Business Hours Part 2

Derrick Kleiner

Description

Title:

Business Hours Part 2

Creator:

Derrick Kleiner

Date:

7/1/2018

Text:

Hi Derrick,

I've had some experience with this; we have a very high flow office (focused on pediatrics) that it was difficult for salaried staff to limit days to 8 hours due to the flow, as well as in-hospital clinics running longer hours than 8:30-5. 4-10 hour days rotated depending on how many employees were involved. If it's limited to ONLY 4-10 hour shifts, you may run into those who need 8 hour shifts in their days, following 5 day weeks (ie those with long commutes, families, etc). You do get more coverage overall in a day, but need to know what is your required level of staff to run well; especially for sick days, 'vacation season' etc. For holiday weeks for major holidays the 4-10 hour employees would have 4 rotated 8 hour shifts instead, with everybody off on the holiday to ensure coverage.

PTO would then be removing 10 hours for each day off technically on standard weeks, unless they are used as units of days off. I have not been on this schedule myself for a while, but these were some of the basic ideas that I knew then, and hear about now. Many colleagues were very happy to follow 4-10 hour schedules when it worked for them.

**other considerations might also include if your staff follows any on-call weekend factors.


Do you want more business? Build a practice for the convenance of you patients, not employees. I was president of the #2 O&P company 38 offices in 8 states, I have sold 4 large practices. Do what will benefit the patient!


Good morning Derrick,

I am a CPO who works in a facility that offers extended hours like you are discussing. Most clinicians choose to work 4-10 hr shifts (each has a set day off). But some clinicians tend to work 5 days a week, with either a late start, or an early off day. I can give you a little input from a clinician standpoint. My director keeps an eye on the list serve, so maybe he will chime in from a management standpoint.

Pros
- Great for worker moral: our staff loves the flexibility. This gives some of us a long weekend, or a break in the middle of the week. Those with kids, love the flexibility to work around school schedules, car pool, etc.

- Great for personal appts: This provides me a day where I take care of personal appts (Doctors, Dentists, Home Contractors, Etc).

- Patients like extended hours: We get multiple comments from patients who are happy that they do not have to adjust their work/school schedules to come to appts

- Allows more availability for provider support: We service hospitals, OR procedures, & often attend physician appts with our patients. A lot of these orders are not during your regular 8am-5pm shift. Later/Earlier hours allows us to respond quicker to these needs, without burdening our on-call staff member

- Scheduling can be tricky: We are only allowed to change our work hours 1-2 times per year. This is completely depended on staff coverage. Most keep the hours that they have set. Some with kids tend to change hours when kids are in school/out for summer. Such changes need to be planned months out to ensure it does not effect scheduling/coverage.

- PTO: The fine print of our flexible scheduling is that we have to be lenient toward occasional changes due to requested PTO. When PTO is requested, staffing is analyzed by management. If staffing is low, management may ask a clinician to change their hours to provide coverage for the away clinician. This rarely happens, & is only a minor inconvenience when it occurs. From a personal standpoint, having the consistent day off is worth the occasional adjustment to help with coverage.


Hi Derrick,

I did longer hours for some practitioners in the past for 10 hr days, it was a waste of money/time, people didn't really schedule in off hours as much as you would think, so then practitioners were there, presumably fabbing, which was not as efficient. I would not do it again. Was a lot of slacking off by people who didn't normally slack off otherwise. Plus people got tired, and basically only gave an honest 8 hour day anyhow. paid for 10, got 8.

....furthermore,

I don't know how much walk in stuff you have, or hospital calls, but the issue arises when someone is on vacation, then you also have someone gone, due to their normal day off, it makes it a huge pain for whoever is left to fit people in. Similar to why I try not to have multiple people scheduled out on vacation at the same time, in the same job. It makes it worse for whoever is left, which was sometimes me, which was worse yet.


Derrick

    I worked 4 10 at the Forest Service, they were ok for a while but people began to resent them

in the winter. Start work in the dark and finish in the dark. There is another option that you may not

be aware of but those that used it were happy, that is the 5/4 9 hour days with every other weekend

off.

 Just my 2 cents.


I would love to do this at my office also. I think extended hours are a perk for referal sources and employees.

We do 4 Ten Hour Days. 7:30-6. On call practitioner is responsible for hospital calls on Fridays and throughout the weekend. It works out really well. Especially when a holiday falls on a Monday we end up with a four-day weekend. It really is all about the scheduling so nobody really misses Fridays. And remember if you increase your hours or do the shift thing it’s really difficult to change it or go back so whatever you create is what you’re going to end up with. Call me if you have any other specific questions. Overall were totally excited and we would never go back. And if anyone ever left they would have to go back to work in a five day work week and that would really stink for them!!


Derrick R. Kleiner, CPO

American Board Certified Prosthetist Orthotist
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300 Union Avenue |Suite C | Grants Pass OR 97527
Telephone. 541.955.9678

Fax. 541.471.4909

Email. <Email Address Redacted>

www.SpectrumOandP.com< <URL Redacted>>








                          

Citation

Derrick Kleiner, “Business Hours Part 2,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 23, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/209013.