Walmart h20...new grads are screwed

[ChalupaBatman86]

If I was a new grad, and not accustomed to making 6 figures, I might like working 30 hours for 90k and using IBR for loans.

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[Wickett]

If I was a new grad, and not accustomed to making 6 figures, I might like working 30 hours for 90k and using IBR for loans.

Yea at least it isn't the hourly rate that's dropped. This is why I want to pay off my loans in a few years, so if I ever leave my job and don't get full time hours, I'll still be ok.

 

[Gombrich12]

If I was a new grad, and not accustomed to making 6 figures, I might like working 30 hours for 90k and using IBR for loans.

A lot of the new grads around here live with their parents for a year or two it seems like. IBR creates a disincentive to work extra, one of its many unintended consequences.

 

[ChalupaBatman86]

Like the new pharmacist version of Obama phones and food stamps, am I right? Get a full time job you upper middle class freeloaders.

 

[PAtoPharm]

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[PAtoPharm]

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[PAtoPharm]

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[RimzyA]

For those of us who are going to have around $200k to pay back when we graduate, do you recommend going on IBR or just being disciplined and paying it back over 5-6 yrs?

I just graduated and I have $200K in loans, i did the IBR thing, my payment is $0 but I intend of putting $2000 to the loans per month including anything left over at the end of the month plus bonuses, hoping to knock out the loans in 5-6 years


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[PAtoPharm]

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[swatchgirl]

From what I've heard, part time and floaters will be getting shorter shifts by removing overlap. So if you go to an 8 to 10 store the regular pharmacist may work 8 to 4 and you would work 4 to 10, that is 6 hours. If my understanding is correct you'd get 30 hours per week full time.

Yikes

Obviously floating to 9 to 9 stores and getting the 12 hour shift will help raise that number.

But working 30 hours per week as full time gives one more time to attend to personal health and family matters, right?
Why is less hours so bad? Is it because of less pay, or less benefits? By how much less?

Also, do you know if staff pharmacists get paid for working more than 80 hours per the biweekly pay period? For example, if I work 88 hours this pay period, does it mean I still get paid the same amount as if I had worked 80 hours, where that extra 8 hours are unpaid because we are salaried?

 

[Sine Cura]

Being salaried means you (generally) won't get paid 1.5x for OT, not that you won't get paid at all for working more than your base

 

[wagrxm2000]

But working 30 hours per week as full time gives one more time to attend to personal health and family matters, right?
Why is less hours so bad? Is it because of less pay, or less benefits? By how much less?

Also, do you know if staff pharmacists get paid for working more than 80 hours per the biweekly pay period? For example, if I work 88 hours this pay period, does it mean I still get paid the same amount as if I had worked 80 hours, where that extra 8 hours are unpaid because we are salaried?

Unless your spouse also works and earns a decent salary, you will want 40 hours per week. At 30 that's a 25% cut, you're going to find it harder to pay off those loans and live a decent life on 80k, not that 80k isn't a good salary.

I answered the ot question in the other thread.

 

[radio frequency]

Being salaried means you (generally) won't get paid 1.5x for OT, not that you won't get paid at all for working more than your base

Salaried for the past year. I've never been paid at all for overtime. I don't even volunteer for it because it's unpaid; there's no point.

 

[bp2313]

^^^ do you work for Wal-Mart? You'd get (base +$3)x OT but you're supposed to email your DM to let them know you were ot though.

 

[Sine Cura]

If your overtime is scheduled, you should get paid. It has been the case for me at multiple companies. Unplanned ot is another issue

 

[PAtoPharm]

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[radio frequency]

If your overtime is scheduled, you should get paid. It has been the case for me at multiple companies. Unplanned ot is another issue

I had scheduled OT once; never was paid. Contacted the manager; no response. Lesson quickly learned...

 

[trailerpark]

At Walmart you get your base hourly wage plus 3 dollars for anything over 40 hours in a week if you're salary, but you have to email your DM with how many overtime hours. If you're hourly and have unplanned overtime then just bend over because you're in trouble!


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[wagrxm2000]

if starting salaries for Walmart are around $120k-$125k, wouldn't it be more like $90k-$95k after the cut? Still going to be really tough paying off $200k+ in loans on that salary :/

That's not the starting salary in my area, also Walgreens.

 

[radio frequency]

That's not the starting salary in my area, also Walgreens.

Is it higher where you are? Because that's a typical starting salary for most places I see outside California...

