TO AMR EMPLOYEES "PAY FOR PERFORMANCE PLAN"

[checkersfire]

does anyone else in amr have the "pay for performance plan" like we have in missouri and illinois? i heard a rumor that they tried to implement it in iowa and the medics walked out. is this true? i can tell you from experience here, IT SUCKS!!!!! you could possibly get penalized $2.00 an hour for 2 pay periods, just because one mistake (a minor one) in your paperwork and if your times aren't within their limits. if anyone needs more info on the plan write back and i can explain how it works.

[Schwaa]

Thats what you get for working at AMR?

[Just Plain Ruff]

yes but unfortunately this is a way for AMR to screw you out of pay because you don't do something perfect.

Just another reason for anyone to stay far far far away from the mothership.

[ncmedic309]

We utilize a performance plan at our agency that scores you on your annual performance and determines your ARD (raise) percentage each year. It rates things such as your driving scores, your hospital turn around times, adhering to attendance policy, write-ups, internal and external commendations, meeting appropriate continuing education criteria, compliance with policy and procedure and a multitude of other things. If your a poor employee and your barely escape being fired on a daily basis, your lucky if you get a 1% increase in pay at the time of your ARD - if your top of the line and do it right - you get the maximum percentage allowed at the time of your ARD. There are some things that I don't agree with - such as the criteria for hospital turn arounds when it's just not possible due to uncontrollable factors (such as back up in triage, etc.) that in my opinion unfairly penalize you come raise time but it's not all bad either. It keeps the dumbasses that barely get by from getting the same raise as the person who goes above and beyond all year long.

EDIT: I went back and read the initial post again - just for clarification - I DON'T work for AMR!

[Dustdevil]

Back in the mid 1980s, I worked for Hartson-Mercy, which was a huge, multi-state conglomerate that was later bought out by AMR. They were one of the first to institute Performance Based Compensation or "PBC". I loved it. I always came out at the top of the list, as did whoever my partner would be, so it was total win. But there were no "deductions" from your normal salary, which is what you seem to be indicating they do. You couldn't lose anything you already had. You just stood to gain a percentage of the total PBC pot each month. Also, this was in an area that -- although quite urban -- lacked long ER turn-over times too. Most of us -- except for the lazy arses -- liked the system, and I think it is a positive thing. It's leading by the carrot instead of the stick, which is positive leadership. Unfortunately, it also leads to some fraud in the field. When the eight minute mark gets near, crews hit the "on scene" status button when they are still a couple miles away to save themselves an exception. Things like that. But overall, so long as it is administrated intelligently, it's a good idea.

[DwayneEMTP]

I agree. Merit based plans are usually great for the company if realistic expectations are outlined clearly and enforced/reinforced fairly with all included having an equal opportunity to be rewarded.

Sucks to be half-assed in such a system though.

AMR in the Springs records nearly everything, including your driving performance through computers and then the crews are awarded play money based on their performance that allows them to buy stuff. The majority of the crews I rode with had DVD players, or satalite radios, or digital cameras, etc. paid or with their above average behavior. To the not so stellar crews it was simply "bullshit."

If designed and managed well it can be a great thing for the company. If not it can suck the spirit out of the whole joint.

Dwayne

[checkersfire]

We utilize a performance plan at our agency that scores you on your annual performance and determines your ARD (raise) percentage each year. It rates things such as your driving scores, your hospital turn around times, adhering to attendance policy, write-ups, internal and external commendations, meeting appropriate continuing education criteria, compliance with policy and procedure and a multitude of other things. If your a poor employee and your barely escape being fired on a daily basis, your lucky if you get a 1% increase in pay at the time of your ARD - if your top of the line and do it right - you get the maximum percentage allowed at the time of your ARD. There are some things that I don't agree with - such as the criteria for hospital turn arounds when it's just not possible due to uncontrollable factors (such as back up in triage, etc.) that in my opinion unfairly penalize you come raise time but it's not all bad either. It keeps the dumbasses that barely get by from getting the same raise as the person who goes above and beyond all year long.

