It's bidding time for nurses!
By Sunrise Fan
@sunrisefan (28524)
Philippines
January 30, 2022 3:06am CST
I was attracted to an advertisement placed by a local university hospital (where my daughter worked for 2 years before moving on to New Zealand) that they are hiring nurses. As a come on, they are giving P50,000 as signing bonus (P20K of which will be given right away upon contract signing and the remaining P30K to be spread out in 12 months) with a lock-in employment period of one year. Aside from the basic salary (which they did not mention how much), they are also giving a monthly COLA (cost of living allowance) of P5K.
A few minutes later, I saw a re-post of an advertisement from a hospital in Cebu City which says that the hospital was giving a P100,000 signing bonus to successful nurse applicants.
I got amused because someone posted on FB calling out all the other hospitals in the city with "how much is your call?".
There's indeed a very huge demand for health workers here and abroad because of the pandemic. In fact, my daughter says that they are now very stressed and overworked because many of their co-nurses have resigned and are relocating to UK or Australia where salary was higher. It's not that they are after high salaries - they just want to be paid commensurate to the heavy work they are doing and the risks involved.
10 people like this
9 responses
@sunrisefan (28524)
• Philippines
30 Jan 22
True. In fact, some nurses and doctors in our city have been infected by the virus. Bankers have gotten the virus too and some have even closed office for a few days. Even the local DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) was closed for a week. DFA processes and issues passports.
1 person likes this
@askme123 (6150)
•
30 Jan 22
@sunrisefan Can you imagine just earning all that money and then have to spend it all on a hospital bed.It is a great risk
@sunrisefan (28524)
• Philippines
30 Jan 22
@askme123 You're right and that's the sad reality today.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (458959)
• Switzerland
31 Jan 22
@sunrisefan - The nurses had stressful shifts during the first pandemic wave. Now we have less Covid patients in the hospitals, they can rest more.
1 person likes this
@sunrisefan (28524)
• Philippines
1 Feb 22
@LadyDuck Yes, I've read that covid has slowed down in Switzerland. In fact, Switzerland has been taken off from the red list countries.
1 person likes this
@sunrisefan (28524)
• Philippines
31 Jan 22
It's good to know they're doing that at your end, Ms. Anna. I remember the times when my daughter was here and she had to do 12 hours of duty and when I go to fetch her for her 1AM off, we would end up coming home at past 2AM.
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
30 Jan 22
We're seeing something similar here. The current nurses and other hospital staff are leaving their jobs because they're over-worked and taking their overtime pay and staying home for a while. I can't blame them, either. The problem here is that nobody else wants to fill those positions, at any price.
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
30 Jan 22
@sunrisefan Yes, that's true, too. The US doesn't even bother to check to see if anyone is sick before letting them into the country. 
@sunrisefan (28524)
• Philippines
30 Jan 22
@DaddyEvil It's not only the US. UK has also dropped the use of face masks. Our country too is opening our borders to foreign tourists on February 2 without any need to do quarantine in designated hotels. The only requirement is for one to be fully vaccinated against the virus and a negative RT-PCR result 48 hours before departure.
1 person likes this
@sunrisefan (28524)
• Philippines
30 Jan 22
Yes, you're right - health workers are really over-worked. US has an edge though in hiring health workers from overseas because salaries there when converted into the local currencies of foreign workers would be very attractive aside from the fact that countries like Canada are allowing family of workers to be allowed into the country with them.
1 person likes this
@sol_cee (38222)
• Philippines
7 Feb 22
@sunrisefan 10 years or more and still casual employees! Is that by the book?
@sunrisefan (28524)
• Philippines
7 Feb 22
@sol_cee Yes, I've even heard of some who have already been 16 years as casuals. More so are employees of city hall which I heard that some have been working for 20 years and still they are casuals or on job order basis.
@sunrisefan (28524)
• Philippines
1 Feb 22
I think it's not only you who have that experience but I guess because government nurses are overworked and grossly underpaid. Many of them are still casual workers even if they have been working for 10 years or more.
1 person likes this
@brokenbee (11090)
• Philippines
1 Feb 22
I hope their basic salary is also high... Hospitals here in my province are also hiring nurses. But I haven't seen their offers yet.
@sunrisefan (28524)
• Philippines
3 Feb 22
I'm hoping too that the basic salary is high because retirement pay in our country is based on that. When you see that their offer is good and tempting, are you going to take a second course, Ms. Arbie? I believe it's not too late because you're still too young :)
1 person likes this
@freelancermariagrace (27219)
• Philippines
31 Jan 22
Nurses in this country are underpaid, which is why they relocate to other countries.
@sunrisefan (28524)
• Philippines
1 Feb 22
That's true and our country end up being short of health workers. Our country produces health workers (especially nurses) are most preferred by other countries to hire because Filipinos are very caring.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326093)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Jan 22
Nurses and other such workers are paid very poorly in many countries. It's a great shame as our communities can't do without such people.
@sunrisefan (28524)
• Philippines
31 Jan 22
Just like teachers, policemen and soldiers, Ms. Judy.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326093)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Jan 22
@sunrisefan There are many indispensable professionals who aren't paid enough.
