Do you pay for parking at work?

Published

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?

Hell, yes we pay. There is a dedicated parkade and a new parkade. The new one was promised to staff, well let's just say right now, I'm fighting with the construction crew and the seniors who want close to the hospital parking. Staff are supposed to have the stalls with electric plug ins. Trust me, it isn't fun coming onto a roof top parkade at 1130pm with snow blowing and a windchill of -50.

I know it's only $0.60 an hour worked but it adds up fast.

We asked for free parking as part of our next round of contract negotations.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Corrections, neurology, dialysis.

I think paying for parking depends on how the congested the area is around the hospital. Suburban hospitals have free parking. Inner city and medical center hospitals have parking garages and/or lots that are expensive to build and maintain, so it's common to have to pay for parking.

I worked at a teaching hospital that had a parking issue. Employees had to park in a muddy field then schlep almost half a mile to the employee entrance. I bypass all of this by taking the bus. I have found that bus fare is lots cheaper than paying for gas and parking and the bus usually drops you off very close to the front door.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-Surg.

My first job we had to pay to park, but it was relatively cheap. Currently we don't pay to park.

Before I was a nurse and worked in an office in Atlanta we paid to park in the city, so paying for parking doesn't seem like a big deal to me.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Oh My - I would never pay to park at work! Never worked anyplace that charged either.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I luckily don't have to, but seriously as little as we are paid if we had to I would have to quit. I always wish they would expand our public transpo, but you have to drive to hit a bus stop, and by the time you have done that you might have just as well driven to work. Its CRAZY! :banghead:

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I work at a big teaching hospital and we had a ridiculous parking the closest was like 100 dollars a month and a little farther away it was like 50 a month. I said screw it all together got a house that is a decent distance from the place and bike there or when it is winter they give us a bus pass and I just freeze my tush outside.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU/CCU/MICU/SICU/CTICU.

Yep........... pay here too. Large teaching facility. Day shift deck is about 3 blocks away.... $50/month......... night shift deck is attached to the hospital..... $50/month pre tax. Come to think of it..........I don't think there are any free lots.........even the ones that are 8-10 blocks away are $3/day.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC.

I pay 0.40cents/hr to park at work. I don't consider it too bad as I park in the hospitals parking ramp and it's connected to the hospital. Also, in the winter I don't have to wade through snow to get to my car and then clean it off.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

At the large teaching hospital I volunteer at, all the daytime staff including nurses, CNAs...everyone has to pay $8 a day to park. I believe nightshift has an option to park for free if they want to have a nice long walk. We have great public transit here so I think that gets used a lot and TONS of people bike to work....there are bike racks everywhere that are usually pretty full.

As a volunteer I get FREE parking in any of the spaces except for patient parking. :) (Let's hope volunteers don't have to PAY to be there, right?)

I once had a minimum wage job doing housekeeping in a large hotel. The "free" employee lot was really far away....like a 10 minute walk literally. In the winter they took pity on us and let us park in the garage for only $2 if we wanted to, on the top deck of course so you still got snowed on (but at least it was just an elevator trip down to work instead of a 10 min walk in the snow) But still, when you're only making $40 a shift pre-tax $2 is kind of a lot of money. I can remember more than once deciding I just couldn't afford to pay to park and making the long, cold tredge.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Corrections, neurology, dialysis.
I luckily don't have to, but seriously as little as we are paid if we had to I would have to quit. I always wish they would expand our public transpo, but you have to drive to hit a bus stop, and by the time you have done that you might have just as well driven to work. Its CRAZY! :banghead:

In my experience any place I worked where I had to pay to park, I liked the job better and it paid well. For me it was worth it. I'd rather to pay to park at a job I love with a good boss and decent pay, then park for free at a hell hole.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion