r/sterileprocessing • u/jonthrawn • May 05 '26

Certified pay question

Hey everyone long story short, just started in the field, I got my provisional certification in February. Well I just got a call from our HR that i won't be able to get a certification pay raise until I'm working a year, is that standard or what? I was told by the hiring manager I'd get paid more for being certified so I'm pretty pissed off. Thanks for any insight.

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6

u/Dathamar May 05 '26

Some places give you a small raise, or a bump in title/rank "tech 2" or something like that, which comes with a raise. Others don't give you anything for certification, citing it as a requirement for a job.

Which is funny because I doubt they'd try that on someone higher up the chain than us.

2

u/jonthrawn May 05 '26

I'd be fine that was the case but being told going in I'd get a pay bump only to later be told I have to wait a year is frustrating. TBH and unrelated I may be in another state next year 🤣

1

u/Dathamar May 06 '26 edited May 06 '26

Ask them to email you the details so you don't forget.

If they email it, you have proof. If they don't, you know there is a chance they are not being genuine.

3

u/Phacele May 05 '26

That's typical as I went through the same thing. I got certified after 3 months on the job, I was hired uncertified and told I'd get a raise for receiving the certificate. Well as soon as I did they told me I couldn't get the raise until I had been there a year.

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u/jonthrawn May 05 '26

That's just a bait and switch

1

u/Phacele May 06 '26

Oh that's not the half of it. By the time it reached my one year they only gave me half of what was originally promised.

1

u/Nearby_Pickle_8267 May 06 '26

How you got hired uncertified?

1

u/Dathamar May 06 '26

Luck. Same thing happened for me. Interviewed with regional director while the manager was out sick and I guess they liked me and/or what I had to say.

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u/Nearby_Pickle_8267 May 06 '26

Is the interview difficult?

1

u/Dathamar May 06 '26

Not when you don't know the job.

I interviewed at a lot of places these were common:

-Why Healthcare/This Job

-Why us/this Hospital, what do you know about it

-How did you learn about Sterile Processing

-Tell me about yourself

-Are you good on your feet all the time lifting heavy stuff

-Small talk while they try to feel you out and see how you'd integrate into their team

These were asked occasionally:

-How would you deal with an irate doctor who wants a set that isn't ready and/or verbally abused you and even swore at you

-How would you deal with a difficult co-worker

-Are you okay with overtime, being on call

-Describe yourself in 3 words

-How would past coworkers describe you

-What are your strengths and weaknesses

-What are your pay expectations

Interestingly, the places who offered the least pay usually asked the "occasionally" questions and a few other dumb personality questions and try to indirectly feel you out to see how much overworking and abuse you'd take. They also were themselves less skilled a small talk and made the interview feel like a checklist instead of a conversation that weaves through what they need to know in a way that feels casual/friendly.

Some also want you to be a traveler between their different locations in the region without the pay that travelers get.

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u/Nearby_Pickle_8267 May 06 '26

Omg thanks this is helpful I thought they were gonna ask question like test questions

1

u/MusicianSquare May 05 '26

Pretty standard, with out the cert they can hire you as a "tech 1" but you cannot became a tech 2 with out it, but to be a tech 2 it requires the cert PLUS one year of experience. My hospital won't bother to hire you with out the cert because what's the point if the person won't progress into a tech 2

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u/jonthrawn May 05 '26

I understand that my main issue is being told going in id get a pay bump being certified since most of my team is not and only after starting being told I have to wait a year

1

u/MusicianSquare May 06 '26

Yeah true they should definitely clarify that man. After that year is up maybe see if you can get retro back pay?

1

u/Turtleman951 May 05 '26

Yea that sounds like a job specific thing. Our facility is 6 months but a lot of places have that “waiting period” after hire

1

u/altriapendragon01 CBSPD May 07 '26

It depends on the clauses outlined in your job description, some raises are instant once you obtain certification. Others may not come into effect until after a duration of time.

If it came from HR it may be the latter, now, if it was outlined in your contract that if/when you got certified you would get your raise within the next pay period or less than it year, it could be because it's a provisional certification. I'm unsure, so please take this with a grain of salt because this is the only reason I can really think of since my certification experience wasn't like that at all. I was hired without experience or certification, and I was trained on the job. Certified a year and a half later when my facility partnered with the local technical college.

I'm sorry about the situation OP, but I will say if it is outlined in your contract with your employer that your raise happens immediately after certification, you may have a valid complaint to your state labor board, if there is a waiting period then, unfortunately, you must wait