Casual Positions

[DBain]

Anyone out there hold a casual position in Ontario? I have been offered one and am trying to find out if there is anything in particular I should be wary of or ask of the manager or HR before accepting the offer? Were there any surprises you found once you started working that I should be prepared for?

I am a US trained nurse (and midwife) and so new to the collective agreements in Ontario ... which don't seem to say much at all about casual hires.

[Fiona59]

Casual is basically that.

Some union contracts will give benefits after certain periods.

No guaranteed hours. Shifts can be cancelled prior to the start if there is no need for the extra hands. Usually, if you are cancelled once you get to work, they have to pay you for a set period of hours.

However it does let you decide which days and shifts you will be available. Most employers have a requirement that you be available for x number of weekends a month and a number of statutory holidays per year. Casuals rarely work stats because regular staff rarely give up the extra pay.

I know that the collective agreements in AB set out the number of hours required to be worked for salary increments to happen and the number of "probationary" hours that are required.

Some contracts outline that permanent part time staff have priority for picking up extra shifts before the casuals are offered them.

Basically, you have to read the contract for that site and know it.

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

You're correct Fiona. I never read the ON collective agreement, but in AB casuals are not guaranteed shifts or hours. Sometimes there may be lots of shifts for them, sometimes none for months. Part timers are offered the shifts first. Casuals in AB are not subject to weekends, which creates an issue, because the regular lines end up working most of them.