Does your employer charge you for PTO?

[Lovethenurse2b25]

I work for an LTC facility that pretty much charges for pto. This is the first time I’ve heard of this. I actually worked for an assisted living facility for 9 years before company sold the property and we did not lose money for pto.

I'm sure your wonder what I mean by paying for pto. This companies starting wage is $35hr but if you want pto your wage will have to drop to $33.50hr. This is were it gets interesting if you want PTO and Benefits your hourly wage is $32.

With a hourly wage of $32 your annual salary would be

Gross Income$66,560.00

Take Home $53,650.46

With an hourly wage of $35 your annual salary would be

Gross Income$72,800.00

Take Home$58,040.30

The take home between the wages is a $5,000 different. I think this policy is outrages. And to top it off the benefits that they offer still come out of your check every two weeks. I feel as it they are forcing you not to want benefits and pto.

Please share your opinion on this !

[Lovethenurse2b25, ASN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN]

8 minutes ago, 203bravo said:

While most of us understand the concept of what's happening here.. I can also see Lovethenurse2b25 frustration with the situation... don't tell me you are going to hire me at 35/hr and if you want to include PTO and/or medical then we are going to reduce your pay....

The company could present it better to their new hires by saying that we are going to hire you at 32/hr and by the way we are also going to give you 3/hr to spend on optional benefits.. if you chose not to participate in any or all the benefits then you get to keep the 3/hr... PTO is optional at 1.50/hr as is medical at 1.50/hr you can take one, both or none.

This would probably be easier for new hires to digest instead of thinking that they are being punished by having their pay reduced if they wish to participate in these benefits.

WELL SAID !!!! Thank you! If the DON would have presented it to me in this manner i would have a totally different outlook on the situation.

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

My taxes are so high I wouldn’t be taking home that much but it’s all part of doing business

[Nicholas Arsenault]

If you can’t get a clear write up of your exact benefits and breakdown of them, I say that’s a sign you need to leave a sketchy work place.

[LilPeanut, MSN, RN, NP]

I don't think it's ok. If I'm being offered a full time benefitted position, not a PRN, then benefits are included. If you want me to agree to work every week a certain number of hours and we're each guaranteeing that the work will be provided and I will do it, then certain things are mandatory, like breaks and PTO/sick time.

Check into employment law in your state. This sounds shady af to me.

[MunoRN, RN]

44 minutes ago, LilPeanut said:

I don't think it's ok. If I'm being offered a full time benefitted position, not a PRN, then benefits are included. If you want me to agree to work every week a certain number of hours and we're each guaranteeing that the work will be provided and I will do it, then certain things are mandatory, like breaks and PTO/sick time.

Check into employment law in your state. This sounds shady af to me.

Benefits are included in the OP's scenario, but the OP also has the option to opt-out of the benefits and take the value of the benefits as cash instead.

[LilPeanut, MSN, RN, NP]

Just now, MunoRN said:

Benefits are included in the OP's scenario, but the OP also has the option to opt-out of the benefits and take the value of the benefits as cash instead.

Not if she was offered a full time job with the higher rate. If it comes later that the rate isn't real, only if she declines benefits, that is shady af. That is bait and switch at the very least.

Again, I would recommend checking into labor laws in your state.

[rzyzzy]

The actual root question to ask is, what does a new-grad RN make in your area?

In my area, with benefits- that's probably under $30 an hour..

if you're getting $35 without them, as a new grad, you're probably doing pretty well.

The second issue for me would be - who is signing these LPN-produced "care plans"?

Are you somehow expected to rubber-stamp your "supervising" LPN's care plans?

That would have me running for the door..

[TiffyRN, BSN, PhD]

My employer does a good job of describing how what they call our "total compensation" package, or rather, how much we get that doesn't actually show up on our paycheck. I'll include the graph they send me from which I've (hopefully) blackout out the actual dollar amount but the pie chart helps explain the full picture.

I remember a previous employer where if you were a standard employee with benefits you could make on average about $23/hr but if you went no benefits, you made about $29/hr. Those who had the option to go on spouses' insurance like could reap the benefits of the higher take home. Nowadays, that has gone away for a lot of people as some employers will charge a penalty if you put a spouse on your benefits if they work for an employer that does offer benefits.

Now, back to the graph, some of the "other" items they include are things like tuition reimbursement and pay for attending training. That might seem petty for the employer to include but as a former no-benefits worker, you really don't get those, so they really are part of your compensation.

[TiffyRN, BSN, PhD]

Trying to load image

Total compensation.pdf

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

For as long as I’ve worked there has been PIB - pay in lieu of benefits- offered. Some people want vacation time accrued some do not. It’s a nice option

[MunoRN, RN]

17 hours ago, LilPeanut said:

Not if she was offered a full time job with the higher rate. If it comes later that the rate isn't real, only if she declines benefits, that is shady af. That is bait and switch at the very least.

Again, I would recommend checking into labor laws in your state.

I've frequently heard nurses complain about not having an option, this is the first complaint I've heard because it is an option to cash-out of benefits.

It's up to the employee to ensure they are aware of the terms of job offer, and the employee can't assume a quoted hourly rate includes PTO since no state requires that PTO be provided for hourly employees.

I get that it's a bummer to think you're getting $35 an hour plus some undefined amount of benefits, but $32 with benefits for a new grad in LTC is nothing to sneeze at.

[Lovethenurse2b25, ASN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN]

13 hours ago, rzyzzy said:

The actual root question to ask is, what does a new-grad RN make in your area?

In my area, with benefits- that's probably under $30 an hour..

if you're getting $35 without them, as a new grad, you're probably doing pretty well.

The second issue for me would be - who is signing these LPN-produced "care plans"?

Are you somehow expected to rubber-stamp your "supervising" LPN's care plans?

That would have me running for the door..

Im not too sure who signs the care plans could be the DON. My lpn supervisor advised me to update her if she needs to add changes to it.