EDIT: I went back and read the initial post again - just for clarification - I DON'T work for AMR!

here, you have a, b and c rates. your base pay is c rate officially. they hire you in and give you a 60 day grace period were you are at the "a" rate which is $2.00 an hour above "c" rate. to stay at a rate you have to be perfect on your paperwork, i.e. signatures, who signed etc. sometimes you CAN'T get all the info, either hospitals or even the individuals won't give it to you, they claim it's a hippa violation. second is the times. you take the time you get on scene until you go enroute- that block of time and then when you call on scene at your desitination until you go 10-8, that block of time. those two blocks added together can't go over an average of 32 minutes for bls and 42 minutes for als or you drop to b rate for a month, your also graded a month at a time also. the only exception is on code 3 calls (emergency) for us don't count towards your times. BUT, if you are sent to a snf code 1 (non-urgent) or code 2 (urgent but with care on scene) your times still count. anyone who works in this field knows that the snf nurses are idiots and shouldn't be counted as "prior care on scene" i could tell numerous stories of them sitting on their asses at the nurses station while i'm in the back working a code (they didn't even know the patient was coding) the snf or calling facility determines how we get dispatched! it's not so much the on scene time that's the problem, unless your doing a transfer and the pt isn't ready and you have to wait 30 minutes (and you wait while the timer is still ticking) they don't take you "off" the clock while your waiting. i do the same patient care whether it's dispatched as emergent or non, especially if the pt is going to the er for an acute problem. so if i have to wait at the hosp for 20 minutes to get a bed or give report to the rn on code 3 calls no problem, but for 1 and 2 calls it is. it happens ALOT around here, especially at your bigger facilities. i'll give you an example-the other day we were dispatched to a 148 which for us is a NON-URGENT CALL FOR A SEIZURE PT to a snf, this is a place that dr's, lawyers and business execs go (not the average or poor person). when we got there we waited 20 minutes for the security guard to escort us from the back door of the facility (they don't want ambulances pulling up out front) then the pt was eating breakfast so they insisted we wait until he was finished (even though he had been unresponsive according to them just 30 minutes prior) actually the seizure started, lasted 5 minutes then they said he was unresponsive for an hour, that's BEFORE they called us and by the time we got there he was fine. did he really seize? who knows, i think they were full of crap. anyway, when we got to the hospital we were taken straight in to the er but it was another 20-25 minutes for the rn to get around to signing our paperwork. it only takes a few calls like that and your at "b" rate for a month losing a dollar an hour. and if your times are really bad you could drop to c rate. and your paperwork is based on a percentage. 1 missed signature drops you automatically down (anything less than 100 percent). and if you had more then you drop to c rate and lose $2 an hour for a month. i will say with the times your graded over a 1 month period, so you can see were you are at and speed up if you need to. THE END RESULT, IT CAUSES SHITTY PATIENT CARE!!!!! CREWS ARE MORE WORRIED ABOUT THEIR TIMES AND PAPERWORK BEING PERFECT THAN THE PATIENT. i don't have a problem with bonuses based on performance every quarter or even every month, but it shouldn't affect our base pay. the base here for an emt is 8.90 an hour at c rate and medic is around 10 dollars an hour. there is a plan called A plus rate, where if you don't have any absences, tardiness or complaints you get a small percentage raise, you also have to be at "a" rate to get that also. if your at a rate, you also get that last raise percentage they gave us, but if you drop to b or c rate, you also lose the raise percentage. THAT'S WHAT EVERYONE HERE IS COMPLAINING ABOUT WITH US.

[checkersfire]

