Here is an update to the problems with paramedic employment that I have been posting about for the last few weeks.
My girlfriend works for a large ambulance company. One of the things this company does, is provide first aid personnel to local venues that need EMS personnel standing by. One of these venues is very popular amongst the EMS personnel, as the job entails standing around and watching events the people normally pay large amounts of money to attend, and it beats riding around all night in an ambulance, tending to homeless drug abusers.
Anyway, my girlfriend has been assigned working events at this venue for the past year. Last month, her employer decided that you needed to attend a special training session if you want to keep working at this venue. Her employer claims that the 4 hour class must be taken without pay. They claim that they can do this, because the class isn't mandatory- you don't have to take it if you don't want to, but they will just reassign you to the ambulance division.
I told her it is illegal, but the job market is so tight right now, she is going to take the class without pay rather than risk rocking the boat and losing her job.
That is what it is like to be a paramedic in Florida.
At my former employer, we would occasionally have similar training requirements. Most of our training was compensated per contract, but some was not.
ReplyDeleteUnder the laws of my state, that's legal because it was not training that was required to maintain a job.
It sucks, but it's not uncommon.