As recruitment specialists, we understand that negotiating your job offer and employment contract as an emergency medicine physician can feel like a daunting task. However, getting it right is not only essential to ensure your rights are protected, but it can also have a long-term impact on your job satisfaction, work-life balance and career advancement. This article highlights some essential tips for emergency medicine physicians to consider when accepting a job offer.

The first step in the negotiation process is understanding the terms of the employment contract and job offer and their implications. This may seem obvious, but it is not uncommon to find doctors feeling rushed into signing a contract they have not reviewed or understood in detail. Both the job offer and employment contract and any other associated documents must be read with care, because once signed they are legally binding. Never assume that everything in the contract is correct.

Most healthcare organisations have standard template documents which are edited for each position. Quite frequently there are mistakes in the editing of the template document, which may have been hurriedly prepared, leading to omissions of important terms or the inadvertent inclusion of irrelevant terms.

Always start by reading the heads of terms (the heading at the start of each section of the contract) followed by the individual terms or clauses below. Ensure that each of the headings and terms are logical and coherent. Notify the employer of any headings or terms which are contradictory, illogical or incoherent and of any omissions.

Ensure that adequate provisions exist for the following 12 issues:

1. Duration of employment contract: permanent, fixed term or locum. The start date should be agreed or left subject to negotiation depending upon time required to obtain necessary licences or visas and the end date (if any) stated. Locum contracts should include lists of shifts to be worked.
2. Hours of work: in a full time employment contract working hours are usually 40 per week and may be supplemented by on call duties or replaced by shift work (this is common in emergency medicine departments). The conditions upon which any additional work  may be required should be documented.
3. Place of performance of duties: a designated place of work should be listed. Some contracts may contain clauses which allow the employer to change the place of work to satellite emergency departments within a region or even emergency departments in other cities. You should ask for details of the locations of other proposed sites and decide if the travel arrangements are feasible and even desirable. If you are unwilling or unable to suddenly relocate, you may wish to have this term removed or changed to reflect what you are prepared to do.
4. Leave Entitlements: annual leave allowances and statutory sick leave allowances should be detailed. You may be entitled to additional leave for education or other purposes and this must be incorporated into the terms. If it is not, you may not receive it.
5. Superannuation / Pension contributions: usually expressed as a percentage of salary and deducted from salary by the employer with employee consent.
6. Salary: salary amount and payment intervals which may be daily, weekly, bi weekly or monthly. The contract should also refer to incremental dates which may be subject to medical union negotiations.
7. Allowances: additional allowances may be paid for a variety of extra duties such as extra shifts, education, leadership or teaching roles. Ensure these are incorporated into the contract.
8. Fee for service payments: this is rare in emergency medicine but if appropriate should be incorporated.
9. Bonuses and incentive payments: again rare in emergency medicine but occasionally viable in the private sector. Again, they must be incorporated into the terms. Verbal promises cannot be relied upon.
10. Legal jurisdiction: the applicable law must be documented. This will usually be the law of the jurisdiction where the healthcare organisation is based. If you are joining an organisation which works across several jurisdictions, ensure the appropriate jurisdiction is listed.
11. Grievance and disciplinary procedures: procedures for addressing employment issues must be detailed.
12. Termination: both parties should have the right to terminate the contract and both the procedure and time frame for this action must be set out.

Consider More Than Just Salary

Most emergency physicians are pre-occupied with the financial compensation offered by the employer and whilst this is undoubtedly important, remember to consider the value of the entire package and negotiate as appropriate. This can include elements such as:

• Working hours and on call expectations, shift work
• Pension contributions
• Additional allowances for other duties
• Local taxation rates
• Reimbursement of medical practice expenses such as licence and annual practising certificate costs
• Allowances for continuing medical education
• Holiday and sick leave entitlements
• Professional development opportunities
• Research and teaching responsibilities
• Clinical leadership prospects

Get Expert Advice

It is always beneficial to seek advice from an experienced professional when it comes to contract negotiations. Your potential sources of advice include:

• Recruitment companies: the recruitment industry has experts who can help guide the discussion and provide relevant advice.
• Employment Lawyers: legal expertise is usually available via recruitment agencies or self referral
• Professional Medical Union:  in some countries the doctors' unions will review job offers and employment contracts and provide guidance for negotiation, even for non members.

Professional help will augment your confidence during negotiations, ensuring you secure the best possible terms of employment.

Be Prepared to Negotiate

Remember that not everything in a contract is negotiable. Many of the standard agreement terms will apply to all employees and it is not feasible for the employer to vary these for a single employee. However some terms are negotiable and it is important to take the time to identify which parts of the contract are most important to you, and be ready to discuss these at length. With the right approach and preparation, contract negotiations can be a fruitful process.

During negotiations, assert your worth. Emergency medicine is an acute and demanding speciality and emergency departments are the frontline of hospital services which are constantly under scrutiny for service effectiveness and capability. Emergency physicians are a key asset to healthcare organisations and having confidence in your worth can help shift the balance in your favour during contract talks.

Useful Resources

As you continue your job search, Odyssey Recruitment provides useful resources to power and motivate your career including topical articles and new jobs. Begin the application process now, and then learn more about how we can help you.

• Medical Job Search Tips: Use the content here to learn everything you need to know about optimal searches for medical jobs in different geographical locations and the physician recruitment processes.
• Medical Jobs by Specialty: Explore medical jobs around the world and learn about the various options and remuneration packages
• Explore Emergency Medicine Physician Jobs in New Zealand
• The 4 Stages of Medical Education in Australia and New Zealand
• New Zealand | Residency, Visas and Citizenship for Doctors and Dentists
• New Zealand | Understanding Medical and Dental Employment Contracts
• Practise Medicine and Dentistry in New Zealand - A Guide to the Healthcare System