"We're going broke"

[Traveler]

Just have to vent a little. I work prn (usually several days a week and call one weekend plus one weeknight month) for a for profit HHA. There are about 6 offices in total. The people in my office are wonderful and that is the reason that I stay even though the pay isn't great.

When pps came along about half of the staff got axed and the rest took pay cuts just so they could keep their jobs. Well, most have not had a raise in 3 years. Usually I try to stay away from meetings. If I'm working that day, I'm in the field doing my job and when I'm off, I'm not going to drive one hour one way to the office.

We are in a very rural area- the most rural of all of the offices and cover about 1600 square miles. It is about 2 hours from one end to the other. I made the mistake of going to a staff meeting on Thursday with the owner of the company. All I ever hear is "we're losing money, we pay so much in benefits, etc. etc." I don't receive any benefits and the mileage reim. is 26 cents/mile.....it stinks.

He went on and on about how the other offices are more productive. I had to chime in and asked if travel had ever been taken into account since the other areas are smaller and have a much higher population density. The response: "We've already been there and your office mileage is only 3 more per pt." I then pointed out to him driving on the interstate or on a good straight road is certainly different than the crooked mountain roads than we have to deal with. I tehn asked if travel time had ever been looked at between offices. His response: "I don't think we keep track of travel time" I could see my boss glaring at me for rocking the boat but I proceeded to slide my time sheet for the day at him and said "No, we do keep track of travel time, look."

I feel like pulling all of the visiting staff's timesheets for the last 3 months (about 10 of us) and figuring out mileage and travel time myself. Nobody else in the office will stand up to this treatment. I've always kind of been the rebel I guess and just can't stand to be treated this way. I know how good and how hard we all work.

To top everything off, the owner said he had a door prize for all who attended the meeting and we all drew numbers. When the winning number was announced, he threw a $100 bill at her. I wouldn't have accepted it. If this co. is constantly losing money, why stay in business. I'm not stupid, I know you can do anything with numbers and make them say whatever. I just feel like we're being taken advantage of and everyone puts up with it.

Ann