Does this sound fair?

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Our office is closed Christmas Eve. I work PRN paid per visit- no benefits. I agreed to take call Christmas Eve and was paid time and a half visit rate. All travel time from pt to pt is hourly for anything over 30 minutes between. Our coverage area is large and I drove 160 miles and had nearly 3 hours of hourly time. For this I was paid at the regular rate. I called the corporate office and they told me that that was correct and the hourly time should not be 1.5 even though visits are. Does this sound fair?

Looking for some opinions.

Thanks,

Ann

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Specializes in Home Health.

They should consider themselves lucky you agreed to work...although, most places do not consider Christmas EVE to be the holiday, and that could be the snafu. Check your policy, if 12/24 isn't listed as a paid holiday, I am afraid you are screwed.

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Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.

Not a traveler, so don't know if the straight-time treatment given to your hours on the road is typical.

But if that's their policy, did they communicate it to you previously? In any written info provided to you?

If so, think you're out of luck. Otherwise, I'd bring up that you reasonably expected your total time committmernt would be compensated at the 1.5 rate.

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Specializes in MS Home Health.

While I think you were awesome for working on Christmas Eve, I am with Hoolahan that most places do not consider that holiday nor do most places pay time and a half for travel, at least around here but they do for the actual patient care time. That is a long way for one visit.YUCK. I am sorry you got stuck doing that.

renerian

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You are all correct. Christmas Eve is usually not a holiday but at my agency it is along with Christmas Day. I do not get paid for either since I am prn. So the visit rate Christmas Eve is at holiday or 1.5 the same as Memorial Day, 4th of July, etc. and that is clearly spelled out in the policy manual. Christmas visits are at 2x. There is nothing I can do about it, I just won't volunteer to take call on Christmas Eve again. I was trying to do a favor since everyone has been so overworked lately. It was a crazy day with lots of calls since the hospitals were trying to send people home at the last minute. It won't happen again. Thanks for your responses.

Ann

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Specializes in MS Home Health.

I know it is hard when you do something like that and you do not get fair compensation.

renerian

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Specializes in Home Health.

Well, if it is clearly spelled out in the manual, I would file a grievance. Your time is your time on a holiday, whether you are driving to a case or with the pt, IMHO, and you should be compensated for ALL of the time spent on the case at the clearly spelled out 1.5 rate. If they do NOT spell out that travel time is not at 1.5, I think you have a case, and the least they can do is re-write the policy, so it is crystal clear.

I don't blame you, I would never help them out again on a holiday if that was the way I was treated.

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