Basic Compensation Increases. Approximately one third of physicians are salaried in Newfoundland and Labrador, compared with about 5% in most other jurisdictions in Canada. The current budget for salaried physicians is $60 million dollars which represents 30% of the total physician services budget. The terms and conditions applicable to salaried physicians were set out in the Blue Book, and in the MOU. Most salaried physicians do not have individual contracts of employment. There were no increases for salaried physicians during the period of the JMCA. During the period of the MOU, the average GP received a 31% increase and the average specialist received a 52% increase, according to Government’s calculation. As of April 1, 2002, the base compensation ranges for salaried physicians, including retention bonuses are as follows: Salary (5 step scale) Retention Bonus (3 step scale, depending on geographic location) Total General Practitioners 100,000-120,000 2,500-30,000 102,500-150,000 Specialists* 120,000-144,000 4,000-36,000 124,000-180,000 *excluding Oncologists, whose compensation structure is addressed separately. Government proposes salary increases based on equivalency with the non-weighted average of salaried physicians in New Brunswick and ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Island. There are a very small number of salaried physicians in Nova Scotia. Government provided further information with respect to Nova Scotia salaried physicians at the hearing which it submitted supported its position. Government proposes salary increases amounting to 15% over three years. The total increase would be $6.4 million, with $2.1 million for GPs and $4.3 million for specialists. Government agrees that salaries ought to be competitive with the Maritime provinces. Government submits that the amount it proposes would place specialists at the level of equivalency and place GPs above equivalency. The GP salaries are proposed to maintain the historical 1:1.2 ratio between GPs and specialists. There was never any historical relationship between payments to salaried and FFS physicians. Government disputes the figure presented by the NLMA of the average weekly working hours of salaried physicians. Government proposes that retention bonuses be considered when calculating salary increases. The proposal by Government for salaries is as follows: Year 1 Salary Retention Bonus Total General Practitioners 105,000-126,000 2,500-30,000 107,500-156,000 Specialists 126,000-151,200 4,000-36,000 130,000-187,200 Year 2 Salary Retention Bonus Total General Practitioners 110,000-132,000 2,500-30,000 112,500-162,000 Specialists 132,000-158,400 4,000-36,000 136,000-194,000 Year 3 Salary Retention Bonus Total General Practitioners 115,000-138,000 2,500-30,000 117,500-168,000 Specialists 138,000-165,600 4,000-36,000 142,000-201,000 The NLMA proposes a salary increase in line with the increases for FFS physicians. The NLMA proposes a 26% increase over three years comprised of a 20% increase in the first year and 3% in each of the next two years. The total increase is $12.32 million, with $4.1 million for GPs and $8.22 million for specialists. The proposal was submitted by the NLMA to be reasonable compensation on the assumption that the Arbitration Board also granted its proposal for a defined work week. The Government proposal did not represent parity with the Maritimes, having regard to the AFP compensation paid in Nova Scotia. The NLMA calculated that the effective hourly rate for salaried physicians, based on 62 working hours per week, was $46.00 per hour, which was at the lower end of the scale for the Atlantic provinces. When comparing salaries, it is important to consider that in New Brunswick and ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Island salaried physicians have a defined work week. The NLMA proposal for salaries for GP’s is as follows: Current 100,000 105,000 110,000 115,000 120,000 Year 1 120,000 126,000 132,000 138,000 144,000 Year 2 123,600 129,780 135,960 142,140 148,320 Year 3 127,308 133,673 140,039 146,404 152,770 The NLMA proposal for salaries for specialists is as follows: Salary Range Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Current 120,000 126,000 132,000 138,000 144,000 Year 1 144,000 151,200 158,400 165,600 172,800 Year 2 148,320 155,736 163,152 170,568 177,984 Year 3 152,770 160,408 168,047 175,685 183,324 The Board finds that a comparison of salaries with the Maritime provinces is appropriate. The current salary range is comparable with New Brunswick and ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Island. However, those provinces have defined work weeks. In this province, there is no defined work week, but the information available suggests that most physicians have considerable workloads and work long hours. Therefore, in the absence of a defined work week, there is justification for slightly higher salaries compared to the Maritimes, having regard to all factors, in particular the factor of the need for sufficient physician resources. Salaried physicians are essential to meet the physician demand in certain geographic areas or for certain specialties. Considering the factors in the Terms of Reference, it is appropriate to award an increase that provides a higher percentage increase in year 1 when compared to Government’s proposal. The proposal by the NLMA is excessive, having regard to the factors in