TO AMR EMPLOYEES "PAY FOR PERFORMANCE PLAN"

[Dustdevil]

I don't even care about the pay raise, IF, they did away with the pay for performance plan and left us at "a" rate.

So, you think every employee at your shop is worth this "a" rate? Nobody there does a better job that might be worth more, and nobody sux and is worth less? Very socialistic of you.

One thing I have noticed with PBC is that it is pretty consistent. The same people excel every month, with very little variation. That says to me that it IS within your control. If the stats were totally random and out of your control, the winners would vary every period. They don't.

Perhaps rather than whining about being asked to work as hard as the top guys, you could just figure out what it is that they are doing better and try and emulate that.

[checkersfire]

Perhaps rather than whining about being asked to work as hard as the top guys, you could just figure out what it is that they are doing better and try and emulate that.

I can tell you how they stay at "a" rate, they cheat their times!!! They will call en route then sit on scene another 10 minutes or drop the pt off at the er and have their partner go outside and put them "back in service" so their times stop. Like I said, I don't have so much of a problem with the paperwork portion, we can control that. Like mshow stated above, there are some substandard people here where we are that never get in any kind of trouble. I can't understand why? they seem to have the worst bedside manner, are the rudest to the staff at er's and snf's. They shuffle pt's in and out like cattle to keep their times good, to me that's not good pt care at all. Unfortunately, when these ass clowns do this, it makes us ALL look bad and incompetent. I have known people who have done some pretty stupid, I mean REALLY stupid things and still have a job and are at "a" rate and still have their job. I guarantee if I went in tomorrow and even mentioned I might call a union to talk to them, I would be gone by Thursday, and that's no joke, and I have a very clean record except for some absences for when I had skin cancer and missed 2 months last year. The plan looks good on paper, and may sound good to those on the outside, but when you really look into it, the way it's set up here, it stinks. I was asked a couple years ago what I would do different if I were mgt, my reply was do away with the performance plan, and if someone can't maintain an acceptable performance then they would be going bye bye lol. The paperwork issue is just an add on to the total plan, if you can't figure out the paperwork in a couple days, the you really shouldn't be touching a patient they have changed some things, used to, 911 (code 3) calls counted on your times, so if your on-scene at a mvc and waiting 35 or 40 minutes for the fire dept do exticate, your times counted. Now, at least if your call is dispatched code 3, your times don't count. If your called to a snf or mutual aid with a fire dept, it's considered "prior care on scene" which is a code 2 call (lights and sirens) but your times count, even though your doing the same treatment. Also, wait and returns to the dr's office used to count on your times, or if you were waiting for another crew to help you lift a pt, your times counted. At least they changed it so, code 3, wait and returns and lift assists don't count anymore so that's one positive.

[Dustdevil]

I don't really disagree with anything you're saying there. The only problem I have is that you offer no solution other than to "forget about it". That doesn't address the problem that you admit exists, which is a lot of sub-standard slugs remaining in the system, making the same money as you. In the 21st century, corporations can no longer just arbitrarily decide who they do and do not like. You have to provide some manner of objectively evaluating your employees. That is what PBC attempts to do.

We all agree that some of the criteria are -- though objective -- not particularly illustrative of an employee's performance. No doubt about that. But what is the alternative? Discounting someone else's solution is not itself a solution. If you want them to abandon the current system, perhaps you should focus your attention on helping them find a more objective solution, because really, until something better comes along, they're simply not going to abandon what they have.

As for the union thing, I just think you are being incredibly naive. AMR has been dealing with that nonsense for thirty years. This isn't their first rodeo. You're the n00b, not them. They are Goliath, and you're still struggling to find a good sized rock. And Kalifornia is one place where you're going to have one hell of a time finding one. There is an EMT school and a 14 week paramedic school on every corner, cranking out thousands of grads a year who have very few job prospects. If you don't think those people would replace you in a heartbeat, you're mistaken. In fact, they'd take a pay cut from their current IFT company to work that 911 slot. It's simple supply and demand, and you don't have any bargaining power. Nothing about a union is going to change that.

That really leaves you with only the option that mshow00 mentioned before: Love it or leave it.

[Sommers]

yeah

[Sommers]

I have never heard of actually withholding pay for performance. Is this even legal? AMR has tried in the past to provide incentive for completed paperwork, i.e. $1/properly completed paperwork, $2 for haveing the auto insurance section filled out on MVA's etc.

In Worcester, MA they implimented the incentive plan. My understanding is that it was costing too much so they began coming up with excuses for paperwork being called incomplete..missing the area code in the phone # even though the persone was FROM the area, etc. Eventually they dropped it.

