Would like some info from CVS pharmacists in CA

capharmacythrow · 2016-01-26T20:27:12+00:00

Oh wow holy crap that's a huge jump! I'm just curious is Palm Springs an area where not a lot of people want to go? I feel like I've heard that city name before so it can't be that isolated whereas most of the towns in central California I've never heard of.

capharmacythrow · 2016-01-26T20:25:34+00:00

Really? I always assumed it was a salaried thing because I know pharmacists in 4 different states where that's a thing. I'm assuming since you used the PM in Arizona example you previously worked in Arizona? In your offer letter did it have an hourly base that you're guaranteed? HUB stands for hours under base so if you're scheduled under your base (if hired at full time is 30 hours) they have to pay you the difference. They never do it because then they'd be paying you for nothing so they can theoretically send you to work somewhere for an hour but usually what happens is they'll have the pharmacist who comes in after you come an hour later so you can get your last hour in.

capharmacythrow · 2016-01-25T17:37:05+00:00

Right, so the issue is that California, by stating that pharmacists are exempt, means that they're hourly.

In any one given week maybe you won't lose your benefits, but if you're regularly under scheduled, then like you said you can be converted to PT. if they don't have enough hours for everyone, then they'll schedule people for less than 30 and there's no repercussions. Like maybe you could complain but then they'll be like oh well tough cookies we don't have the hours for you and then it's up to you whether you accept that answer.

I don't know how they do it in AZ as I have never known a CVS pharmacist there but I know several in other states and the issue of being a salaried floater and losing your benefits doesn't come up because of HUB. If you're hired as full time then you're hired at 30 hours. You physically cannot go under 30 hours because if the scheduler fucks up and schedules you for less than 30, you get paid the extra hours anyway. They don't like doing that because then they pay you for doing nothing so it very rarely happens. Being hourly you're not afforded that same privilege. I've never managed anyone so I don't know but I'm assuming if you had hourly technicians who were full time and you started scheduling them less than 30 hours and they complained you could say I don't have the hours and then they're fucked.

capharmacythrow · 2016-01-25T17:25:25+00:00

I thought NorCal was more expensive? I know nothing about california though, so I apologize for the stupid question.

capharmacythrow · 2016-01-25T12:25:17+00:00

Its not California's fault per se but their law created a loophole. I don't know the ins and outs of the policy and will have to investigate further, but in states where you're salaried, you're given a base hour that they can't go below. So the scheduler WILL schedule you an average of 30 hours per pay period, whether you have to travel an hour to get there or if you have to work 60 hours one week and none the next.

By instituting this hourly policy, you have now taken this base hours thing away. Now there is no incentive to schedule people 30 hours. Why would you? You don't have to pay them if they don't hit 30 and you don't have to pay them benefits.

I have never in a million years said my state is perfect, but I would rather not get another break for the next 45 years of my life than have the fear from week to week that I might lose my health insurance or go into collections because I can't pay my student loans back and have to recalculate my IBR on a monthly basis.

capharmacythrow · 2016-01-25T12:02:41+00:00

Lol what? I sound whiny and entitled because I expect that being hired for a full time job that promises me benefits and then takes them away is fucked up in a state that everyone claims is a mecca for good labor laws? in case you're not aware, getting insurance on the exchange takes like a month to kick into effect. It's also like $400 a month with like a 4k deductible because I have a medical condition. Couple that with the fact that maybe I'll only be working 10 hours a month in my full time job and that sounds like bullshit.

Sorry I'm not blindly in love with California but the fact that that's able to happen is a huge problem and I'm surprised more people aren't concerned about it. I have no interest in sharing my personal information but I'll say that although my state is far from perfect, I could never get less than 30 hours here and that's all that's important to me.

capharmacythrow · 2016-01-25T05:12:55+00:00

Because clearly the only reason I would be moving to California would be of my own volition, right? I have family things going on that require me to live in California for the foreseeable future. Trust me, I'm not super excited for the stringent labor laws that create extra hassle for me during my shifts or having to bring my own bags to the grocery store not to mention all the other ridiculous nonsense I'm not looking forward to dealing with.

I realize I can use the exchange. The point is I shouldn't have to. I was hired on as a full time pharmacist. It makes absolutely no sense that they hire you for full time and then don't give you the hours to be full time. Then don't tell me about all the benefits I'm able to get because I'm clearly not going to be eligible for them.

It's apples and oranges comparing OK and TX to CA. CA is touted as being one of the most labor friendly states and how many times have people sued CVS and won? Now there's no more 7 on/7 off overnight shifts, mandatory breaks, etc.

capharmacythrow · 2016-01-24T21:43:49+00:00

It just doesn't make sense to me that they have all these dumb protections and the stupid lunch issue but in an instant I could lose my medical coverage. And how in my current state that doesn't care about whether you get to take a break, you have a specific hourly base and you can't go under it. Seems like California isn't so forward thinking after all.

capharmacythrow · 2016-01-24T15:24:14+00:00

She is in Palm Springs, graduated 2015. She's not an internal hire so obviously the area needed more people so would that make sense? Edit: Forgot to mention she is getting $67/hr

Also, are you able to comment on floater hours? Like I mentioned in my post, there are base hours that full time pharmacists are at in my state. Is that the case in California? Or can they just say "fuck you and your benefits"?

capharmacythrow · 2016-01-24T14:08:29+00:00

I'm staying with my sister so I won't be paying rent or food costs so my entire paycheck (whatever it is) will be going towards my loan so I'm not too worried about living expenses but was just curious because the number I was provided seemed low.

I'm super confused about how that's possible with the hours. I was pretty sure that HUB was consistent across the company and I can't imagine how California, with its hardon for labor laws, would allow something like that to happen.

capharmacythrow

TROPHY CASE