What is an emergency?

What is an emergency when you’re out on the road on your travel adventure? It’s a bit of a trick question. At Aureus we have an emergency pager service to help when you find yourself in a tough spot. Many times I get calls or emails about if it’s okay to call when certain situations arise. Of course we want our travelers to feel safe and comfortable while on assignment but in actuality the emergency line should be used for emergencies dealing with serious situations such as fires, floods, death, or emergencies a person working for us couldn’t take care of on their own. In light of this here are the top five items that we shouldn’t call the emergency hotline for.

5) No shower curtain in apartment. If this happens feel free to purchase one and submit it to your Account Manager for reimbursement. In most cases we cannot help with this, especially at midnight.

4) The headlight on my rental car is out. If this occurs or any car issue arises, feel free to return    it to the rental agency. Unfortunately, we cannot make car repairs over the phone.

3) My neighbor’s dog is barking and I cannot sleep. This is definitely a situation we can sympathize with. The best way to handle this is to send your Account Manager an email and they can contact our housing department. They can get Fido to be quiet so you can get some quality ZZZs.

2) I’m lonely and thought I’d call and see how things are going. We can understand being away from home can be difficult, but the emergency line isn’t designed for casual conversation.

1) I forgot to put my time in for payroll. Getting paid definitely is at the top of the “important” list. Please contact your Account Manager during business hours. We want to make sure you’re paid, but you don’t need to call the emergency hotline for it.

We are committed to helping our employees when a legitimate emergency occurs. If you are ever hurt while working on assignment or have to deal with a life threating situation, don’t hesitate to call us. We are committed to helping our employees when a serious situation occurs and have no problem with providing assistance during these times. We want your assignment to be safe and enjoyable. (And of course we want you to have a shower curtain.)

Richard Timmerman is a Senior Account Manager/Team Lead for the Diagnostic Imaging division of Aureus Medical Group.