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AMS Q&A – Paid Time Off

American Medical Staffing’s mission is to unite quality talent with opportunity, providing the optimal employment and partnership experience in healthcare. Freedom. Flexibility. And a company that really cares about YOU! We implemented our Paid Time Off packages in January 2021 and wanted to take a look at some of our most Frequently Asked Questions with our Manager of People & Culture, Andrew Sepehri!   How do I sign up for PTO?  Talk to your Recruiting Manager about getting PTO added to your pay package. The best time to get signed up for PTO is at the beginning of a new contract or extension You can elect to build 36 or 72 hours of PTO into your pay package. Requested dates off must be outlined and approved prior to finalizing your staffing agreement. PTO cannot be taken during an assignment outside of the requested time off that was submitted in your staffing agreement. Please note all requests are subject to facility approval. There is a PTO request form that is sent to the benefits team to process   Are all clinicians eligible for PTO? All Full-Time clinicians are eligible for PTO. To be considered Full-time you must be on a long-term assignment that is for 30 or more hours   Do I get paid the same pay rate when I am on PTO? PTO is paid out at your year-to-date average hourly rate   When I sign up for PTO do I get the hours I elected up front? No, hours are accrued. If you sign up for the 72-hour plan, you get one hour for every 26 hours worked. If you work 36 hours over the course of one year, you will have accrued the full 72 hours.   Is there a cap on PTO accrual? There is not. If you work extra hours, you can accrue PTO hours quicker and can even earn more than your elected amount in a year   Why is the carryover limit only 12 hours? The Wellness PTO Policy was put into place to encourage wellness. We want are clinicians to use PTO to get a break from their work-life to focus on themselves.   When can I start using my PTO after I sign up for it? You can use hours as soon as your hours have been accrued. The more PTO hours you elect, the quicker they accrue. If you have an upcoming day, we recommend you sign up for the 72-hour plan because hours are accrued quicker   What if I don’t use all my PTO at the end of my contract? The only time PTO is forfeited is at the end of the year (any hours above 12) or when an employee goes inactive for 30+ days. This is easy to avoid by using hours throughout the year or at the end of an assignment   What if I decide in the middle of my contract that I am no longer interested in the PTO I signed up for? You can work with your recruiting manager to get PTO removed from your pay package at any time. The recruiting manager reserves the right to update mid-assignment or wait until the end of the assignment.   What are the most asked questions about PTO? “How do I check my PTO balance” – PTO balance will show on your weekly paystub each week.   What is the most common misconceived notion about PTO? When employees don’t sign up for PTO, it is because they feel that they “are paying for their own PTO” due to the small rate drop when PTO is elected. The reality is, that every person pays for their own PTO. Whether you are working a staff job or at another agency, PTO is accounted for in your “total compensation,” this is why you see this on offer letters. As a nurse-founded agency, we want our clinicians to have the control of building a pay package that suits their needs. If you want to maximize earnings, we will support you. If you want to take time off in between assignments and be compensated, we will support you.   Why should someone sign up for PTO? Everyone deserves to take time off to focus on themselves and not have to worry about the money you are missing out for not working. Additionally, as an hourly employee, you only get paid for the time you work. This means that any holidays or “sick days” are unpaid. It is nice to have PTO hours set aside for any emergencies that may arise.   Please do not hesitate to reach out to your Recruiting Manager if you have any further questions about our Wellness PTO!   Our Employee Engagement team is always looking for new ways where we can expand our wellness resources and perks, if you have an idea, suggestion, or story that you would like to share, please send an email to marketing@americanmedicalstaffing.com.

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Congratulations, Lizzy!

Warmest congratulations to Lizzy Hughes, RN, who has been recognized as Employee of the Month at AHT Hospital. Lizzy has worked in the OR for American Medical Staffing for more than a year. Enjoy some of the comments from her peers: “Lizzy is an excellent nurse and a valuable part of our team” “Provides exceptional care and teamwork – always a pleasure” “Pleasure to work with – great work ethic” We are delighted to have such a great ambassador for AMS at AHT. Enjoy that reserved parking spot just for you this month, Lizzy. We hope you continue to enjoy your long-term assignment at AHT.

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A Tribute to Our Clinicians

Celebrations through Nurses Week 2021 & beyond! As we move through another(!) incredibly tough year; we simply can’t put our appreciation for our Clinicians into words any better than our CMS Founder and CNO, Terri Weller. Give her message a listen in our Nurses Week tribute video. Your grace and dignity under the pressure of this unprecedented pandemic are inspirational. And, as we all continue to adapt and overcome challenges, we will remain your career mentors, healthcare industry advocates, and most of all your biggest supporters!

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An Important Announcement

Dear Nursing Colleagues, I trust you are staying well during these unprecedented times. COVID has certainly had an influence on our profession in many ways. This past year has been full of change and uncertainty; however, the constant is the dedication and commitment to caring for our patients and each other. I would like to thank you for your loyalty to our organization. Twenty years ago, I was one of the original founders of Chesapeake Medical Staffing. I was an agency nurse just like you and I knew then that agency nurses were a critical part of the healthcare delivery system. Knowing that continuous improvement is imperative for the highest quality patient care, we set out to hire only the highest quality clinicians to deliver that caliber of care. Over the years, we have earned a reputation of being a quality organization only hiring the very best talent. We were the first agency in Maryland to earn the Joint Commission’s gold seal of quality as a health staffing firm. Our passion to deliver extraordinary experiences for healthcare professionals and the facilities we serve has been at the heart of our ethos and mission since day one. In 2018, we became part of the American Medical Staffing network, which remains an industry leader, proactively anticipating change and implementing staffing solutions. And so, it is with great anticipation and excitement that we are announcing a new partnership. In May 2021, we initiated the merger of FlexRN Nurse Staffing Agency into our staffing network family. FlexRN is a nurse staffing company with incredibly similar origins as it was also established 20 years ago by a nurse. Over the last two decades, FlexRN has grown into a premier provider of healthcare personnel, focused on providing staffing services coast-to-coast in a range of specialties. “We have known and respected the [Chesapeake Medical Staffing] team for many years,” said Diana Wylie, former President and Chief Nursing Officer for FlexRN. “We share a common passion for taking care of our clients and our nurses and I am enthusiastic about the future of our new entity.” Our partnership will strengthen our ability to provide a broad range of service models, much expanded geographical access, and increased investment in talent engagement and retention.  “Combining the FlexRN business with our existing [Chesapeake Medical Staffing] business will expand the scope and diversity of our staffing solutions to satisfy the needs of a broader range of clients.” American Medical Staffing President, Missy Blankenship This decision to partner with another amazing staffing company was done with all our nurses in mind so that we can offer the best-in-class service and enhancements that we feel all of you deserve. In celebration of our award-winning, Joint Commission-certified, staffing companies coming together we will be creating additional articles, content, and opportunities to meet our merged teams. Throughout this transition, if you have additional questions, we are here to assist you. Don’t hesitate to so please call or email us with your questions. Change and growth are inevitable. As we continue to face the challenges ahead, I ask each of you to be kind to yourself, and one another. “Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate.” Albert Schweitzer Respectfully yours, Terri

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