 

[PAtoPharm]

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[wagrxm2000]

Sorry, I don't know why I thought you were with Walmart. What's the starting salary in your area closer to? $100k?

Its about $110k. I'm in the midwest.

 

[Wickett]

Its about $110k. I'm in the midwest.

I am surprised it is that low. Does your area happen to be more saturated than average? Here in Texas starting offers from my friends at wags have all been around 120k in cities, and higher in more undesirable locations (well 120k at their hourly rate if they get 40 hours, which is no guarantee nowadays).

 

[wagrxm2000]

I am surprised it is that low. Does your area happen to be more saturated than average? Here in Texas starting offers from my friends at wags have all been around 120k in cities, and higher in more undesirable locations (well 120k at their hourly rate if they get 40 hours, which is no guarantee nowadays).

I live outside a major city. Our district doesn't contain any stores in that city but the surrounding area. Staff do get into the 120s though. I usually only keep my staff for a few years since they always want to transfer into the city.

I've pretty much became a training store. They could very easily put a vet pharmacist with a family here and they could stay for a long time but they seem satisfied putting new grads here.

 

[Mad Jack]

You know what they could do? This could get a lot worse. Why have W2 employees? This could be a way of transitioning to a 1099 work force. More boxes would have to be checked to happen to classify us as contractors, but this could be the future.

I think as a 1099er you have to pay full freight as far as social security tax. Ouch!

Unlikely- Wal-Mart has enough people gawking over their operations that thus would be very hard to pull off without substantially changing the way that pharmacists operate. There is a reason not many companies abuse the 1099, as it puts very specific requirements in place as to the contracting nature of an employee.

 

[Sine Cura]

I had scheduled OT once; never was paid. Contacted the manager; no response. Lesson quickly learned...

If your OT was documented in Workplace (do you work for Walmart?), this is an easy open door for lack of integrity on the part of your manager and get them fired for gross misconduct. Yeah I know "lolHR" but why would you want to work for a douchenozzle that expected you to work OT (as indicated by scheduled OT) but didn't want to pay you?

Never promise to work extra without any written or documented approval, tacit or otherwise.

If you are scheduled 13 hours in a day as the only pharmacist on duty you should get paid 13 hours for that day. Doesn't mean you will get OT pay but you should still get paid.

 

[MackandBlues]

So in the future, do you think it is safe to say that the average # of hours worked by a staff retail pharmacist will hover somewhere around 65-70, thus reducing the average income for retail pharmacists to somewhere around $70-80k/year?

Sheesh..... DO school is starting to look more and more like a safer choice, even if it means spending an extra year applying....

go DO but then again I'm biased

 

[PAtoPharm]

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[MackandBlues]

are you a pharmacist-turned-DO student?

yes I am

 

[PAtoPharm]

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[MackandBlues]

why did you decide to apply to DO school after becoming a pharmacist? better work/more money?

pretty much and I got bored

 

[JJVmom]

Be careful with IBR and loan forgiveness if working for a for-profit company...You'll owe taxes on the amount forgiven 20 or 25 yrs down the road, and the amt forgiven will be at least half a million by that time. IBR with loan forgiveness only makes sense if working for a non-profit and doing 10 yr loan forgiveness. IRB without loan forgiveness rarely makes financial sense.
I'd recommend all new grads with large sums of debt meet with a trustworthy financial advisor.


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[gwarm01]

pretty much and I got bored

How did the application process go? Did they just look at undergrad stuff or did your pharmacy classes count? I'm always thinking about the next step after this pharmacy thing implodes.

 

[MackandBlues]

How did the application process go? Did they just look at undergrad stuff or did your pharmacy classes count? I'm always thinking about the next step after this pharmacy thing implodes.

honestly I'm not sure. Think it's mostly undergrad courses.

 

[6GodPharm]

This type of opportunity almost makes me want to pack up and move to California. I'm in the Southeast and barely making $135k a year after picking up extra shifts each month.

Are your 2 jobs both retail-based?

I have one job with the three letter chain in Cali and on pace for roughly 185k. Usually only pick up 2-3 shifts a month. Taxes here will kill you tho

 

[6GodPharm]

There are still good opportunities in California if you live in the less desirable areas. In my region, there are signing bonuses to be had and recruiters are stopping by or calling the pharmacies to get experienced pharmacists to switch jobs. It seems we never have enough floaters so there are extra shifts if you want them. Add in the labor laws with real OT for anything over 8 hours per day or 40 hours per week, double time for more than 12 in a day, and it is pretty lucrative. I almost never work extra shifts and I make an extra 40K or so in OT just for my normal work week which is about 44 to 45 hours per week. Plus I get to leave the pharmacy for lunch. I'm never leaving California.

