Physician remuneration agreements increasingly contain detailed deliverables. These deliverables outline for both the physician and the system what services the physician is expected to provide for the remuneration payable. These deliverables make it easier for both parties to understand what a physician is required to do. 

Commonly, contracts are specific concerning workload. Workload deliverables can be expressed in several different ways. In some cases, it’s terms of hours or days of work per year. In other cases, workload requirements focus on actual patient services provided. Many of Doctors Manitoba’s alternate-funded agreements contain the following workload requirement:

• a reasonable number of patient encounters as determined between the Physician and the Employer.

To determine a ​“reasonable” number of patient encounters, consider issues such as the physician’s practice, the patient population’s make-up, and other work duties and responsibilities. 

Doctors Manitoba recommends that alternately funded physicians review their contracts to determine if they contain workload requirements. Where such a requirement is included physicians should document their workload to ensure that they are not being asked or expected to work in excess of those requirements without appropriate compensation. 

If requested to take on additional work, make sure you are appropriately compensated. 

Many agreements contain mechanisms for such compensation. Read your contract carefully or call Doctors Manitoba to determine the appropriate compensation for work in excess of your contracted workload. 

Ultimately, an independent contractor that has met their workload requirements within a particular time should meet with the other party, e.g the RHA, to determine whether or not they wish to contract for additional work. If the contractual obligations have been fulfilled, do not provide additional services if the RHA will not agree to additional compensation. 

If you continue to provide services in those circumstances, you are doing so for free.

If you are an employee and wish to provide services in excess of your employment contract, ensure with your employer that you are being paid for the excess work. If you do not wish to provide the excess hours or if your employer is not paying for these services, contact Doctors Manitoba for assistance.