RE: Nursing Float Positions, Float Shifts, and Float Differential

  • At Valley’s Annual Corporate Education (ACE) sessions this summer, we asked staff to participate in two opportunities to provide feedback – Stop, Start, Continue and the Annual Engagement Survey. Over 50 comments from the surveys addressed the use of floats, staff being pulled, etc. Using this feedback, we identified a common theme surrounding the need for posting additional floating positions and addressing the differential for floating. We acknowledge that moving from one neighborhood to another can be difficult and we want to compensate staff accordingly for this disruption.

    Here are the changes that we are going to make to address this issue effective October 29th:

    1. Float pay will increase to a $2.00 per hour differential for CNAs, PCAs, LPNs, and RNs. This will affect all people in float positions, people who pick up float shifts, and people who come to work and are then moved to another neighborhood. At Tufte Manor and Wheatland Terrace, this only applies when you are asked to work in the other building.
    2. Float pay applies to regular status and flex staff who work a float shift. We will continue to prioritize consistent resident care by having the flex staff move before moving positioned staff on a neighborhood.
    3. We will create float positions to cover what we historically experience for call ins at each community on each shift. When those scheduled shifts are not filled, other staff can pick them up to get the $2/hour differential.
    4. When schedules are finalized for the following day, we will make an extra effort to have the float positions filled rather than use the float positions to fill the remaining shifts.
    5. Nursing staff will have a Float Pay rate when either of the following conditions are met:
      • The staff is on the schedule to work a “Float” shift; or
      • The staff who comes to work on their scheduled neighborhood is asked to move to a different neighborhood.

    Example: A caregiver is scheduled to work on a neighborhood. Halfway through the shift, this caregiver is moved from their scheduled neighborhood to an alternative neighborhood due to staffing needs. For the remainder of this shift, the caregiver who was moved from their scheduled neighborhood to an alternative neighborhood will be compensated for the remainder of that shift using a Float rate.

    How will this work? Effective October 29, each CNA, PCA, LPN, and RN will have a Float rate within the HR/Payroll System and time and attendance solution.

    • If you picked up a float shift, punch in using your designated Float rate.
    • If you are asked to move from one neighborhood to another by a supervisor or designee, the caregiver will go to the nearest time clock kiosk, clock out, and clock back in using their designated Float rate until the end of their shift.

    While we recognize that this won’t fix everything related to this issue, it will help to ensure that the residents receive the best care possible while compensating the staff who are willing to pick up float shifts or are asked to float.