Do you pay for parking at work?

Perpetual Student · Apr 3, 2008

Wow, how much does it cost? I don't believe I'd be willing to pay for parking. I could understand them charging for the closest, best spaces, but it seems absurd to charge your employees to park. Do they at least charge you before taxes so you don't have to pay tax on income that you don't really get?

AprilRNhere · Apr 3, 2008

I think it's rediculous to have to pay to go to work. When I went to minneapolis for training I was stunned to find out the high costs some nurses pay to park! Luckily for me they reimbursed it since it was education. I wouldn't be happy paying it on a regular basis.

RNperdiem, RN · Apr 3, 2008

I work on a large university hospital campus. Parking is expensive and the walk is far. Basketball and football fans get priority during game time for the lot you pay to park in.

If you want to park for free during weekdays, you need to take a park and ride which is a few miles away. It sounds good on paper, but with a 12 hour shift and a commute, time is more valuable than money.

I prefer to work weekends when parking is free.

Silverdragon102, BSN · Apr 3, 2008

Very common for hospital staff in the UK pay to park and work. Usually at a slightly reduced rate to relatives-friends that visit or patients that attend as out patients

SarahRNBSN · Apr 3, 2008

Perpetual Student: yes, the fee is taken out before taxes. I think I pay somewhere around $15.00 per month for my yellow permit (the second lowest level). The Gold permit is the most expensive with very few available, costing well over $1000 a year (crazy, I know), Blue is about $600 a year, Yellow is about $150 a year, and Orange is about $75 a year. These are all approximate prices. Since I work nights only, I can get away with only having a yellow permit and still parking pretty close to the building.

Piki · Apr 3, 2008

We have 2 options. Either pay to park in the garage ($1 for employees) or park in the free lot which is a bit further away. You can't always find a space in the free lot, esp if you are coming in to work a weekday eve shift. After 15 or so years, employees can park for free in the garage. Not a bad deal. Some of my friends that work in the city hospitals have to take shuttles in from outlying lots and have their parking costs deducted from their pay.

rnsrgr8t · Apr 3, 2008

I have worked in several large, university hospitals. Everywhere I have worked until now I have had to pay to park. The places I worked that were in the city, I had to take a shuttle bus because the parking lot was several miles away. The hospital I work now has a huge parking deck, dedicated to employees only and it is free but this is a first for me. We are not in a metropolitan area and the hospital is unusual because it has a large endowment that it is partially funded by so they are not in as much of a cash crunch. I think it is not unusual to have to pay for parking unfortunately, especially in areas were parking is at a premium.

Quickbeam, BSN, RN · Apr 3, 2008

I work in a terribly congested state capital. I do pay to park but I could get to work an hour early and hunt for free on street parking. It isn't worth it to me so I pay. For me it is 22$ a month well spent. I know people who pay 5 times that. I also deduct it from my taxes as an unreimbursed business expense.

I could take a van pool but then I'd have to give up my 4 day a week, 10 hour day schedule. Not happening...love my 3 day weekends!

running_nurse · Apr 3, 2008

of the two hospitals ive worked at as an RN both have required payment to park. the first hospital garage was about $22/month, and the parking lot was literally steps from the door. never minded that at all. the 2nd place i worked you had to pay to park IF you were even given the option. if you were new, chances are you would be parking at least 15-20 minutes away waiting for a shuttle that sometimes never showed up when it was supposed to (at least this option was free but a PAIN). if you did by chance become lucky enough to get a garage spot on campus it was $50/month. OUCH!

maire, ASN, RN · Apr 3, 2008

I work at a major teaching hospital in southeast Michigan. The parking situation is known to be a headache (not as bad at night, thank goodness). All staff have to pay for parking. Basically there are 4 permit levels to choose from, the more pricier ones allow for closer parking to the buildings. The cheapest level requires parking in distant parking lots and taking a shuttle bus into the health system. The parking costs are deducted from every paycheck. I'm not complaining as this is something I have gotten used to.
I was just curious how common this is at other hospitals. Do you pay for parking or are you lucky enough to have free parking?

If the day shift wants to park in the garage, they have to pay a monthly fee. For the off-shifts, garage parking is free. Otherwise, you find a spot in the immediate lots or across the street and take the shuttle in.

seanpdent, ADN, BSN, MSN, APRN, NP · Apr 3, 2008

I was just curious how common this is at other hospitals. Do you pay for parking or are you lucky enough to have free parking?

I've worked in both the small community setting and the large teaching hospital setting. I have found the smaller the hospital... the more likely you are not to pay for parking.

The large hospital I work for now.. yep you have to pay for parking... with numerous options as to where and how much you get charged. It's also a 3-4 block distance from the hospital.

I pay $4.50 a day for the lot I park in (which is cheap!)

On the weekends parking is free.. and nightshift can pay $3 to park in the garage(s) that are next door to the hospital