the Terms of Reference. The Board awards increases of 8% in year 1, 5% in year 2, and 5% in year 3 not compounded. When determining the amount to be applied to the physician services budget, the Board has applied the appropriate increase to the base budget. When examining the proposals submitted by the parties, the Board determined that Government was using a base figure for salaries of $42,660,000 and the NLMA was using a base figure for salaries of $45,000,000. For the purpose of allocating increases to the budget, the Board will apply the increases to the base figure of $42,660,000. Therefore, applying increases of 8%, 5% and 5% not compounded, the budgeted increases are $3,414,000 in year 1, $2,133,000 in year 2 and $2,133,000 in year 3, for a total of $7,680,000. The total increase is applied to the salary scales according to the following tables: General practice: Current 100,000 105,000 110,000 115,000 120,000 Year 1 108,000 113,400 118,800 124,200 129,600 Year 2 113,000 118,650 124,300 129,950 135,600 Year 3 118,000 123,900 129,800 135,700 141,600 Specialists Salary Range Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Current 120,000 126,000 132,000 138,000 144,000 Year 1 129,600 136,080 142,560 149,040 155,520 Year 2 135,600 142,380 149,160 155,940 162,720 Year 3 141,600 148,680 155,760 162,840 169,920 Salaried physicians do not have a defined expectation for the number of working hours per week. The Arbitration Board was informed that salaried physicians work the hours required to meet the demand for services and complete their work. There is a defined work week for salaried physicians in New Brunswick of 37.25 hours and in ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Island of 37.5 hours. The NLMA proposes that there be a defined work week of 37.5 hours per week between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. from Monday through Friday unless otherwise agreed between the physician and the employer. Physicians would be allowed to ▇▇▇▇ on a FFS basis for work outside the defined work week. Salaried physicians who participate in an on call rota during the defined work week would not be permitted to ▇▇▇▇ FFS during regular working hours but would be permitted to do so outside regular working hours. There should be a clearly defined policy regarding hours of work. The NLMA submits that it would consider alternatives to unlimited FFS ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ by salaried physicians. The options would include placing a cap on FFS ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, defining working hours on an annual or monthly basis instead of a weekly basis, and time off in lieu of overtime. The NLMA submits that if FFS ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ are allowed outside regular hours, then a cap in the amount of $30,000 annually would be reasonable. Government submits that accepting the proposal of a defined work week would cause a significant change in the manner in which physician services are provided in the province. The defined work week would have far reaching and unknown consequences on operations and physician compensation. Government proposes maintaining the status quo with no defined work week for salaried physicians. In New Brunswick and ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Island, the salaried physician system developed with a defined work week policy from the outset. The salaried physician utilization in this Province evolved to address the need for medical services in areas of low population density and poor transportation systems, and in areas where the volume of work was not adequate to support a FFS method of remuneration. There would be an administrative cost to keep time records of physicians. Adoption of the defined work week would require the elimination of the $2.6 million additional workload policy, which addresses the situation of excess workload, and the elimination of various leave provisions, such as compensatory leave, which are intended to provide compensation in lieu of overtime for additional work. The Board observes that the terms and conditions of employment of salaried physicians do not include an expectation for hours of work on a weekly basis or otherwise. Physicians are expected to complete the work that is required. This situation can produce unfair results, where lengthy hours of work are required as a result of demand for services and shortage of physician supply in a geographic area or area of practice. The purpose of a defined work week is to provide consistency in working conditions and to avoid excessive workload without adequate compensation. There are defined work weeks in New Brunswick and ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Island. However, the introduction of a defined work week will have significant consequences that have not been discussed by the parties. It is likely that compensatory leave, compensation for additional workload and other terms will be affected by a defined work week. The details of such related issues should be the subject of negotiations between the parties. The Board is not prepared to order a defined work week on the basis of the current submissions and without prior discussion by the parties of the details of the proposal and its implications. Further study of the issue is required to assess the implications. There is no order for a defined work week.