What other job would allow the employer to go below the base rate of pay? Can you imagine working construction and being told "You used too many screws in that sheetrock, gonna dock you $5 for the week."

If you are not doing your basic job you should be subject to progressive disiplin...oops...corrective action. Seems an awfully easy way for AMR to cut the bottom line.

[JPINFV]

In Worcester, MA they implimented the incentive plan. My understanding is that it was costing too much so they began coming up with excuses for paperwork being called incomplete..missing the area code in the phone # even though the persone was FROM the area, etc. Eventually they dropped it.

It's not always that simple, though. For example, I'm currently living in Boston for school, yet my area code on my cell phone (my only phone, for the record) is from Southern California (714). In addition, areas where phone numbers are running out are starting to adopt 10 digit dialing to increase the pool of phone numbers without forcing people to change phone numbers.

[mshow00]

I have never heard of actually withholding pay for performance. Is this even legal? AMR has tried in the past to provide incentive for completed paperwork, i.e. $1/properly completed paperwork, $2 for haveing the auto insurance section filled out on MVA's etc.

In Worcester, MA they implimented the incentive plan. My understanding is that it was costing too much so they began coming up with excuses for paperwork being called incomplete..missing the area code in the phone # even though the persone was FROM the area, etc. Eventually they dropped it.

What other job would allow the employer to go below the base rate of pay? Can you imagine working construction and being told "You used too many screws in that sheetrock, gonna dock you $5 for the week."

If you are not doing your basic job you should be subject to progressive disiplin...oops...corrective action. Seems an awfully easy way for AMR to cut the bottom line.

To be completely honest, our base rate is the " C" rate, some $8/hr for EMTs. We then move up to "B" and "A" rate. and then the select few that qualify for it even get "A+",think that is $.50/hr more. So yes it it legal. Like I said in an early post I get a $200 "bump" in pay per pay check for being at "B" rate and another $200 "bump" for going "B" to "A". As I understand it, the plan was implemented because of our counter parts across the river taking way to long on transfers, which is what they mostly do; and the paperwork became a big thing (according to office personal) so that we could get paid as much as possible from public aid and Medicaid.

[Doug]

I agrre with sommers this doesn't seem legal. msShow00 i understand you get $8/hour yes? And you have the ability to bump your pay up per week based on performance. What I understood was happening was that you have your $8/hour and they can TAKE some of that from you based on performance. so if your base pay is $320/week for 40 hours "oops, sorry dear you missed 3 signatures thats $25 deducted." Or am I misunderstanding this whole thing?

[checkersfire]

I have never heard of actually withholding pay for performance. Is this even legal? AMR has tried in the past to provide incentive for completed paperwork, i.e. $1/properly completed paperwork, $2 for haveing the auto insurance section filled out on MVA's etc.

In Worcester, MA they implimented the incentive plan. My understanding is that it was costing too much so they began coming up with excuses for paperwork being called incomplete..missing the area code in the phone # even though the persone was FROM the area, etc. Eventually they dropped it.

What other job would allow the employer to go below the base rate of pay? Can you imagine working construction and being told "You used too many screws in that sheetrock, gonna dock you $5 for the week."

If you are not doing your basic job you should be subject to progressive disiplin...oops...corrective action. Seems an awfully easy way for AMR to cut the bottom line.

They are not technically "withholding pay" they say your base pay is actually $2 dollars less an hour, so its considered a "bonus" if you do everything right.

[checkersfire]

I agrre with sommers this doesn't seem legal. msShow00 i understand you get $8/hour yes? And you have the ability to bump your pay up per week based on performance. What I understood was happening was that you have your $8/hour and they can TAKE some of that from you based on performance. so if your base pay is $320/week for 40 hours "oops, sorry dear you missed 3 signatures thats $25 deducted." Or am I misunderstanding this whole thing?

No, the starting base pay for emt for example is 8.90 an hour, if you achieve "b" rate its 9.90 and "a" rates is 10.90. If you and your partner are dual licensed (illinois and missouri) you get an extra 65 cents an hour. Only if your on the Illinois side though, the Missouri employees don't have that option. The reason I'm complaining is the fact that they start you out at "a" rate automatically then if you mess up it feels like your being punished, when in reality they should start you at the lower rate and you earn your "a" rate and maybe it would seem different, I don't know. I figure it won't change anytime soon. My main reason for posting on here was to let the other amr employees across the country know what they are trying to implement all over!