Local Travel

[jodyangel, RN]

So when a travel company charges a hospital for a local totally taxed assignmnt, do they charge the same? Or less.

[NedRN]

The bill rate is the bill rate. Nothing changes because of where a traveler is from.

[jodyangel, RN]

Ok thanks.

[NedRN]

I should add that local per diem rates for agencies are sometimes lower ($5 or less) than long term contracts for travelers. That could affect the rate for a local assignment. But if a local traveler is filling a travel job order, the bill rate will be the same. Some hospitals don't allow local residents (as much as a 200 mile radius) to take travel contracts to avoid "contaminating" the local pool of workers (meaning keep labor costs down).

[jodyangel, RN]

Well I've been hired and I'm 35 miles away so that's not an issue.My pay will be $37/hr for L&D and that's only a few dollars more than I've made staff in this region. (33-34$/hr)

[NedRN]

They are fortunate to have you for that rate. Supply and demand realities often override locality rules, if any.

You do know that you can double that pay rate as a traveler?

[jodyangel, RN]

Ned of course. I've been a long distance travelor for a few years now.

This is a local travel job under the company FUSION.

Since Ive never done a local job before I asked some questions on a FB nurses group but was getting fussed at for not already knowing the answer.

Without knowing what the hospital is paying FUSION, I have no idea what I Should be getting?

[NedRN]

A few dollars more than staff for local registry is usually about right. Check with HR for in house per diem rates. If it is less than that, I'd change gears.

No no way to know if the agency rate is fair unless you can get a quote from a competing agency with the same hospital. I have seen examples of agencies telling nurses because you are local, no stipends. Keeping 30 to 50 percent of your pay is unfair when the bill rate remains the same.

Mind you, some of the stories I've heard could be simply miscommunication. The recruiter might be saying or meaning that a local traveler cannot get a tax free stipend appropriately but gets lost in translation.

[jodyangel, RN]

Ned,

Well I do understand that I am not allowed to receive any stipends because I'm not duplicating my expenses. I get that..

My question was originally asking IF the agency receives the same amount of money if I am doing a regular travel or totally taxed travel assignment.

Guess there is no real way to know other than to ask a few companies what they would pay me to do a local job at a specific facility. If one was way off..then I would know to avoid them.

[NedRN]

It is totally OK to receive stipends at a local assignment. It just has to have income taxes withheld or declare the stipends as income on your tax return.

My point was the stories I've heard with agencies saying to a local traveler that since you are not eligible for tax free stipends, we are "giving" you a thirty percent plus reduction in total compensation.

I cannot tell as a third party the real truth behind those stories, but if some agency tried to pull it on me, I wouldn't put up with it. I cannot imagine an assignment so important that I would take such a pay cut (your personal circumstances may be compelling of course). I'd dig the truth out of the agency or start calling other agencies that staff that facility.