Appears in 1 contract
Sources: Arbitration Award
Basic Compensation Increases. Approximately one third of physicians are salaried in Newfoundland and Labrador, compared with about 5% in most other jurisdictions in Canada. The current budget for salaried physicians is $60 million dollars which represents 30% of the total physician services budget. The terms and conditions applicable to salaried physicians were set out in the Blue Book, and in the MOU. Most salaried physicians do not have individual contracts of employment. There were no increases for salaried physicians during the period of the JMCA. During the period of the MOU, the average GP received a 31% increase and the average specialist received a 52% increase, according to Government’s calculation. As of April 1, 2002, the base compensation ranges for salaried physicians, including retention bonuses are as follows: Salary (5 step scale) Retention Bonus (3 step scale, depending on geographic location) Total General Practitioners 100,000-120,000 2,500-30,000 102,500-150,000 Specialists* 120,000-144,000 4,000-36,000 124,000-180,000 *excluding Oncologists, whose compensation structure is addressed separately. Government proposes salary increases based on equivalency with the non-weighted average of salaried physicians in New Brunswick and ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Island. There are a very small number of salaried physicians in Nova Scotia. Government provided further information with respect to Nova Scotia salaried physicians at the hearing which it submitted supported its position. Government proposes salary increases amounting to 15% over three years. The total increase would be $6.4 million, with $2.1 million for GPs and $4.3 million for specialists. Government agrees that salaries ought to be competitive with the Maritime provinces. Government submits that the amount it proposes would place specialists at the level of equivalency and place GPs above equivalency. The GP salaries are proposed to maintain the historical 1:1.2 ratio between GPs and specialists. There was never any historical relationship between payments to salaried and FFS physicians. Government disputes the figure presented by the NLMA of the average weekly working hours of salaried physicians. Government proposes that retention bonuses be considered when calculating salary increases. The proposal by Government for salaries is as follows: Year 1 Salary Retention Bonus Total General Practitioners 105,000-126,000 2,500-30,000 107,500-156,000 Specialists 126,000-151,200 4,000-36,000 130,000-187,200 Year 2 Salary Retention Bonus Total General Practitioners 110,000-132,000 2,500-30,000 112,500-162,000 Specialists 132,000-158,400 4,000-36,000 136,000-194,000 Year 3 Salary Retention Bonus Total General Practitioners 115,000-138,000 2,500-30,000 117,500-168,000 Specialists 138,000-165,600 4,000-36,000 142,000-201,000 The NLMA proposes a salary increase in line with the increases for FFS physicians. The NLMA proposes a 26% increase over three years comprised of a 20% increase in the first year and 3% in each of the next two years. The total increase is $12.32 million, with $4.1 million for GPs and $8.22 million for specialists. The proposal was submitted by the NLMA to be reasonable compensation on the assumption that the Arbitration Board also granted its proposal for a defined work week. The Government proposal did not represent parity with the Maritimes, having regard to the AFP compensation paid in Nova Scotia. The NLMA calculated that the effective hourly rate for salaried physicians, based on 62 working hours per week, was $46.00 per hour, which was at the lower end of the scale for the Atlantic provinces. When comparing salaries, it is important to consider that in New Brunswick and ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Island salaried physicians have a defined work week. The NLMA proposal for salaries for GP’s is as follows: Current 100,000 105,000 110,000 115,000 120,000 Year 1 120,000 126,000 132,000 138,000 144,000 Year 2 123,600 129,780 135,960 142,140 148,320 Year 3 127,308 133,673 140,039 146,404 152,770 The NLMA proposal for salaries for specialists is as follows: Salary Range Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Current 120,000 126,000 132,000 138,000 144,000 Year 1 144,000 151,200 158,400 165,600 172,800 Year 2 148,320 155,736 163,152 170,568 177,984 Year 3 152,770 160,408 168,047 175,685 183,324 The Board finds that a comparison of salaries with the Maritime provinces is appropriate. The current salary range is comparable with New Brunswick and ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Island. However, those provinces have defined work weeks. In this province, there is no defined work week, but the information available suggests that most physicians have considerable workloads and work long hours. Therefore, in the absence of a defined work week, there is justification for slightly higher salaries compared to the Maritimes, having regard to all factors, in particular the factor of the need for sufficient physician resources. Salaried physicians are essential to meet the physician demand in certain geographic areas or for certain specialties. Considering the factors in the Terms of Reference, it is appropriate to award an increase that provides a higher percentage increase in year 1 when compared to Government’s proposal. The proposal by the NLMA is excessive, having regard to the factors in