Part-time and Contingent Jobs are Far from Dead-End
April 24th, 2013 1 Min readJob growth in the part-time sector got a bad rap last week in The New York Times, which reported that "...hiring has been concentrated in relatively low-wage service sectors...and incontingent jobs at temporary-hiring companies." The takeaway was that the majority of these workers are stuck in mostly dead-end jobs.
Interestingly, the Times doesn't focus much on the healthcare industry, which accounts for much of this job growth. And while it cites multiple negative reasons for the increased reliance on contingent workers and part-timers, it fails to mention the positives of why employers are doing so.
For healthcare facilities, very often the need for a doctor is only temporary, e.g., during peak tourist season. The need lessens considerably during low-volume months. In this case, hiring a permanent physician would be far more expensive in the long run when you factor in all the costs associated with a full-time equivalent employee.
If a facility actually needs a permanent staff physician, a locum tenens fills the void until the right person can be found, hired and on-boarded. Without a locum tenens, that facility might have to put off surgeries or treating patients in the meantime.
For healthcare professionals, it's not uncommon for temporary work to lead to something more permanent. Thousands of physicians, nurses and other healthcare providers are taking advantage of these jobs to earn extra income or try out a permanent position before making a commitment.
This is exactly what Dr. Sam Azzazy did. Before beginning to look for a permanent position, he worked temporary assignments to gain experience and explore different practice settings.
"I thought this would be the best option so that I could see the differences between private practice, large groups, hospital systems and the VA, and see settings in other areas of the country," he says.
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