here, you have a, b and c rates. your base pay is c rate officially. they hire you in and give you a 60 day grace period were you are at the "a" rate which is $2.00 an hour above "c" rate. to stay at a rate you have to be perfect on your paperwork, i.e. signatures, who signed etc. sometimes you CAN'T get all the info, either hospitals or even the individuals won't give it to you, they claim it's a hippa violation. second is the times. you take the time you get on scene until you go enroute- that block of time and then when you call on scene at your desitination until you go 10-8, that block of time. those two blocks added together can't go over an average of 32 minutes for bls and 42 minutes for als or you drop to b rate for a month, your also graded a month at a time also. the only exception is on code 3 calls (emergency) for us don't count towards your times. BUT, if you are sent to a snf code 1 (non-urgent) or code 2 (urgent but with care on scene) your times still count. anyone who works in this field knows that the snf nurses are idiots and shouldn't be counted as "prior care on scene" i could tell numerous stories of them sitting on their asses at the nurses station while i'm in the back working a code (they didn't even know the patient was coding) the snf or calling facility determines how we get dispatched! it's not so much the on scene time that's the problem, unless your doing a transfer and the pt isn't ready and you have to wait 30 minutes (and you wait while the timer is still ticking) they don't take you "off" the clock while your waiting. i do the same patient care whether it's dispatched as emergent or non, especially if the pt is going to the er for an acute problem. so if i have to wait at the hosp for 20 minutes to get a bed or give report to the rn on code 3 calls no problem, but for 1 and 2 calls it is. it happens ALOT around here, especially at your bigger facilities. i'll give you an example-the other day we were dispatched to a 148 which for us is a NON-URGENT CALL FOR A SEIZURE PT to a snf, this is a place that dr's, lawyers and business execs go (not the average or poor person). when we got there we waited 20 minutes for the security guard to escort us from the back door of the facility (they don't want ambulances pulling up out front) then the pt was eating breakfast so they insisted we wait until he was finished (even though he had been unresponsive according to them just 30 minutes prior) actually the seizure started, lasted 5 minutes then they said he was unresponsive for an hour, that's BEFORE they called us and by the time we got there he was fine. did he really seize? who knows, i think they were full of crap. anyway, when we got to the hospital we were taken straight in to the er but it was another 20-25 minutes for the rn to get around to signing our paperwork. it only takes a few calls like that and your at "b" rate for a month losing a dollar an hour. and if your times are really bad you could drop to c rate. and your paperwork is based on a percentage. 1 missed signature drops you automatically down (anything less than 100 percent). and if you had more then you drop to c rate and lose $2 an hour for a month. i will say with the times your graded over a 1 month period, so you can see were you are at and speed up if you need to. THE END RESULT, IT CAUSES SHITTY PATIENT CARE!!!!! CREWS ARE MORE WORRIED ABOUT THEIR TIMES AND PAPERWORK BEING PERFECT THAN THE PATIENT. i don't have a problem with bonuses based on performance every quarter or even every month, but it shouldn't affect our base pay. the base here for an emt is 8.90 an hour at c rate and medic is around 10 dollars an hour. there is a plan called A plus rate, where if you don't have any absences, tardiness or complaints you get a small percentage raise, you also have to be at "a" rate to get that also. if your at a rate, you also get that last raise percentage they gave us, but if you drop to b or c rate, you also lose the raise percentage. THAT'S WHAT EVERYONE HERE IS COMPLAINING ABOUT WITH US.

let me also add, for ten dollars an hour (the base pay for a medic) i could be flipping hamburgers at white castle. the sad part here is that amr is one of the better paying companies around here and that's why people are leaving this profession and utilizing their skills elsewere. these companies wonder why they can't keep decent people. alot of the younger medics leave here and go to municipalities on the fire dept's for me i'm just too damn old lol, so i'm sort of stuck. i'm not in it for the money, but don't dangle a steak in front of my face then throw me a hot dog.

[mshow00]

Are you Mo or IL? I am from the ILL side and just to point out one thing, this was Abbott's policy(before AMR) and supposedly AMR is looking to make this a national standard so to our fellow AMR "brothers and sisters"(as AMR is one big family) be on the look out. AMR saves thousands if not tens of thousands with this pay plan(the difference in pay is slightly higher than in MO b/c IL crew are required to have a MO licence) ours is $2 and $3 between "a" and "b" rates and another $2 to $3 between "b" and "c"

[JPINFV]

Wow. So you're complaining about having to complete paper work (I have had a problem exactly once with getting a signature, so I had the doctor sign instead of the nurse. Patients that are unable to sign don't count. There is a procedure to handle those signatures) properly and you can't sit out in front of an ER after you get done? To be honest, it sounds like a pretty easy way to make a few extra bucks an hour. Considering that I've seen people have zero problem sitting around for "their 20 minutes" (the company I worked for official limit for time between arrival at the destination and going back in service was 20 minutes. So if they got done in 5 minutes, they'd just sit in the unit for 15 before calling back into service. I've never been complained to about it regardless of if I took 4 minutes or 3 hours) after a call while the rest of the units run calls, this really seems like a non-issue.

To be honest, I'd be willing to bet that any delays that were properly documented and informed to management would be overlooked if brought up tactfully.

As a pure aside, for the love of all that is good, holy, and smells of roses, please use your enter key. Paragraphs are not the enemy, but a wall of text is.