The terms of this contract present several significant concerns that are quite unusual, if not unreasonable, compared to industry standards:
1. Low Base Pay:
• The base pay offered is $50 per hour for day shifts and $57 for night shifts, which is significantly lower than the industry average for Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners, especially for a role requiring multistate licensure and complex telehealth services. In most similar roles, practitioners are compensated more competitively, particularly given the complexity and responsibilities associated with managing telehealth across different time zones.
2. Availability Without Control:
• The requirement of 175 hours of availability each month, paired with the fact that they decide when you work, not when you’re available, is extremely restrictive. This essentially means you are expected to be on standby for almost full-time hours without the power to choose the schedule, making it very challenging to plan around other commitments or achieve any semblance of work-life balance.
3. Extensive Notice Period for Quitting:
• The contract demands a 180-day (six-month) notice period to resign, which is excessive. Most companies require only a 4-week notice or, at most, 90 days for senior positions. This requirement essentially binds you to the company even if your circumstances change unexpectedly. Furthermore, if you fail to give this extended notice, you are liable to pay $100,000 in liquidated damages. Such an extreme penalty is unprecedented and highly concerning—particularly because it disregards the inevitable changes in life circumstances, such as family emergencies or health concerns. A good company would support its employees through these changes, not penalize them for needing to move on.
4. Licensing Costs and Relocation Penalty:
• The company also expects you to reimburse all licensing costs if you leave before a certain period, even if you have delivered services that benefited them financially. Additionally, if you need to relocate—even within the U.S.—the contract states that you will be charged $2,500 to cover the administrative costs of adjusting the state legal requirements and billing. This clause is particularly unreasonable given that the company advertises they do not care where you work from, as long as you are within the country and have reliable internet. It reflects an effort to shift the risks and expenses entirely onto you, rather than the company taking responsibility for its own operational needs.
5. Misleading RVU Expectations:
• The RVU component of the compensation is advertised as $11 per RVU, with an average of 3.3 RVUs per visit. However, meeting these targets consistently is unrealistic given the complexities of psychiatric telehealth consultations and patient variability. The company creates an expectation of additional compensation, but the structure makes it difficult to achieve the promised levels consistently, meaning the actual earnings will likely fall short of what is advertised.
