Advice Wanted: Exclusive Night Shift Pay Differential

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

VALSALVA

**** or get off the pot
10+ Year Member
7+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2004
Messages
957
Reaction score
0
I'm considering switching to all night shifts. There are 12 people in our group and we currently split nights equally. There is a small pay differential for the night shift. My director implied that all nights would mean a better differential but we haven't begun negotiations yet.

Realizing that pay/differentials/business differ by region/hospital/group, would some folks like to give me some advice about what a reasonable pay differential might be? My own sentiment was approx. 30% higher hourly pay rate or a shift reduction by the same amount (30%) but with the same current pay.

Thoughts?

Members don't see this ad.
 
The worst they could say is no.
Most places I've seen have a 10% difference for nights, but not exclusive. Another classmate is selling himself as working only nights and getting a fair amount of good feedback (so I've heard).
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Personally, I think 30% is pushing it. But that's the whole point of negotiating. Start big and go from there. If you ask for 20% and they say "OK" then you shortchanged yourself and you probably could have gotten 25% or maybe more.

Start at the edge of what you think is reasonable without being ridiculous. When you get to what you think is too little, walk away.

Personally, I think a differential of 15-25% is reasonable depending on avg patient load and acuity, coverage, etc.
 
Our group is about 40% difference between the day and night shift. Each shift has a differential compared to the first shift of the day. We have a lot of people in the group that really like those, and it is a relatively slow too. Fine by me, I hate the 6 am start.
 
Our group is about 40% difference between the day and night shift. Each shift has a differential compared to the first shift of the day. We have a lot of people in the group that really like those, and it is a relatively slow too. Fine by me, I hate the 6 am start.

That is the high end of any I've heard. Somehow I can't imagine that lasting long term (or they aren't paying the day shift a market salary). In the meantime, go for it.
One of the places I've gotten an offer from is paying $210 an hour. 40% more on that would be $294. If only....
 
That is the high end of any I've heard. Somehow I can't imagine that lasting long term (or they aren't paying the day shift a market salary). In the meantime, go for it.
One of the places I've gotten an offer from is paying $210 an hour. 40% more on that would be $294. If only....

I was surprised it was so high too. The group does well. Just lots of older docs who like to get up early for an easy shift even if it pays less and would prefer not to work any evenings or nights. A fair number of the partners don't NEED to work at all as near as I can tell. So they incentivize the younger guys to take the busier, later shifts. Works well for everyone. Only about 1/3 of the docs in the group actually work any overnight shifts.
 
I was surprised it was so high too. The group does well. Just lots of older docs who like to get up early for an easy shift even if it pays less and would prefer not to work any evenings or nights. A fair number of the partners don't NEED to work at all as near as I can tell. So they incentivize the younger guys to take the busier, later shifts. Works well for everyone. Only about 1/3 of the docs in the group actually work any overnight shifts.

From what I've seen when the differential is that high there are other factors at work such as older, senior partner types who only want to work days. They skew the hourly to have some big differential but they are actually making their real money from the profit sharing/bonus plan and don't care about the hourly money.

It goes to show that there are so many different compensation models in EM that it's often difficult to figure out exactly whats going on.
 
From what I've seen when the differential is that high there are other factors at work such as older, senior partner types who only want to work days. They skew the hourly to have some big differential but they are actually making their real money from the profit sharing/bonus plan and don't care about the hourly money.

It goes to show that there are so many different compensation models in EM that it's often difficult to figure out exactly whats going on.

Nope, fair model. The differential includes the profit-sharing/bonus stuff. You want to work days in this group you take home less pay.
 
Thanks for the feedback all. I'll give an update after negotiations are through.
 
I really think that the whole night shift differential should be increased to meet the supply and demand... It should be inched up to the point where there are enough people in the group who request to be scheduled for those night shifts and that the supply of night shifts meets that demand. Seems to me the only fair way of working out this equation. If it's too low not enough will want to work nights, and if too high too many will want to work it as they feel they are missing out on the increased pay.
 
My group is $10/hr more for nights, but only during certain hours (not necessarily the whole shift.)
 
My group a private group in AZ pays about 35% more for nights. As you advance into partnership and the bonuses balance out it becomes less but it always more than 10%.. probably in the 15-20% range.

IMO for $10 why do it? I am on all nights but it is basically like having someone with another job in my house. it works well with my family.
 
my group has 3 types of contracts: days/evenings only, a nights only, and a hybrid.

D/E gets 16 9's a month

D/E/N do 14

E's only do 12

All for the same.

I do D/E only because I've got a baby at home and it's worth it for me to work 4 extra shifts a month so I can spend more time being useful to my kid (she's 15 mos old, and I felt like a slug after nights while in residency).
 
I really think that the whole night shift differential should be increased to meet the supply and demand... It should be inched up to the point where there are enough people in the group who request to be scheduled for those night shifts and that the supply of night shifts meets that demand. Seems to me the only fair way of working out this equation. If it's too low not enough will want to work nights, and if too high too many will want to work it as they feel they are missing out on the increased pay.

Absolutely! Only fair way to do it. If too many people want to do them, cut the diff. Too few, boost it up.
 
I'm bumping this thread because I am considering all nights. Our group has decided to go to double coverage overnight, meaning we will be covering 60-62 nights a month. We work 9's and will be providing a $30/hr differential. My plan was to go 13 shifts on sun/mon/tues (with one wednesday), the counter suggestion was that some might not like it that I wasnt working weekends and that our requirement for full time is 14 shifts, suggested as 4 on, 4 off, 3 on, 4 off, 4 on, 4-5 off. I think 14 9s sounds like a lot and I'm not really getting anything other than more money for fewer shifts, which is really not my biggest consideration (only working 16 now).

Have any of you worked a schedule similar to the one counteroffered above? I'm leaning towards holding out for at least one of my two concessions, that being 13 shifts or shifts on the days I want. Otherwise too close to what I'm going to be doing anyway.

Input from experienced docs certainly appreciated.
 
I'm bumping this thread because I am considering all nights. Our group has decided to go to double coverage overnight, meaning we will be covering 60-62 nights a month. We work 9's and will be providing a $30/hr differential. My plan was to go 13 shifts on sun/mon/tues (with one wednesday), the counter suggestion was that some might not like it that I wasnt working weekends and that our requirement for full time is 14 shifts, suggested as 4 on, 4 off, 3 on, 4 off, 4 on, 4-5 off. I think 14 9s sounds like a lot and I'm not really getting anything other than more money for fewer shifts, which is really not my biggest consideration (only working 16 now).

Have any of you worked a schedule similar to the one counteroffered above? I'm leaning towards holding out for at least one of my two concessions, that being 13 shifts or shifts on the days I want. Otherwise too close to what I'm going to be doing anyway.

Input from experienced docs certainly appreciated.

If you're doing nights only, anyone who protests your not doing weekends, you can tell them to kiss your ass.

See, the way I see it, the 9 hour shifts are the weird thing. I was doing 12-14 12 hour shifts in SC. Here in HI, I do 10 12's per month, and that's just fine. Your 14 9's should make everyone happy.

Otherwise, I don't have much to contribute.
 
Top