No More Mileage Pay!

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I work for a small Home Health agency. My territory is huge! First visit is usually 50 miles away from home.

I only do 2-4 visits per day, working prn. They started paying me a "trip" fee about 4 months ago, adding $10 if I drive over 25 miles, $20 if I drive over 40, $30 over 60 . My days are very long, working 8-12 hrs, and sometimes only getting in 3 visits. Then, I come home and have to do the paperwork.

So yesterday, they tell me they will no longer pay my mileage , 36 cents per mile. That I was paid in error all tis time and the extra pay is now my gas money.

I thought the extra pay was really for me sitting in the car driving hours and hours doing these visits.

I really love the company I work for, the work is fairly easy, but I do alot of extra work for them, working at night, after hours, weekends, doing admits, etc. However, because my territory is so large, I drive over 500 miles per week... last week almost 1000 miles!

I receive no benefits working prn, no health insurance, no 401K, no PTO.

So I am torn.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Gee whiz - the US gov't going rate for mileage is $0.50/mile - you should be getting that at least.

I will say though that I travel a ton for my job - usually 300-600 miles/week and all I get is the mileage. However, I'm salaried so that makes a difference where you are getting paid for what you do.

Hopefully some more rural home health nurses will come along with some better answers.

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Is it LEGAL for them to not reimburse you for professional expenses of gas, etc?

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Well, there are those agencies who have never paid mileage and nurses still work for them. Weigh your alternatives and act accordingly.

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They are saying the 'extra" pay will cover my gas. I am saying the extra pay is for my time on the road, 3-5 hrs per day!

I want to just leave and do something else. I am finding myself angry when I put gas in my car now and that is not anyway to be.

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gentiva just cut back on our gas reimbursement also, i believe we will be seeing them go to "no gas pay" also!!!

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How can they NOT reimburse for gas????? That is a business expense, and it seems unethical and of questionable legality to do so.

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Specializes in Infusion Nursing, Home Health Infusion.

Add the cost they are paying you per week.then figure out how much you pay for gas per week...subtract the price of gas from your pay to see how much they are really paying you...if it then looks bad to you as I suspect it will....go to management and tell them you need to stay within a certain mileage range since they will no longer be paying your mileage....I hope they can do this..then if they want you to go farther you say they will need to reimburse you. Do you or can you get a Hybrid vehicle to lower your costs and are they paying you for the time you are driving to..between and home from your pts???? Luckily I am per diem and if I am not on call I do not have to take a case...if they are desperate they will agree to pay me additional mileage

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i know ours is "figured" into the per visit rate!! not happy, but not many jobs in the area.

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Specializes in OB,HH.

Very rural, very large territory for me too- I am paid a per hour rate plus mileage of 4cents below the govt rate. A 4WD vehicle is an absolute must have here, and not one of those wimpy little ones either- we average over 250 inches of snow- so no way their little mileage pay can keep up on the maintenance of my Jeep or Suburban, but it does cover gas. Im burnin up another vehicle as we speak and wouldn't EVER consider doing any of this if they weren't paying me 21something an hour plus mileage to drive and drive. If I drive for an hour and rack up 40 miles, I just made $40 for listening to tunes and dodging deer. So there is an upside, but only if you get that hourly while you are driving! and it helps to like driving.

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Sounds like an employer taking advantage of the economic crisis. Sucks. My brother's company recently also took away mileage pay...new strategy to save a whole lot of $ for the company...

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