Able to work agency at a former facility?

mattsmom81 · Feb 10, 2003

You're so right Eddy...I know facilities in my area that look down their noses at agency, but suspect their real reason for not wanting us back (as former employees) is because we have so much more control and $$ than their staff...and it breeds discontent.

But...I've had supervisors call me directly and beg despite this rule...when they need the help badly enuf.

OzNurse69 · Feb 10, 2003

I think most of it actually comes down to the agencies....I was talking to one of my old nurse managers the other day, & he said when the hospitals sign contracts with agencies, they agree to pay the agency a recruitment fee if a nurse works there as an agency & then goes back on staff -- even if the agency has nothing to do with the employment -- something like an exclusive agency with a real estate when you sell your house -- can be in the $000's of dollars....maybe they are just covering themselves in case people change their minds & want their old jobs back??

frannybee · Feb 11, 2003

I worked agency and needed to get a permanent job to get a work permit from Immigration. I had 2 choices - go to the one (private) hospital I hadn't worked at in the city I lived in, or explain to my potential employers (had been offered 2 posts) that if they wanted me it would cost them £4500 or 17.5% of my currrent salary to 'buy' me - a poacher's fee. None of this was explained to me before I started working for the agency. Luckily, both employers were willing to pay, after comparing £4500 with what it was costing them to have an agency nurse for 40hrs/wk!

mattsmom81 · Feb 25, 2003

"Poachers' Fee" :) LOL!

Too funny Frannybee! So tell us...how does nursing in Britain differ from nursing in Oz? What do you find similar?

eddy · Feb 25, 2003

Originally posted by OzNurse69
I think most of it actually comes down to the agencies....I was talking to one of my old nurse managers the other day, & he said when the hospitals sign contracts with agencies, they agree to pay the agency a recruitment fee if a nurse works there as an agency & then goes back on staff -- even if the agency has nothing to do with the employment -- something like an exclusive agency with a real estate when you sell your house -- can be in the $000's of dollars....maybe they are just covering themselves in case people change their minds & want their old jobs back??

This is not unlike the agreements I had to sign in my previous career as a consultant in accounting and finance. For a brief time (about a year), I worked for a staffing and consulting firm that specialized in accounting and finance professionals. I, and the clients both had to sign agreements that I would not become an employee of the client for at least 6 months following my last day working for the client.

I can see the logic though. If there wasn't some sort of protection for the staffing firm, people could use temp or consulting firms as a jobfinding service, and likewise a client could use it as a cheap way to avoid recruitment costs by simply stealing the temp/consultant whenever they felt the desire. If a staffing firm is doing a great job finding the perefect people to fill vacancies and the companies could just hire their temps at will it wouldn't be too profitable of a venture for the staffing firm I bet. It would hurt them twice actually. Once, by losing a person they potentially spent a lot of resources on getting. Two, by losing a job order that they worked hard to fill, and now can't even "refill" it. Just some thoughts...

mattsmom81 · Feb 27, 2003

My current agency seems to have a very liberal system...they only require a 30 days notice from me if I go to work for a facility. And they charge no 'poachers' fee' that I am aware of (of course I don't see THEIR contract with facilities so there may be one...who knows)

Geeg · Mar 4, 2003

I have found that if they are desperate the policy goes out the window!!!

wjeff · Mar 5, 2003

One of the agencies I work for charge fee if you go to work for faculity within 6 months.