Decreased pay mid contract...options?

[clickhand, BSN, RN]

So I'm 7 weeks into a 13 week contract and my recruiter called yesterday (Thursday) to tell my pay is getting cut over $1200/wk due to low census. This will take effect on Sunday (3 days notice). He said there would not be a new contract to sign, just that my current contract would be "appended". My recruiter was unclear on what would happen if I did not agree with the pay changes. He made it sound like I would be considered as quitting without notice. This is my first travel contract. What are my options? The language in my contract just says it can be renegotiated at any time. 

[NedRN]

What a worthless contract! Frankly, it sounds like you have zero rights. I've not seen a renegotiation clause before, nor would I sign one. That just opens the door to promising anything for one week bait and switch. Sounds like your options include quitting or staying. Very possible if you quit that there are contractual penalties you may owe.

On the plus side, you did get great pay for 7 weeks.

[clickhand, BSN, RN]

6 minutes ago, NedRN said:

What a worthless contract! Frankly, it sounds like you have zero rights. I've not seen a renegotiation clause before, nor would I sign one. That just opens the door to promising anything for one week bait and switch. Sounds like your options include quitting or staying. Very possible if you quit that there are contractual penalties you may owe.

On the plus side, you did get great pay for 7 weeks.

Yeah it was nice while it lasted. I just spoke to my recruiter again and he says I can put in 2 weeks notice and incur no penalty. I just assumed a renegotiation would mean I sign a new contract if something changes. 

[NedRN]

That sounds good.

It is highly likely that the hospital insisted on the right to change crisis rates to regular bill rates once staffing normalized with the agency or vendor manager. The agency protected themselves, but should have highlighted this issue prior to you signing the contract. You might have been able to take a different well paying contract that, well had a contract that they cannot change at any time. Even if it paid less, you might have made more overall.

One thought here is that going with a rapid response company would have avoided this. Lots of agencies started filling Covid contracts but perhaps just suspending regular bill rates and adding an escape clause in the traveler contract. A rapid response agency wouldn't be in that position. Hindsight, and possibly not so relevant going forward. But always a new way to fool travelers with no financial consequences.