Agree 100%. I would never be a pharmacist out side of this state. I can't imagine what everyone goes thru. Staying extra and not getting paid. Awful

 

[Digsbe]

I wonder why pharmacist associations in different states aren't fighting for labor laws like what California has. Clearly it hasn't killed jobs with them typically paying 10-20k higher then the rest of the country anyway.

 

[rxdawg21]

I wonder why pharmacist associations in different states aren't fighting for labor laws like what California has. Clearly it hasn't killed jobs with them typically paying 10-20k higher then the rest of the country anyway.

I honestly have no idea, but just from looking at who donates to my local state school, maybe the same chains pay off the organizations as well. I've noticed that pharmacy organizations rarely fight for realistic, good change. Even when they do (like having to adjust the MAC price law recently passed here in Georgia) the actual teeth in the bill (you know that thing that would actually deter the companies from screwing you over) is laughable.

 

[Digsbe]

I honestly have no idea, but just from looking at who donates to my local state school, maybe the same chains pay off the organizations as well. I've noticed that pharmacy organizations rarely fight for realistic, good change. Even when they do (like having to adjust the MAC price law recently passed here in Georgia) the actual teeth in the bill (you know that thing that would actually deter the companies from screwing you over) is laughable.

I honestly think the time is coming for a national pharmacist union. No organizations seem to represent the actual working pharmacists.

 

[PAtoPharm]

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[6GodPharm]

Are the taxes really that bad in CA? I read that the rate is only 7.5% in a lot of places. Here in GA it's at least 6% everywhere you go, as far as I know. Seems like another 1.5% isn't that steep of a price to pay for low-humidity weather, higher standard of living, more stuff to do, etc.

Off 185K roughly 74K is straight taxes. Then you have health insurance and 401k. You pay to play in Cali

 

[PAtoPharm]

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[Swishers]

I have one job with the three letter chain in Cali and on pace for roughly 185k. Usually only pick up 2-3 shifts a month. Taxes here will kill you tho

I work retail and pick up 2-3 extra shifts per month, and I'll be lucky to crack $135k this year. I don't get time-and-half pay on the extra hours since I'm salaried. It's just my regular hourly pay times hours worked.

 

[BidingMyTime]

I wonder why pharmacist associations in different states aren't fighting for labor laws like what California has. Clearly it hasn't killed jobs with them typically paying 10-20k higher then the rest of the country anyway.

Because pharmacist organizations exist for corporations, not individual pharmacists.

 

[6GodPharm]

I work retail and pick up 2-3 extra shifts per month, and I'll be lucky to crack $135k this year. I don't get time-and-half pay on the extra hours since I'm salaried. It's just my regular hourly pay times hours worked.

What state are you in? I can't believe other states have these asinine labor laws. Here we get 2, 30 min lunches (13 hour shifts). It's just nice to rewind from the madness for that time and go back into rejuvenated. I couldn't imagine going 13 hours straight with a line in the front and your techs racing to see who's going on break and lunches first. Bloods boiling just thinking of those scenarios while your trying to get scripts out. 7-8 years of schooling all for that.

 

[PAtoPharm]

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[rxdawg21]

Off 185K roughly 74K is straight taxes. Then you have health insurance and 401k. You pay to play in Cali

My one full year in retail I made about 141k (including my extra shifts worked etc) and paid right about 45k in taxes. My adjusted gross was 132k from my paycheck(only had 401k for 2 months of the year due to having to be at the job a year before contributing to 401k, plus HSA deduction etc. I also got to right off a mortgage ( a small one at that at 150k loan). So I paid a 32% tax rate effective but of my 141k only about 120 was taxable to the feds. If no deductions my rate would have been 35-36%

This year was a little different. My adjusted gross income was only about 103k (on a 119k income ) and I filed married filing separately. My taxable income was only 84k though after further deductions. On that I paid a total of right above 35k in federal, state and FICA taxes (FICA taxes were on the whole 119k). My effective tax rate was 29.6% for my total income and 34.3% on my adjusted gross income. Pretty crazy if you ask me since my federal and state taxable was only 84k.

 

[Swishers]

Can I ask what state you're in? Just curious, since I've heard that retail salaries are usually around $120k-$125k to start, but I've also heard they're lower in the southeast (I'm in GA)

Yeah, I'm in the southeast.

 

[PAtoPharm]

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