I'm in a fragile situation and looking for serious advice on how to deal with it

[Slayex]

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I am a pharmacy student and I'll be starting P2 this upcoming Fall semester.

Once I finished with my P1 year, a few weeks ago, I sent in my Intern registration application to the state and I should be receiving it very soon (days to a few weeks max).
I have been working for Rite Aid since 2011. For the past 2+ years that I've been working with them I've been getting paid minimum wage, even though the overwhelming majority of all my classmates who are in the same year have been getting paid Intern pay as of last year (2013) during summer (so before they even started P1). The difference between what I get paid and what my classmates get paid is about $4. I tried negotiating this with the PDM and HR for over several months for them to increase my pay, in vain. They pretty much told me that they can't give me intern pay till I supply them with an intern licence, and even then, they might not be able to afford to pay me intern pay and so I'll continue getting tech pay till they can pay me intern pay. They also refused to transfer me over to another Rite Aid district, that can give me intern pay. HR pretty much told me that if I don't like it then I'll have no job. I have eventually come to understand that my PDM is very cheap, as I was told by a Pharmacist who works in his district (only one classmate is in the same situation as me, and we have the same PDM).

The last discussion that I had with them was about 3 months ago. Since I didn't have any other job within grasp, I patiently continued with Rite Aid and this situation.

Ever since I started summer vacation and I applied to some hospitals (my ultimate goal) and Walgreens (I didn't apply to CVS because based on what my friends tell me of how strict it is etc.). Today I received a call from the Walgreens that I applied to and we set up an interview next week.

Now, my ultimate goal is to pursue a residency after graduation, retail would be a backup in case I don't qualify for residency. My goal as an intern is to be an intern at a hospital. However till I do get a hospital position, my goal is to work for the retail that pays me the highest.

The Rite Aid that I work at is within walking distance of my house. The Walgreens would require $5 in public transportation fees each time I go and it's like 30 minutes away from where I live.

My pharmacist told me to send a copy of my permit, when I receive, it to the PDM so I could undergo an interview with him and to see what I'll get paid etc.

So I really want to know how much I'm getting paid at each retail, and if Rite Aid will even be able to give me intern pay after I send the PDM my permit. However, the Walgreens interview is this Monday and I'm worried that the pharmacist might ask me to work/accept the job before I get to know how much Rite Aid would pay me as an Intern.

Questions:

1-What's the cleverest way to ask the pharmacist to postpone my approval of the job, if I'm offered it, till I find out what Rite Aid will offer me? (I don't want to lose the offer)

2-Are Rite Aid and Walgreens the same in terms of everything? Which is better to work for?

3-What pay difference should be the cut off for leaving the pharmacy that's within walking distance of my house to a pharmacy that I'll need to travel for?

 

[zelman]

1. I would expect the drug test and background check to take long enough that you don't need to worry about having two jobs at once.
2. I've never worked for either, so I don't know.
3. Rite Aid is telling you to your face that they are screwing you over. Why do you want a relationship with this company? Would you go to a school that charged you graduate school rates for an undergraduate degree? I'd recommend contacting corporate to find out if there is a policy that says you need to receive intern pay rates after getting an intern license, and if so, getting your PDM in as much trouble for failure to follow that policy as you can.

 

[bananaface]

If Rite Aid doesn't have intern spots, they don't have intern spots. If Wags does, take it.

 

[Slayex]

1. I would expect the drug test and background check to take long enough that you don't need to worry about having two jobs at once.
2. I've never worked for either, so I don't know.
3. Rite Aid is telling you to your face that they are screwing you over. Why do you want a relationship with this company? Would you go to a school that charged you graduate school rates for an undergraduate degree? I'd recommend contacting corporate to find out if there is a policy that says you need to receive intern pay rates after getting an intern license, and if so, getting your PDM in as much trouble for failure to follow that policy as you can.

1. That's a good point, thanks for reminding me of this. Haven't done this process since I applied to Rite Aid 2 years ago so I forgot how long it takes.
3. Rite Aid has screwed me greatly over the past 2 years in terms of pay. I don't think such a policy exists for the sole reason that in the case that they can't afford you, they can always fire you.

 

[RxMonkey]

As for your bottom-dollar wage that would make it financially feasible to leave rite-aid, let's break it down by numbers:

Walgreens would cost you $5 in transportation plus an hour of your time (round trip). Let's also assume that your average shift at walgreens will be about 5 hours (You will be part time, afterall).

So Wags "costs" [( 1 x your current rite-aid wage) + $5]/5 per hour. You mentioned minimum wage. so [7.25+5]/5= $2.45. This is a rough estimate. You can tweak the numbers if you need.

Those are just hard numbers. There are other factors to keep in mind such as job satisfaction, how many hours you can get at one job versus another, etc. But most importantly: Why would you want to maintain a relationship with a company that treats you this way?? Especially for minimum wage. There are a LOT of better opportunities out there. I'd say take the walgreens job just on principle. But I'm stubborn.

 

[oldstock]

1. I would expect the drug test and background check to take long enough that you don't need to worry about having two jobs at once.
2. I've never worked for either, so I don't know.
3. Rite Aid is telling you to your face that they are screwing you over. Why do you want a relationship with this company? Would you go to a school that charged you graduate school rates for an undergraduate degree? I'd recommend contacting corporate to find out if there is a policy that says you need to receive intern pay rates after getting an intern license, and if so, getting your PDM in as much trouble for failure to follow that policy as you can.

