Question Concerning Pharmacist Job Offers?

[demonicduck]

hi all. I'm wondering if anyone knows the procedure behind the pharmacist job "offers" that CVS, Walgreens, Safeway, Rite-Aid give you prior to employment. In my case, I graduate at the end of May 2016 from my pharmacy school. So far I have two offers and it's likely I'll get more .. but my main question is: am I able to accept multiple offers from different pharmacies until I actually begin with employment? Because specifically on their contracts, they state:

"This employment offer is neither a contract nor guarantee of indefinite employment"

or

"This letter does not guarantee your employment, any particular position, number of hours or store placement for any specified period of time."

Wouldn't I just be digging a hole for my own grave if I only accept one of these positions and the one that I accept ends up retracting their original "offer"? One last thing is that I'd want to work at Walgreens or Rite-Aid the most, but I'm thinking Rite-Aid might not be stable once the end of the year merger goes through?

What do you guys think I should do? Thanks in advance for any opinions.

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[quickpic007]

Tough one I havent heard of too many retractions but they do occur. The worse the position the less likely to retract.

 

[Dalteparin]

I've never had a job offer that was a contract or an offer of indefinite employment! All that sentence is telling you is that they're allowed to fire you or lay you off. It doesn't mean that they will; it's more a CYA type of thing so that if they fire you for, say, stealing narcs, you can't sue them for leading you to believe you'd have a job forever.

As for the second sentence, what they're saying is that they can't guarantee which store you'll be at or how many hours you'll get, and that they may need to retract their offer if, for example, the budget gets cut or you don't pass boards.

What should you do? Count yourself blessed to get more than one offer and take whichever one looks best!

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[lord999]

I've never had a job offer that was a contract or an offer of indefinite employment! All that sentence is telling you is that they're allowed to fire you or lay you off. It doesn't mean that they will; it's more a CYA type of thing so that if they fire you for, say, stealing narcs, you can't sue them for leading you to believe you'd have a job forever.

As for the second sentence, what they're saying is that they can't guarantee which store you'll be at or how many hours you'll get, and that they may need to retract their offer if, for example, the budget gets cut or you don't pass boards.

What should you do? Count yourself blessed to get more than one offer and take whichever one looks best!

Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

Almost all private sector jobs work that way, they have to openly state it. Federal jobs (and possibly state), the job offer IS a contract matter which is why you get very different paperwork from them (SF-50, Notice of Personnel Action) that actually states that what is being offered is a contract and possibly indefinite employment if you qualify under the terms. It also says whether you are probationary or not.

What you have is a standard offer from a chain, so congratulations! This is just form language that every private sector employer has to go through (except they can possibly offer a contract as well where it binds them and you together involving a bonus).

Also, don't consider any company (even federal) stable employment in this era. I think it's going to get really messy soon in terms of what is offered and not.

 

[rxdawg21]

Almost all private sector jobs work that way, they have to openly state it. Federal jobs (and possibly state), the job offer IS a contract matter which is why you get very different paperwork from them (SF-50, Notice of Personnel Action) that actually states that what is being offered is a contract and possibly indefinite employment if you qualify under the terms. It also says whether you are probationary or not.

What you have is a standard offer from a chain, so congratulations! This is just form language that every private sector employer has to go through (except they can possibly offer a contract as well where it binds them and you together involving a bonus).

Also, don't consider any company (even federal) stable employment in this era. I think it's going to get really messy soon in terms of what is offered and not.

I sure hope the VA doesn't start axing pharmacists anytime soon. That would sure put a damper on my situation (both myself and wife federal employees).

 

[lord999]

Depends on when you became a career employee for VA. If you did in the Title 5 era (or are a veteran that was tenured under 10 and 5 by interchange), you're definitely safe (your appointment is truly indefinite). If you are Hybrid 38 and before 2011, you're very safe as you are guaranteed retreat privileges (bump someone else even if your position is eliminated or made definite). If afterwards, there's some interpretation on RIF priority and this affects VA only, not anywhere else, but if you're career, you're probably safe. They changed the interchange agreement for 38 such that pharmacy no longer gets the automatic cross-appointment to Title 5 or 42 if you made career after 2014 and never served in a Title 5 or 42 previously (means nothing but more paperwork for the Title 5 appointing authority). I wouldn't want to be a conditional at the turning of an election (and those in the Clinton era can remember the time when appointments came to a dead halt).

VA has only RIF'ed pharmacists twice in history, during the Clinton administration under the Cohen cuts which also affected VA and at the very start of the Eisenhower administration. Reagan almost did (the RIF plans were fully drawn up), but was advised that it would be too costly to RIF medical personnel. I doubt it'll happen in our immediate careers for the reasons stated below.

That doesn't mean that it's all roses. I'm sure your department's having problems getting position descriptions approved through your local resource board. You might end up working 1.5 FTE's come a decade down the road. They might force consolidation if you are a Class III (which eliminates position descriptions). I do expect them to get rid of terms and fee-basis and limit NTE's to wetworks projects. That's the everyday stupidity around here.