Should I stay a floater?

[Chriskahn]

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I'm a new floater at a chain and almost every staff pharmacist I have worked with told me I should stay a floater and that they wish they can float. I even had one guy offer his staff position to me since he wanted to become a floater. Also, a couple of rxms in my district recently stepped down to become a floater

I know I will get a staff offer soon so I was wondering if I should just decline and remain a floater. My district is busy and I will have no problem getting 80 hrs each pay period. I've been getting a lot of OT actually. I just don't know how to decline the offer without sounding like I was warned not to accept the offer. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[lord999]

I'd personally go about it saying that "I'm waiting for the right store to call home", and until then, keep on searching. I don't think the RxS/DMs are going to oppose this considering that it's harder to be a floater normally by their logic.

 

[874700]

I'm a new floater at a chain and almost every staff pharmacist I have worked with told me I should stay a floater and that they wish they can float. I even had one guy offer his staff position to me since he wanted to become a floater. Also, a couple of rxms in my district recently stepped down to become a floater

I know I will get a staff offer soon so I was wondering if I should just decline and remain a floater. My district is busy and I will have no problem getting 80 hrs each pay period. I've been getting a lot of OT actually. I just don't know how to decline the offer without sounding like I was warned not to accept the offer. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

How hard was it for you to find a job after graduation?

 

[Momus]

A full time floater is the easiest job there is. Staff and manager see all the store drama, metrics, and regular crappy techs, customers. Floaters can give a rat's ass...

 

[Charcoales]

Floater >>> all, every since I got a staff it's been 100x times the stress and 100x the boredom

 

[Gombrich12]

Depends on how much you need money and the quality of the store. When you're staff you know you're getting a set amount of hours, but you'll also have a bit more responsibility.

 

[projektreverb]

I personally wouldn’t leave a full time float position for the world. Too much BS with staff or manager.

 

[Modest_anteater]

A full time floater is the easiest job there is. Staff and manager see all the store drama, metrics, and regular crappy techs, customers. Floaters can give a rat's ass...

nah man. Driving to new stores all the time. driving all over the place. dealing with 10x more jerk coworkers and jerk customers. I would rather have the lower social exposure of one store with an easy commute nearby.

 

[projektreverb]

nah man. Driving to new stores all the time. driving all over the place. dealing with 10x more jerk coworkers and jerk customers. I would rather have the lower social exposure of one store with an easy commute nearby.

Plus side, you don’t care about any of the metrics. Just make sure your customers are happy that day, no complaints get logged and the store doesn’t burn down, and your job is done lol

 

[Chrish]

When DM offers you a store and you deny it saying you are waiting for the “right” store, it can backfire on you unless you have a valid reason (such as travelling distance).

I have seen this again and again. Sometimes DM don’t ever offer you again or they will deny your request when the position opens up in future. Right now they have a choice and they want people who are willing to take the challenge rather than running away from it.

Also floater’s job is not entirely without responsibility. If you aren’t fast and efficient or don’t follow the basic rules or meet the expectations of the manger, you are gonna get ****load of complaints (from muliple people not just one). So it’s pretty easy to screw things up. Moreover consider the uncertainty of not having the fixed schedule.

I floated at one point and I don’t miss it.

 

[ldiot]

Does a staff pharmacist have more job security or at least more secure hours?

 

[ValeRx]

I became a floater again due to hour cuts at the store level. Having a family, I hate it. No more regular schedule, closing all the time, working partial weekends. It is nice to have no responsibility at the store level though.

 

[projektreverb]

I became a floater again due to hour cuts at the store level. Having a family, I hate it. No more regular schedule, closing all the time, working partial weekends. It is nice to have no responsibility at the store level though.

Exactly. The only pitfall is the variable hours but the responsibility aspect is awesome. You win some, you lose some right?

 

[ornithoptor]

My district is busy and I will have no problem getting 80 hrs each pay period. I've been getting a lot of OT actually. I just don't know how to decline the offer without sounding like I was warned not to accept the offer. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

I can see your reasoning for stay as floater. If I were in your boat, I may have done the same especially with OT.

One thing to consider is how long do you think this would last. Shortage turned into saturation in matter of 5 years for the entire profession. Walmart's is not even given staff 40 hours. With current saturation, how "LONG" do you think your district have before saturation touch your isolated market?

If you can time the market, take the staff right before the wave hits.
If you can't time the market, engage your scheduler frequently, find out hiring trend, and make your move before saturation hit your district.

It seems like you have some time available, I would recommend you pick a good store instead of float forever. Job security is at the stake.

 

[Sine Cura]

Since you float you might have a good idea of what stores are bad and what stores are less bad (consider script volume, tech competence, RXM competence, customer demographics and insurance mix as the main factors that drive store quality of life)

If taking a staff position cuts your commute down significantly AND the store is "less bad" enough and you value those more than so-called lack of responsibility, you should consider it.

No one is really safe in chain retail so you shouldn't take a staff position just because of the idea of guaranteed hours in the face of saturation

 

[awval999]

Since you float you might have a good idea of what stores are bad and what stores are less bad (consider script volume, tech competence, RXM competence, customer demographics and insurance mix as the main factors that drive store quality of life)

If taking a staff position cuts your commute down significantly AND the store is "less bad" enough and you value those more than so-called lack of responsibility, you should consider it.

No one is really safe in chain retail so you shouldn't take a staff position just because of the idea of guaranteed hours in the face of saturation

The PIC is safe.

I'm telling you, in the next 1-3 years, if I was a community RPh that needed full-time hours I'd be applying for PIC positions. Sure they suck, but you're guaranteed full-time hours.

 

[Sine Cura]

If they want to get rid of you they will, even if you are PIC. Saturation makes it even easier to do so because then time to replacement is less

 

[BenJammin]

Floaters are easier to get rid of. No attachment to a specific store or patient base and you can find someone willing to dedicate themselves to a store and its operation.