Question regarding agency...

[peaches88]

So, this morning, I was scheduled to orient at a hospital. I signed up with this agency in order to make some extra money, picking up per diem shifts. I show up at the hospital and nobody is in the classroom area. So, I wait around until it was scheduled to start and confirmed with an employee that this is where they usually do orientation. When nobody was there by 0700, I called the agency and the on-call person told me that orientation starts at 0800. Small mistake, no big deal, so I just go grab breakfast and then come back at 0745. Still nobody there. Nobody setting up. Nothing. So, I wait until 0800, then call the agency again. They say they will call and get it figured out. Then they call me back and say that the orientation was cancelled, sorry they missed it, email came in over the weekend. First of all, this excuse sounds like a load of you-know-what (office people emailing over the weekend?). Second, they made no offer to compensate me for my time or lost income. If I had cancelled on them with no notice, I would have been terminated. So, I'm really frustrated right now. I have logged in countless hours on the computer for their testing and testing for several hospitals, with no pay, then this was a huge let-down.

So, my question is... is this a common thing to happen? Should I just suck it up? Should I ask them to do SOMETHING to make this up to me?

[NedRN]

I can say that this kind of event happens in the travel world too, and there is not much that can be done about it other than to complain vigorously and ask to be paid a couple of hours. If I understand the per diem world, the norm is getting some minimum hours like 2 or 4 hours if getting to work as requested and then sent home. I don't see why this should be different other than who will pay for this, the hospital or agency. I think the primary responsibility here falls on the agency. If it was a travel company, I might say this was the hospital's fault for untimely notice. But for a 24 hour staffed per diem agency, even if the hospital didn't notify them until Saturday/Sunday, they are responsible for communications on to you.

[caliotter3]

Check the state labor rules for reporting time pay (show-up) pay. In my state you would be paid for one half the length of the scheduled work, minimum 2 hours, maximum 4 hours for an 8 hour shift.

[oceanblue52]

Are you getting paid for the computer training? If not this is a huge flag to run away and look elsewhere.