As for your bottom-dollar wage that would make it financially feasible to leave rite-aid, let's break it down by numbers:

Walgreens would cost you $5 in transportation plus an hour of your time (round trip). Let's also assume that your average shift at walgreens will be about 5 hours (You will be part time, afterall).

So Wags "costs" [( 1 x your current rite-aid wage) + $5]/5 per hour. You mentioned minimum wage. so [7.25+5]/5= $2.45. This is a rough estimate. You can tweak the numbers if you need.

Those are just hard numbers. There are other factors to keep in mind such as job satisfaction, how many hours you can get at one job versus another, etc. But most importantly: Why would you want to maintain a relationship with a company that treats you this way?? Especially for minimum wage. There are a LOT of better opportunities out there. I'd say take the walgreens job just on principle. But I'm stubborn.

I agree with the posts above. If you let Rite Aid or more especially that Rite Aid's PDM /HR continue to treat you like that, it would only become worse. Not that you do not have any other choice.

You should talk to higher up at Rite Aid before you go. If it did not chance anything, definitely go for WG .

 

[pharmacy7424]

I am a pharmacy student and I'll be starting P2 this upcoming Fall semester.

Once I finished with my P1 year, a few weeks ago, I sent in my Intern registration application to the state and I should be receiving it very soon (days to a few weeks max).
I have been working for Rite Aid since 2011. For the past 2+ years that I've been working with them I've been getting paid minimum wage, even though the overwhelming majority of all my classmates who are in the same year have been getting paid Intern pay as of last year (2013) during summer (so before they even started P1). The difference between what I get paid and what my classmates get paid is about $4. I tried negotiating this with the PDM and HR for over several months for them to increase my pay, in vain. They pretty much told me that they can't give me intern pay till I supply them with an intern licence, and even then, they might not be able to afford to pay me intern pay and so I'll continue getting tech pay till they can pay me intern pay. They also refused to transfer me over to another Rite Aid district, that can give me intern pay. HR pretty much told me that if I don't like it then I'll have no job. I have eventually come to understand that my PDM is very cheap, as I was told by a Pharmacist who works in his district (only one classmate is in the same situation as me, and we have the same PDM).

The last discussion that I had with them was about 3 months ago. Since I didn't have any other job within grasp, I patiently continued with Rite Aid and this situation.

Ever since I started summer vacation and I applied to some hospitals (my ultimate goal) and Walgreens (I didn't apply to CVS because based on what my friends tell me of how strict it is etc.). Today I received a call from the Walgreens that I applied to and we set up an interview next week.

Now, my ultimate goal is to pursue a residency after graduation, retail would be a backup in case I don't qualify for residency. My goal as an intern is to be an intern at a hospital. However till I do get a hospital position, my goal is to work for the retail that pays me the highest.

The Rite Aid that I work at is within walking distance of my house. The Walgreens would require $5 in public transportation fees each time I go and it's like 30 minutes away from where I live.

My pharmacist told me to send a copy of my permit, when I receive, it to the PDM so I could undergo an interview with him and to see what I'll get paid etc.

So I really want to know how much I'm getting paid at each retail, and if Rite Aid will even be able to give me intern pay after I send the PDM my permit. However, the Walgreens interview is this Monday and I'm worried that the pharmacist might ask me to work/accept the job before I get to know how much Rite Aid would pay me as an Intern.

Questions:

1-What's the cleverest way to ask the pharmacist to postpone my approval of the job, if I'm offered it, till I find out what Rite Aid will offer me? (I don't want to lose the offer)

2-Are Rite Aid and Walgreens the same in terms of everything? Which is better to work for?

3-What pay difference should be the cut off for leaving the pharmacy that's within walking distance of my house to a pharmacy that I'll need to travel for?

Alright my opinion is that you need to just chill out. The experience is more important than the few dollars/hour, which pales in comparison to your tuition costs/future paycheck. No chain is different to another. Just relax

 

[Dalteparin]

You teach people how to treat you. If you let them pay you minimum wage as an intern, you send the message that it's OK for them to treat you unfairly. Imagine how far they might take that if you let them. Take the job at Wag's and tell Rite Aid to take a flying leap.

 

[sakigt]

Alright my opinion is that you need to just chill out. The experience is more important than the few dollars/hour, which pales in comparison to your tuition costs/future paycheck. No chain is different to another. Just relax

Agreed. But the job has to be worth it.

I kept my mouth shut about no raises as a PRN tech working in a hospital, but that was bc I was getting great experience.

 

[maria1oh]

How many hours are you planning to work while in school? Pharmacy school is not easy so some students work less than 8 hours per week or just during their breaks.

 

[BMBiology]

What is your official job title? Tech or intern? If it is tech then some people may question why you didn't work as an intern when you apply for a pharmacist position.

 

[Deja]

Alright my opinion is that you need to just chill out. The experience is more important than the few dollars/hour, which pales in comparison to your tuition costs/future paycheck. No chain is different to another. Just relax

i agree this situation wasnt as bad as the title indicated but your advice is pretty bad lol