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faq

Pay Questions

Do you offer tax-free reimbursements?

If you qualify for tax-free reimbursements by following the guidelines of maintaining a tax-home, then yes! The tax free reimbursements are there to help cover housing and meals and incidentals as you travel away from your home.

Do I qualify for tax-free reimbursements?

We wish we could answer this, but we are not tax experts. We can't give you a definitive answer because everyone’s situation can be so different. We have an awesome blog that goes over taxes and tax homes which we recommend reading. It’s also a great idea to find a tax expert you like to help guide you on this!
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Tax Overview:

https://www.trustedhealth.com/blog/trusted-guide-travel-nurse-taxes
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Tax Homes:

https://www.trustedhealth.com/blog/travel-nurse-tax-home-trusted-guides

What is per diem pay?

Per diems are also known as tax-free reimbursements. They are there for any housing, meals, and incidental expenses incurred as a result of working away from your tax home. At Trusted, we calculate this amount on a per-shift (not per hour) basis up to a weekly maximum.

You must be available and willing to work to be eligible for the per diems for that shift. That means if you call out sick or volunteer to drop a shift, even if it’s due to your facility being overstaffed that day, you won’t receive a per diem for that missed shift.

However, if you are willing and able to work and your shift was cancelled, you’re eligible for your per diem. You simply need written confirmation that your shift was cancelled.

Is the pay I see on my Matches before or after taxes?

The compensation you see on your Match is before taxes are taken out. We show pay packages this way because the amount one person is taxed will not be the same as someone else. Tax rates are dependent on many personal factors, and we are here to be as accurate and consistent as possible for everyone.

Your tax rate applies only to the weekly taxable wages (your standard rate). Just deduct taxes from the standard rate and add that number to your tax-free weekly stipends to get an idea of how much you'd receive after taxes in your paycheck.

The only other component that would decrease your pay is if you sign up for optional benefits, such as signing up for Trusted’s medical insurance.

How often do I get paid?

Every Friday, as long as you turn in your time card on time!

How do I turn in my timecards?

Our engineers have built an awesome mobile app that allows you to report your time on a shift or weekly basis.‍
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You can download it here:

- Android: http://trst.ly/get_android_app

- iPhone: http://trst.ly/get_iphone_app‍
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‍The Trusted App is great for:

- Tracking your time.

- Submitting your timecard each week.

- Getting a weekly summary of your work.

- Quickly adding regular hours, lunch, and more.

- Viewing past timecards at a glance.

What happens if I forget to turn in a timecard?

If you forget to turn in your timecard by Monday at 9am PST from the week before, you will not get paid until the following payday. We do send out a reminder before payroll closes to help you remember.

Do you reimburse for ACLS and BLS?

We are happy to reimburse for things that are directly related to the assignment you will take as a Trusted Nurse.

This might include certifications not typically required for your specialty. It also could include a specific embroidered facility uniform (does not apply for specific color requirement only), titers, drug screens, or an initial state licensure needed for the assignment.

We do not, however, reimburse for items that you would typically need to maintain for regular employment as a nurse (i.e. critical care positions require ACLS, and a critical care nurse would be required to maintain ACLS certification regardless of assignment).

Do I need to save my receipts to get reimbursed?

Yes! To submit a request, email a copy of your receipts to hello@trustedhealth.com within 30 days of incurring the expenditure.

If you email a receipt related to submittal or onboarding expenses to the address above and in advance of the date of your first paycheck, we’ll typically be able to add your reimbursement on your first paycheck.

If we receive your receipts too close to or at any point after the date of your first paycheck, no worries; your reimbursement will be added into your next weekly pay cycle instead.

Do you reimburse for travel expenses getting to my assignment?

We do not. Relocation stipends aren’t one-size fits all, so we instead just pay the most upfront in our compensation packages so you’re getting the most possible week over week. (When agencies offer to pay your travel expenses, that amount is usually just left out of your compensation package to begin with.)

Do you reimburse for my state licensure?

Yes, we do reimburse for state licensure if you take an assignment with us in that new state within 60 days.

Do I get paid for orientation hours?

Yes, we will always pay you for your orientation time.

Are the hours on my Match guaranteed hours?

Yes. However, most contracts also have a “call-off policy,” and that always supersedes guaranteed hours. That means a facility is allowed to call off a certain number of your shifts during your assignment. So they can call you off with no pay. It is common to see a three or six call-off shift allowance for a 13-week assignment. After they have used up all their call-off shifts, if the facility calls you off and you are willing and able to work, you will still get paid for those hours.

Regardless of your facility’s policy, as long as you did not call in sick and/or voluntarily drop any of your contracted hours for the week, Trusted Health will still pay you any per diems/tax-free stipends that you would have received had you worked the shift that day.

Volunteering to drop a shift or hours does not count toward guaranteed hours and will prevent you from being eligible for per diem and wages.

Keep in mind just because there is a call-off policy does not mean the facility will call you off. That would just be an option they have in case their needs drop.

Are your rates negotiable?

Since no one here is working on commission, we have the luxury of paying you the most money possible every time. Accordingly, the rates are not negotiable because they are already the top from the start.

Can a facility end my contract early?

Travel contracts are at-will employments. This means that yes, a contract can be terminated at any time. Although it is rare for this to happen, we understand that this can put nurses in a difficult and unfair position.

Typically, when contracts are cancelled, it is for "just cause." This may include a question of a nurse’s professional quality, clinical skills, performance, or a breach of contract.

If a contract is cancelled, we thoroughly evaluate the situation to best understand what next steps must be taken. We are on a nurses-first mission and promise to always work in the nurses’ best interest to rectify situations.

How do I extend a contract?

You just let us know when you are interested in extending a current contract. It's a great idea to let the manager on your unit know also.

Usually, it’s best to plan for extensions 6-8 weeks before the end of the contract. That way your unit will not open your job back up to the public if you want to stay there. Also, that will allow you time to know whether or not you should be applying to new jobs if they no longer need you.