How to Plan Time Off for a Travel Physical Therapy Assignment

One of my favorite parts of travel physical therapy is the flexibility it offers, but it’s not just the time off between assignments. There are plenty of opportunities to take trips during a travel PT assignment. You can request days off before your contract even starts, negotiate a 4×10 work schedule (or an early Friday), and even adjust your schedule during a specific week of your assignment.

Requesting time off before contract start

This is the easiest and most traditional way to take time off. Personally, I have never been denied a day off that I requested before starting a contract as long as the request is reasonable.

For example, on my current 13-week contract, I have taken a total of 5 days off for extended weekend trips. On my previous contract, I took about 17 days off over a 6-month period, in addition to holidays when the clinic was closed. Several of these days fell on a Thursday, Friday, or Monday to maximize time off since I did not work weekends. Some weeks I took Thursday and Friday, other weeks just Friday or Monday, and sometimes Friday and Monday. 17 days may sound like a lot, but 5 of those days were between the first 13 weeks and the second 13 weeks when I extended my contract. Most places should approve about 2 weeks off between an extension, but this will vary on a case-by-case basis. I also had a coworker who took about a month off around the holidays between the first and second parts of her contract when she extended her assignment, and she had no issues getting it approved. The worst that can happen is they say no, so it is always worth asking.

Negotiating a 4x10 work schedule

During your interview with the facility, you can ask about working 4 days a week (Monday through Thursday or Tuesday through Friday is common) with 10-hour shifts. This gives you a three-day weekend, and it could even be a four-day weekend if a holiday falls during that week. I negotiated a 4×10 schedule working Wednesday through Saturday at a hospital on one contract, and it was actually really nice because my wife and I were the only ones there on Saturdays, which made us more efficient and allowed us to leave early while still getting our guarantee pay. Plus, it was great not having to work Mondays or Tuesdays, which are usually our most dreaded workdays.

Another option is working four 9-hour shifts with a shorter 4-hour day on Friday, or a similar schedule. Some outpatient clinics already follow this setup, but if not, be sure to ask and negotiate if you want more flexibility to extend your weekend.

Adjusting specific weekly schedule while on contract

One thing I’ve had great success with during my contracts is switching to a 4×10 schedule for specific weeks when I need a three-day weekend for a trip. Sometimes I bring it up before accepting a contract, but other times I’ve asked during the assignment for spontaneous weekend plans.

For example, during my last contract, there were two weekends where I was able to switch from five 8-hour days to four 10-hour days so I could attend weddings. In my current contract, I typically work 5×8s but was able to do one week of four 9-hour days and one 4-hour day so I could head out to San Diego for a weekend.

Just make sure to communicate with your manager ahead of time for approval. This usually is not a problem, and I have done it successfully in both outpatient and acute care settings. I recommend requesting the change about a month in advance, though earlier is always better.

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