"Per Diem"/"Ind Contract" on-call pay

Asystole RN · May 12, 2014

This is all going to highly depend upon your company and the contract they offer you.

At my company we utilize Per Diem weekday nurses when it is busy or when there are too many SOCs (start-of-care), which is pretty much all the time. The Per Diems are paid a higher hourly rate than the full-time staff but the full-time staff get an "On-Call" bonus for each day of call they take. Both types of staff get a 10% increase in pay after 1700.

Same thing on the weekends except the bonus is bigger for full-time staff and the Per Diem staff are eligible for the bonus should they volunteer to take call.

An independent contractor manages their own taxes and technically not subject to company policy. You should not receive a company handbook or be given any supplies at all. Most companies violate this which is simply an IRS rule, they would get into trouble not you. A staff Per Diem nurse is an actual employee who simply does not have a schedule.

RNfromSA · May 13, 2014

Thank you very much for your feedback Asystole RN. What is confusing is that I currently work with an agency "per diem" but as an independent contractor, and I have the option to take a case or not if I dont want to. I am not paid per diem but hourly. I was just wondering what the advantages would really be being an EMPLOYEE of a company per diem. Its a bit confusing.

If you are "per diem" why is it mandatory to take call?

Asystole RN · May 13, 2014

Theoretically, an employee does not have to provide their own supplies, taxes are managed for them, they have some tort protection, and the company contributes to your taxes like SS.

An IC typically has to provide their own supplies, manage their own taxes, and is entirely independent of the company.

In practice however, many companies wrongfully utilize ICs and Per Diem employees interchangeably and there is no real difference besides taxes.

provas · May 16, 2014

I am an independent contractor, we are subject to hospital rules as well. That is part of your contract with the facility. I just finished a per diem gig. The information on taxes is correct. It's basically being paid an hourly rate with taxation taken care of, or being paid by the case and you are responsible for all taxation.