Please advise..I need to give an answer by tomm.

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Hello, I am currently thinking about taking a 13 week contract assignment. This assignment would consist of four 12hr shifts/ wk. My agency claimed that my pay would be $40.00/hr on the weekends and $38.00/hr weekdays. I live about 30 mins away so they wouldn't be paying for housing or anything extra................is this a fair pay? It would be 3rd shirt on a med/surg unit.

Thanks,

Alison

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You will be getting more money if you go thru a regular per diem agency in most cases since your housing will not be needed. Each location is different by what the going rates are in that area.

If it is a twelve hour shift, then it is not just third shift that you would be working, there are four more hours added into that. Are they paying overtime for the last 8 hours per week since that is over the 40 hour work week?

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Travel agencies can only provide housing or stipends if your job is at least 50 miles away from your residence. Anything closer and I believe it is illegal for them to provide even a stipend for you. It sounds like they're offering you a local contract instead of a travel one because you're close to the facility.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, Rehab, ACU-Telemetry.

Sounds to good to be true for a med/surg unit. If it is, indeed true, I would do what Suzanne suggested, or take the position.

Kathy

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Travel agencies can only provide housing or stipends if your job is at least 50 miles away from your residence. Anything closer and I believe it is illegal for them to provide even a stipend for you. It sounds like they're offering you a local contract instead of a travel one because you're close to the facility.

Unfortunately, we see them offer stipends all of the time, especially when the nurse is living in their own residence that is their legal tax home. There is no a problem with paying them the stipend, the issue is that it is not tax free, and the nurse will be required to pay taxes on it. That is where many problems hit and large tax bills appear later on.

Money is money when it is paid, the agency has a certain amount to work with, and it depends on how they ration it out. There is just not any of it tax free when doing a local assignment for a travel company near your home, you get taxed on all of it.

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4 12's a week can be really hard on the body - It wore me out - Be sure to take care of yourself if you take this.

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[SIZE="7"]Thank you very much for taking the time to help me out. I decided to not take a contract but instead work perdiem.

Thanks again.....

Alison[/size]

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