Word of warning about private practice job

[phxldo]

If you are in the Phoenix, AZ area DO NOT WORK at a place near the 101 & Scottsdale Rd. (I won't name names). I work there now and they are hiring but be warned do not work there. I know the job market is tough right now but OMG they treat their opticians and general staff terribly. Here's why:

They tend to fire people before 90 day so they don't have to pay unemployment

They can't pay vendor bills because they have no money in the bank ($8million+ medical practice and 1+ million optical dept, crazy I know!) so they DOCK the EMPLOYEES PAY (happened twice to me, the latest was $4 and less than 30 days of receiving a raise!)

b/c they have no money they write bad refund checks to patients (one persons $15 check bounced three times!)

Literally, every employee loathes the owner/doctor, He complains of not having enough money to pay the bills but buys a $100k+ car, just bought a highrise penthouse, and TELLS his employees that he's "the 5th richest person in Arizona"! wtf! but there are other doctors that work there that aren't so bad though

The benefits suck and continue to decline (a family PPO is $400/check employee premium)

They claim the PTO to start is more than anywhere else BUT you have no paid holidays, must claim it if you are sick and they will take it away from you if fall even 2 hours below 40 hrs per week

The SALARIED managers ALWAYS have three day weekend and almost never work more than 30 hours per week they don't have to use his PTO to make up the diff (ie the employees rarely have more than 40 hours PTO available where the mangers have 100-200 hours cuz they never need to use it)

You are expected to continue a 10%+ growth rate while you slowly get paid less and less (I'm grossing less this year my 4th, than I did my first!)

Some of the doctors sexually harass employees (didn't happen to me but at least employees I spoke to complained of it, one actually cried multiple times about it)

They have had at least 2 official OSHA violations

I could go on but I'm thinking this post might get removed since I'm not sure if breaks forum rules

[Wes]

I wonder if your bosses read Optiboard. If so, they will surely know who you are.

[phxldo]

That is of no concern to me actually, since the latest round of pay deductions the owner made it clear that he wants us to leave and hire $10-$14 hour people. We were actually told "if I were you I would be looking for another job". And if we "didn't like it, I will fire the whole department". You would think we were terrible employees and worthless, but in reality within four years our team (6 people) grossed from $800,000 year one to close to $1,200,000 year three. We turned a paper clip board based office to a digital barcoded office with zero expense (did the programming myself). Our cost of goods went dramatically down also.

So enough said I am currently scrambling to find another job because I am so appalled how we are being treated that I find it difficult to work for these people anymore

[Judy Canty]

I wonder if your bosses read Optiboard. If so, they will surely know who you are.

I think that's the least of the issues here. Sounds like a horrible place to work.

[Wes]

I think that's the least of the issues here. Sounds like a horrible place to work.

It does.
Best of luck to you.

[mdeimler]

Wow. That's a damn shame.

[Crazy-bout-Optics]

Self removed post.

[Johns]

I would quit, immediately after I "tweaked" the program that I designed for free.

[Chris Ryser]

If you are in the Phoenix, AZ area DO NOT WORK at a place near the 101 & Scottsdale Rd. (I won't name names). I work there now and they are hiring but be warned do not work there. I know the job market is tough right now but OMG they treat their opticians and general staff terribly. Here's why:

They tend to fire people before 90 day so they don't have to pay unemployment

They can't pay vendor bills because they have no money in the bank ($8million+ medical practice and 1+ million optical dept, crazy I know!) so they DOCK the EMPLOYEES PAY (happened twice to me, the latest was $4 and less than 30 days of receiving a raise!)

What is that one for a heck of an accusation ? Made by someone under an anynomous name. Describing the location that anybody in that area can right away figure out who it would be, specially the medical part. So a being much more north east and not familiar at all with Phoenix, besides having stopped over once, at the airport for an hour.

I went on Google and asked, abd got the following answer :
Showing results for eye clinic near 101 & scottsdale rd
Search instead for eyeclinic near 101 & scottsdale rd

and among others three of them came up with a medical department. So which one is it ? ..................And how do the other 2 feel about being beaten up in a public forum ? Or are all 3 of them of the bad type according to full description ?

They can't pay vendor bills because they have no money in the bank ($8million+ medical practice and 1+ million optical dept, crazy I know!) so they DOCK the EMPLOYEES PAY (happened twice to me, the latest was $4 and less than 30 days of receiving a raise!)

Anybody that turns 9 million $ in a regular medical ophtahlmology and an optical retail business, also qualifies for a fair line of credit with their bank. There would also be tons of credit on credit cards. So the story is hard to believe on the financial side, and does have a smell of revenge to make a business look bad.

[Jubilee]

Just because they have a fair line of credit.. and credit cards.. doesn't mean there isn't the possibility that its been over credited or misspent.

I know several business that are large, look good.. and struggle to pay the bills.

Heck.. how many big bussinesses struggle.. declare bankruptcy, etc..

[David_Garza]

Or the OP could just be a disgruntaled former employee.....Happens all the time with bitter folks who are fired or let go.....

[chip anderson]

If the boy's complaints are genuine and he has been told he should be job shopping (odd that he wasn't job shopping sooner if conditions were that bad) what's he got to loose by posting?