the Terms of Reference. The Board awards increases of 8% in year 1, 5% in year 2, and 5% in year 3 not compounded. When determining the amount to be applied to the physician services budget, the Board has applied the appropriate increase to the base budget. When examining the proposals submitted by the parties, the Board determined that Government was using a base figure for salaries of $42,660,000 and the NLMA was using a base figure for salaries of $45,000,000. For the purpose of allocating increases to the budget, the Board will apply the increases to the base figure of $42,660,000. Therefore, applying increases of 8%, 5% and 5% not compounded, the budgeted increases are $3,414,000 in year 1, $2,133,000 in year 2 and $2,133,000 in year 3, for a total of $7,680,000. The total increase is applied to the salary scales according to the following tables: General practice: Current 100,000 105,000 110,000 115,000 120,000 Year 1 108,000 113,400 118,800 124,200 129,600 Year 2 113,000 118,650 124,300 129,950 135,600 Year 3 118,000 123,900 129,800 135,700 141,600 Specialists Salary Range Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Current 120,000 126,000 132,000 138,000 144,000 Year 1 129,600 136,080 142,560 149,040 155,520 Year 2 135,600 142,380 149,160 155,940 162,720 Year 3 141,600 148,680 155,760 162,840 169,920 Salaried physicians do not have a defined expectation for the number of working hours per week. The Arbitration Board was informed that salaried physicians work the hours required to meet the demand for services and complete their work. There is a defined work week for salaried physicians in New Brunswick of 37.25 hours and in ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Island of 37.5 hours. The NLMA proposes that there be a defined work week of 37.5 hours per week between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. from Monday through Friday unless otherwise agreed between the physician and the employer. Physicians would be allowed to ▇▇▇▇ on a FFS basis for work outside the defined work week. Salaried physicians who participate in an on call rota during the defined work week would not be permitted to ▇▇▇▇ FFS during regular working hours but would be permitted to do so outside regular working hours. There should be a clearly defined policy regarding hours of work. The NLMA submits that it would consider alternatives to unlimited FFS ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ by salaried physicians. The options would include placing a cap on FFS ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, defining working hours on an annual or monthly basis instead of a weekly basis, and time off in lieu of overtime. The NLMA submits that if FFS ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ are allowed outside regular hours, then a cap in the amount of $30,000 annually would be reasonable. Government submits that accepting the proposal of a defined work week would cause a significant change in the manner in which physician services are provided in the province. The defined work week would have far reaching and unknown consequences on operations and physician compensation. Government proposes maintaining the status quo with no defined work week for salaried physicians. In New Brunswick and ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Island, the salaried physician system developed with a defined work week policy from the outset. The salaried physician utilization in this Province evolved to address the need for medical services in areas of low population density and poor transportation systems, and in areas where the volume of work was not adequate to support a FFS method of remuneration. There would be an administrative cost to keep time records of physicians. Adoption of the defined work week would require the elimination of the $2.6 million additional workload policy, which addresses the situation of excess workload, and the elimination of various leave provisions, such as compensatory leave, which are intended to provide compensation in lieu of overtime for additional work. The Board observes that the terms and conditions of employment of salaried physicians do not include an expectation for hours of work on a weekly basis or otherwise. Physicians are expected to complete the work that is required. This situation can produce unfair results, where lengthy hours of work are required as a result of demand for services and shortage of physician supply in a geographic area or area of practice. The purpose of a defined work week is to provide consistency in working conditions and to avoid excessive workload without adequate compensation. There are defined work weeks in New Brunswick and ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Island. However, the introduction of a defined work week will have significant consequences that have not been discussed by the parties. It is likely that compensatory leave, compensation for additional workload and other terms will be affected by a defined work week. The details of such related issues should be the subject of negotiations between the parties. The Board is not prepared to order a defined work week on the basis of the current submissions and without prior discussion by the parties of the details of the proposal and its implications. Further study of the issue is required to assess the implications. There is no order for a defined work week.the
Appears in 1 contract
Sources: Arbitration Award