Flexibility with Luna

Around the world, workplaces are respecting employee’s needs for more control and autonomy. An increase in the locus of control and autonomy have been key psychological drivers for increasing human flourishing. With billion dollar corporate giants such as Google and Facebook implementing flexible working schedules why is physical therapy lagging behind? In this article, we explore Luna’s FIERCE concept and how increasing flexibility can revolutionize your working experience.  

When working at a physical therapy clinic, it can be hard to feel in control over your schedule and time. Oftentimes schedules are delegated to you by a system that doesn’t take your unique needs into account. While this may be the status quo, we believe people should have control over their working If you value flexibility, we invite you to learn more.schedules. Creating your working schedule is empowering. That’s what we’re all about here at Luna: creating an ideal work-life balance.

A lack of control in your working life can cause a variety of issues. Andrew Wittman explains in the Harvard Business Review that “Increased levels of job stress as assessed by the perception of having little control but lots of demands have been demonstrated to be associated with increased rates of heart attack, hypertension, and other disorders.” These factors all correlate and clarify the case for creating a working environment that is employee-centric.

Luna studied these challenges and focused on addressing them. Khanh Pham, Head of Therapist Network Development, details the thought process behind the decision. “We realized that by giving our therapists’ as much control over their working lives as possible, we could potentially increase someone’s quality of life. By giving our therapists 100% control over the hours they choose to work, we’re giving therapists options. Whether that is the number of hours you want to work or the freedom to work the times that you choose. We feel this flexibility can really help our therapists trike the perfect work-life balance of their choosing.”

Luna is facilitating a remarkable change within the field of healthcare. Wherein most private practices and hospitals have set times therapists need to adhere to, Luna has flipped that traditional model. At Luna, therapists choose the hours you want to work. We realized that by respecting therapist’s need for flexibility, not only were they happier, but many therapists felt empowered.

A local PT, Jennifer, details how her work-life balance changed for the better. She explained that as a physical therapist for a Bay Area school district and with two young children, the incredible flexibility Luna provides to schedule and see patients during school holidays, summer breaks and time after school feels unreal. Her kids are able to participate in after-school activities and she can fit in time to see patients without feeling guilty that she is missing out on time with the kids. Jennifer says, “I have maximum flexibility to adjust my schedule around my job and kids without making sacrifices in another facet of my life still seems impossible. I never have to miss the big moments in my children's lives.”

The benefits of working the hours you want are twofold. Not only is it great for therapists, but having flexible working hours is great for the patients as well. “Often times patients are rushed to get to their appointment on time and this isn’t great for overall outcomes.” Pham explains, “We know too much stress can make it hard to absorb information and can create an unpleasant overall experience. Sometimes a midday appointment can mean having to take the rest of the day off from work. Having flexible working hours means you can meet your patient’s on their terms in an environment that is comfortable for them. We’d like the experience to be much more enjoyable for both parties involved. No more rushing around, no more stress. Every treatment should be a delightful experience.”   

As Ben, a therapist for Luna, points out, “I love living in the Bay Area, and as a transplant, I want to get the most out of my time here. However, it is also expensive so in the past, I've picked up Per Diem work to supplement my income. That's still meant I was required to work a set number of hours at a specific clinic. This summer, I'm doing Per Diem work to supplement my contracting job, but that means I have to relocate. Luna provides me with consistent income that is ideally matched to my need for flexibility. Had I heard about Luna sooner, I would not have to move away, look for housing and sublet my apartment during the two months of the Per Diem contract.”

With Luna, therapists can develop the flexibility in their schedules that strikes their own optimal work-life balance. Luna’s schedules won’t change randomly, leaving therapists with inconsistent working hours. It won’t leave therapists feeling cramped for time. Instead, therapists will have working hours that suit their lifestyle.

Whether you want to work 5 or 25 visits per week, Luna has you covered. 

If you value your flexibility, we invite you to learn more.