Chip

[jmainwar]

Been there, when my wife first started into her optometry career at an MD/OD practice, she went through 3 techs in one year before receiving 90 days notice when she was 6 months pregnant. You can tell a lot about a place when employee turnover is that high.

[phxldo]

Hi Chris,

No it isn't a revenge post it is as it was supposed to be as the title states: "word of warning about private practice job". I want prevent a good optician finding work at this place, unless they have other options. The people I work with (opticians) regret taking the position and feel as if they were lied to about how the practice is/runs/treats employees. I'm not out to bash other other practices or persuade prospective patients although I doubt patients read optiboard. Also, the practice I'm warning about is literally within walking distance of 101 & Scottsdale Rd. So that should clear it up for anyone who actually lives in this city.

To address the financial aspect, I can't attest to their lines of credit. I don't handle that side of the business. I can tell you in the optical department that in the four years since I've worked there our revenue went from $800k to now $1.2M. Our profit margin (lowered cost of goods) has also increased ~20%. Hence a much more profitable optical department! I can also give you a quote from the CFO to the staff "Do you want postage or do you want your paychecks" This was his response when we had a bunch of RX's to mail out to patients and our postage machine was depleted.

And the David_Garza, as I am disgruntled by the treatment I am still employed there. I was told I should start looking for another job as they had no reason (no bad reviews/disciplinary docs) to fire me and they can just lay-off a couple people (would get in trouble for discrimination). The trend there is clear as day, they are eliminating their highest paid veteran staff members and hiring very low pay replacements. It funny to hear the management say there is a "hiring freeze", and then bring in people for interviews the next day. Interviewing peoples replacements right in front of them.

I understand that business is business and this is just the way it goes and happens all the time. The original post here was to warn opticians from making a career move mistake. There are lots of great private practices in Phoenix (this one used to be one of them, until the last year or so) so keep your options open for the job seekers out there.

[Johns]

Ask a rep...they'll give you the scoop on the credit!

[sharpstick777]

Anybody that turns 9 million $ in a regular medical ophtahlmology and an optical retail business, also qualifies for a fair line of credit with their bank. There would also be tons of credit on credit cards. So the story is hard to believe on the financial side, and does have a smell of revenge to make a business look bad.

I worked for a $4 million a year clinic that couldn't pay their bills, it wasn't because the clinic wasn't profitable (on paper) the medical billing was terrible, and the accountant was there only 2 days a month. They had no idea how bad their account's receivables were. They couldn't keep money in the right accounts, it was always in the wrong one.

It sounds like this clinic needs a consultant.

[Java99]

Ask a rep...they'll give you the scoop on the credit!

Possibly also a lead on a place that's hiring...

[Chris Ryser]

The unemployement rate in Phoenix was over 8% and going up according to the latest figures of May 2012: http://www.google.ca/publicdata/expl...l=en&ind=false

If this value is across the board, your employer has no problem hiring new employees at a lower rate. I would stick to it and not force the issue, better to have a job than to have none. You can always look for a better solution and grab it when it comes along.

[optigrrl]

Dear phxldo -

Let me first assure you that I am in no way taking sides here. I know both you and your Optiboard friend personally, as well as the practice you work for and your manager. What I would like to suggest is that if I can figure this out, so can others and as such they can inform your current employer. I know the situation you are in is a difficult one and while you make many good points may I add that Optiboard is not the forum in which to bring them up.

There are 2 sides to every story and while I do not know the other one, it is best to stand honorably silent and keep your integrity in tact when handling these kinds of situations.

I am only chiming in because while I am an active participant on Optiboard, there are many silent observers. I, in fact was stalked on Optiboard and attacked personally at a public CEC event because of a post the accuser grossly misinterpreted.

I hope you find a better fit and if I can be of any help in assisting you in your effort, please feel free to PM me.

[Judy Canty]

Ask a rep...they'll give you the scoop on the credit!

Why would a rep share that kind of information with an employee?

[mdeimler]

Because reps like to gossip and "stir the pot."

[Johns]

Why would a rep share that kind of information with an employee?

Really? Who has not met a rep with an ax to grind? I'm not saying it's the right thing to do, but I'm sure you know of many that have/do.

[Judy Canty]

I think that a rep who would share that kind of sensitive information isn't a very good one to work with. It's one thing to know who's hiring and who's not, quite another to discuss financial information with employees.

[Johns]

I think that a rep who would share that kind of sensitive information isn't a very good one to work with. It's one thing to know who's hiring and who's not, quite another to discuss financial information with employees.

I know of many reps that have been burned by accounts, and the only thing they'll ever get out of it is the satisfaction of knowing the account won't burn somebody else.

Heck, I don't see reps and I could tell you who the late pays, no pays in our area are.

[Judy Canty]

I know of many reps that have been burned by accounts, and the only thing they'll ever get out of it is the satisfaction of knowing the account won't burn somebody else.

Heck, I don't see reps and I could tell you who the late pays, no pays in our area are.

Well, be that as it may, that kind of information won't be traced back to me. I've been burned by accounts, but I'll leave their fates to their negative karma.