When starting a new job should you get it in writing?

[Guest guest]

Having had a bad experience at a past job and having recently seen

others on here looking for work I started thinking. Yes a dangerous

thing I know.

So I was burned in a previous job. I was told many things when hired

that never happened and even during course of employment told more

things that failed to come about. So my question is should for the

protection of everyone, the company and the new hire,a document be

drawn up that outlines pay, hours, overtime, duties, etc, be standard

practice? Is it standard practice in other places?

Something that seems to be common in many small services is being

told you make $X hour. But then you find out after hiring on only

paid X# of hours per shift and some I have heard of even require a

non paid call shift. So really your hourly wage is much less. It

seems based on conversations and even past experience many services

like to leave out details. They like to focus on the hourly rate.

Thankfully I am currently with a service that outlined details when I

hired on so I knew what to expect.

When I had my own company everything was put in writing, Should we

adopt that in EMS?

Thank you for your input.

Renny Spencer

EMT-I

Fort Stockton EMS