Pharmacist Pay Structure

[jztAUpharm]

How does Walgreen's salary exempt pharmacist pay work if they offer you a part-time position (guaranteed 6 8 hour days/pay period) with a salary of X per 40 hour work week? It seems you are really hourly at that point with guaranteed 48 hours/pay period. Any other insight to Walgreens pay and benefits is greatly appreciated.

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[type b pharmD]

How does Walgreen's salary exempt pharmacist pay work if they offer you a part-time position (guaranteed 6 8 hour days/pay period) with a salary of X per 40 hour work week? It seems you are really hourly at that point with guaranteed 48 hours/pay period. Any other insight to Walgreens pay and benefits is greatly appreciated.

It's hourly .. walgreens "exempt" just means you aren't guaranteed any breaks or overtime beyond what the company wants to give. Still hourly though.

 

[jztAUpharm]

It's hourly .. walgreens "exempt" just means you aren't guaranteed any breaks or overtime beyond what the company wants to give. Still hourly though.

Thank you! Trying to figure out what my best actual offer is, is not so easy.

 

[Dred Pirate]

So I gotta ask - are you wanting part time, or is that all you can find?

 

[jztAUpharm]

So I gotta ask - are you wanting part time, or is that all you can find?

I prefer full-time. I do have a full-time offer biweekly salary that is ~$4.00/hr less than what the part-time offer is. The part-time offer they say may actually be full-time depending on what's available and they offered a sign on bonus. I guess I'm just trying to weigh my options and choose between the best overall (potential full-time, most likely part-time, with a sign on bonus OR full-time salary at a lesser yearly rate). And they're both retail.

 

[pezdispenser]

You need to clarify with Walgreens whether you will really be PT or FT, even if the hourly rate is the same for both. Because when you are FT (defined as average >30 hrs/wk) you get pretty substantial benefits like ~$4,500 for health insurance and ~$1,600 for short- and long-term disability insurance. Those benefits are worth $3/hr if you divide it by a 2,080 hr work year. However, if you are PT they may be forced to keep you below 30 hrs/wk so that you do not get those benefits. PT (average >20 hrs/wk) still gets 401(k), holiday pay and Paid Time Off, though they are in proportion to the hours worked.

 

[Dred Pirate]

I prefer full-time. I do have a full-time offer biweekly salary that is ~$4.00/hr less than what the part-time offer is. The part-time offer they say may actually be full-time depending on what's available and they offered a sign on bonus. I guess I'm just trying to weigh my options and choose between the best overall (potential full-time, most likely part-time, with a sign on bonus OR full-time salary at a lesser yearly rate). And they're both retail.

I don't get why they would offer you a sign on bonus but cannot guarantee you full time hours - that makes me think they have more competent pharmacists applying than spots - what is their rational for needing to pay a sign on bonus? How much is it? I am guessing not the 30k that I got out of school. :-(

 

[jztAUpharm]

You need to clarify with Walgreens whether you will really be PT or FT, even if the hourly rate is the same for both. Because when you are FT (defined as average >30 hrs/wk) you get pretty substantial benefits like ~$4,500 for health insurance and ~$1,600 for short- and long-term disability insurance. Those benefits are worth $3/hr if you divide it by a 2,080 hr work year. However, if you are PT they may be forced to keep you below 30 hrs/wk so that you do not get those benefits. PT (average >20 hrs/wk) still gets 401(k), holiday pay and Paid Time Off, though they are in proportion to the hours worked.

When I asked I was told I could not be guaranteed full time, that they like to start off new graduate pharmacists as PT. This may be something they do in this district. But a good point about the benefits.

 

[jztAUpharm]

I don't get why they would offer you a sign on bonus but cannot guarantee you full time hours - that makes me think they have more competent pharmacists applying than spots - what is their rational for needing to pay a sign on bonus? How much is it? I am guessing not the 30k that I got out of school. :-(

I don't really understand either. They said they needed pharmacists in that area. The bonus is 25k.

 

[type b pharmD]

I don't really understand either. They said they needed pharmacists in that area. The bonus is 25k.

Honest truth, they don't know if you're fast enough to guarantee full time. If you're a great Rph there's a good chance you'll get promoted to Ft . The likely situation is that they need to lock you in while they work on laying off the underperformers .. they also don't want to risk you being one of them.. kind of an ugly truth but that is likely what it is.

 

[Dred Pirate]

Honest truth, they don't know if you're fast enough to guarantee full time. If you're a great Rph there's a good chance you'll get promoted to Ft . The likely situation is that they need to lock you in while they work on laying off the underperformers .. they also don't want to risk you being one of them.. kind of an ugly truth but that is likely what it is.

wow - I didn't know they would do that, do you have to pay back the 25k if you underperform?

how many year commitment?

 

[type b pharmD]

wow - I didn't know they would do that, do you have to pay back the 25k if you underperform?

how many year commitment?

Yes, there is a commitment for most sign on bonuses , # of years depends on a lot of factors.

If you are fired, quit, or drop below your agreed upon work hours , you will have to pay it back, plus applicable taxes and penalties , prorated based on time in service

In my area, it was $5,000-10,000 per year of commitment , with a typical contract being 2-3 years.

It costs a lot to hire an Rph (at least $5,000-$10,000), the bonus money is just a tidbit to the company if it helps retain talent long term.

 

[Ackj]

What location are they still offering sign on bonuses?

 

[type b pharmD]

What location are they still offering sign on bonuses?

Rural many places (south, southwest , upper Midwest, Alaska, and last I heard for urban was Milwaukee but that was a couple years ago)

I got a sign on this past year, and know a couple of people who got them this year , about 5 people from class of 13 ... Range being 10-30k..

 

[Dred Pirate]

I got one as late as 2007 - 10k per year - max of three years. The highest I heard of was 45k - but that was southern illinois in 2004