Hi everyone, first I would like to welcome any new or
seasoned therapists (occupational or not) to my page. I know this blog title
may insist that it is only about OT however I feel many professions could benefit
from this post.
This past year I have gone through 3 different types
of paid employment work. I have been full-time, per diem and contract. I wanted
to describe a little bit about my experiences with all three and to discuss my pros
and cons. However, I will divide them up into little mini blogs because I do
not want to give you so much to read in one post.
Per
Diem:
Per diem work is also known as per day work. This is typically a position where you are
called in to work when an organization needs you. Currently I work per diem at an assisted living
facility in New York. In my case, I initially
provided my agency the hours and days I am available to work and hoped they would
call me in if they needed me. However, the
first few months they did not call me at all.
I thought they forgot about me. However,
eventually they called me in one day and I worked for about four hours. After that, they didn’t call me back again
for a few weeks. With that being said
here are my pro’s and cons for being per diem.
Pros:
THE PAY! As a per diem employee I receive a specific rate
per hour. Additionally, as a per diem
employee you typically receive a higher pay rate than you would a staff employee. This is because it’s used almost as an incentive
for you cover someone last minute or to accept overflow of cases.
Flexibility! Right now, I set my own schedule. I typically work late afternoon into the
evenings and once a month on the weekends.
(PS: working weekends aren’t so bad, the place is usually quiet, there
is less traffic on the road and parking is a breeze).
Experience! My per diem job is in addition to another one, therefor I
am able to learn a new setting and work with a different population.
Cons:
No Sick Days! You don’t work, you don’t get paid.
No Mentorship! Being per diem, I usually have to learn
things quickly or on my own. While other
workers will get pad for training I will not.
Additionally, there is usually no time for any supervision especially since
I come in the afternoon and evenings when most staff have already left for the
day.
No Consistency! Some weeks I work every single afternoon/evening. However there are times when I do not get called in as much or even at all.
No Consistency! Some weeks I work every single afternoon/evening. However there are times when I do not get called in as much or even at all.
