Contract negotiation is important if you are interested in a position in a health care facility. Some physicians prefer to leave the process to their lawyers. However, your lawyer may not negotiate your contract with a potential employer. A large number of them will look through the employment agreement and point out the benefits and disadvantages. Inform your lawyer in advance if you would prefer to have them handle the contract negotiations on your behalf. Contract negotiation on your own allows you to save on legal fees. It also allows you to take charge of the process and highlight aspects that are important to you. The process may also take less time if you are dealing with a potential employer directly. Here are some of the things you need to focus on during contract negotiations.
If you are job hunting, one of the most important aspects to consider during contract negotiation is compensation. Find an employer that is willing to offer a guaranteed base salary. During the negotiations, you should try to get a base salary that is not adjustable. If you are a recent graduate, an employer is likely to offer you a guaranteed salary for about a year. You should find out if the kind of compensation is similar to what is offered to other physicians with your level of experience and skills. Carry out a survey to determine what other physician jobs are paying before you negotiate. Some employers offer a base salary and incentive compensation. Inquire about the requirements physicians are required to fulfill in order to get the incentive. Choose an employer that applies reasonable benchmarks to determine incentive payments.
In most cases, employers provide health insurance for physicians and while others extend the benefits to the employees family members. Other benefits that you can negotiate for include continuing medical education pay, license fees, and medical staff due. Health system and hospital employers tend to offer a wide variety of benefits compared to private practices. Negotiate for a retirement plan with your prospective employer. You should also get paid vacation for a few weeks in a year. Physicians are required to improve their skills and knowledge over the years therefore it will be important to negotiate for some continuing medical education time. The contract has to clearly state the amount of paid vacation that you will get. This will protect you in case the employer decides to alter their vacation policy.
Negotiate for malpractice insurance with the employer. This protects the physician when a patient makes a claim. DoctorsChoicePlacement.com can help you to identify some of the benefits you should negotiate for.
Another significant consideration before contract negotiation is schedule. You need to know how demanding your schedule will be. Most employers allow for flexibility when it comes to schedule. If you have certain preferences like working weekends or nights, they should be included in your employment agreement. You can also negotiate to work part-time based on your responsibilities. Each detail should be clearly spelt out in the agreement to prevent exploitation by the employer.
Ask for a without cause clause in the termination provision. This allows you to stop working for the employer at any point without offering a reason. However, this also means that the employer can dismiss you without giving a reason. Negotiate for a termination notice, which is usually between 30 and 90 days.
If you are interested in a physician position, ask the employer to send you a contract. Examine the agreement in detail and ask a legal professional to go through it and highlight any issues that need to be addressed before you sign it. Inform the employer about the concerns you have and suggest changes that you would like in the contract agreement. Most employers will say that the agreement is standard but if you still have an opportunity to have changes made. The employer might not agree with some of the changes that you want therefore you may have to compromise in order to get the position. However, if you raise an issue that is very important for you, do not feel pressured to give it up. If an employer is negotiating with you, they know that you have the skills and experience required for the position therefore they will be willing to compromise.
One of the major ways to increase your negotiation power is have multiple options when it comes to contract negotiation. If your looking for physician jobs an we provide an excellent resource in find potential positions. Spend some time in providing your resume to multiple places and you can maximize the amount of value you are able to obtain from your job.
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