones go off, wake up from a dead sleep, not drag my 4th point of contact out of bed and take my sweet time because I'm tired, but have the same response times, safety, and quality of patient care at 2am as I do at 2 pm regardless if the 2 am call is the first call of the shift or the 20th. All the while following and maintaining all other standards and procedures as I do during the day including requiring me to be in the proper uniform (as opposed to a comfortable pair of pajamas and slippers), at the station (I'm sure the majority of us find our own beds in our own homes much more comfortable than the shared living arrangements at a station), not being able to share a drink or two with friends etc etc etc.

 

[PotatoMedic]

Sorry. If you want me to be AT THE BUILDING, IN UNIFORM, READY TO RESPOND... pay me.

Agree. Studies are showing that our body do not get normal sleep while at work. So yeah we are "asleep" but we are not getting the normal sleep patterns. So since my body is being impacted by being at work even while sleeping, your paying me.

 

[Tigger]

The only way I see this being a benefit is if the hourly rate is exceptionally high to make up for the no pay time. That way if you pick up any extra, your OT rate will be huge.

I don't think this is a common arrangement however. The only place here that does it has a very high hourly rate, but if you do the math it's still slightly less money than if you're paid the whole 24.

 

[TransportJockey]

Am I the only person who has done this and does not see the issue? If you worked in most other industries, you would not even have the opportunity to have the down time, that we can occasionally get. How many jobs, can you truly say, you get scheduled for 24 hours of work, only get paid for 19, but work even less?

I do get the fact that you are confined and limited to what you do. That does not mean you can not do anything. I work with a squad that has full kitchen, rec area, gym, computers, laundry facilities, and dorms. I can get a lot done in down time. I can also sleep, how many other jobs do you make money and sleep?

For those of you that say you will not work for free, well good for you. I guess you have never worked as a volunteer, good to know you give back.

I agree with what the previous posters have said. If I'm on duty I will be getting paid. Period

And I don't do this for free. Even when I did volunteer I only did it for an agency that that gave me plenty in return (about 9k in education plus a few other things ). My time is valuable and I expect to be compensated for it.

 

[triemal04]

For those of you that say you will not work for free, well good for you. I guess you have never worked as a volunteer, good to know you give back.

Why is that people will trumpet their vaunted and oh so special status as a volunteer as if it makes them special?

Newsflash: It doesn't make you special. It doesn't make you any better or different than someone who doesn't volunteer their time but gets paid (hopefully an appropriate amount) for their time and efforts. The sooner that you and every other volunteer EMT out there comes to grips with that the sooner the sooner that one problem facing EMS will be removed.

 

[band aid man]

Sadly pretty much every company in my area does this. so its either deal or find different work.