12 Hour shifts

[scrubber]

Hi All,

I am desperately seeking some help and advice and hope I have come to the right place.

My problem is I work nights, and have done so for the same hospital for over 3years. The current shift is 10.5 hours with a half hour unpaid break. In January the managers propose to change the shifts to 12 hours with an hours unpaid break.
Despite discussions and all my night working colleagues stating their reasons for being unable to comply with the changes, the manangement are qouting organisational change policy to us and stating a clause in it which states we can be re-deployed or dismissed if we refuse to change.
The manage ment want us to begin shift at 8pm instead of 10pm we have tried to negotiate by saying we could start at 9pm but they won't accept this.
They are using this as a tool with working time directives that the day staff need 11 break between shifts, we stated on that note as night workers we shouldn't work more than 7 hours, but their response is due to our time off the hours work out correct over a 17 week period.

We have tried our Unison reps but they don't seem able to help us.
Can anyone offer any advice I could give more information and greater detail but wanted to keep the opening breif to start.

[Rusty-London]

Depending on what your job is within the Hospital you should be under the Agenda For Change framework like almost all NHS employees.
If this is the case then your employers can do pretty much whatever they feel like as long as it is within the working time directives.

Personally I wouldn't expect Unison to be much help, they don't seem to be too keen on helping out their members IMO.

[Ell-enn]

Hi there, I'm afraid I'm not familiar with the policies of the NHS or the Agenda for Change as I work in the private sector HR. However, I will try and find out for you. Someone with more knowledge of the NHS may be along soon.

In the meantime you could give ACAS a call - they may be able to give you information 08457 474747. Acas - Home

Kind Regards

Ell-enn

[Conniff]

As a matter of immense interest you should contact your local paper and tell them that staff at the hospital are under threat of dismissal unless they change their working hours.
This is just the sort of thing they thrive on and it could even be picked up by the nationals.

[scrubber]

thank you for your replies we have considered going to the press but again fear losing our jobs if we are discovered.
We are aware that the agenda for change has meant we have little power left to fight against them.
The hospital quotes it is family friendly employer but the demands it is making means one of my colleagues would be expected to leave her 2 children unattended as her husband won't be home from work when she would have to leave, and as her children are over 6 years she has no legal rights for flexible working. All they keep quoting to us is if we cannot do the hours we should transfer to day shifts....but child care is beyond the finances of some...one is a widow with 8 yr old twins who needs her parents to care for the children overnight, they cannot help during the day as her parents also work.
The last answer we heard that the whole of perioperative care is changing regardless and 4 members of staff will not prevent this from happening.
All this hassle for just one hour!
Already one of my colleagues with over 20 years scrub experience has resigned as she cannot cope with fighting any longer and the remaining 4 members of staff also have the same level of experience, we personally feel this is a result of the foreign nurses coming over and wanting the long shifts so they can do extra work elsewhere and send lots of money home...we are now the victimes....to say we are all english and english trained appears racist but this may be our last resort that we are being discrimminated against.

[Conniff]

I'm sure the editor would keep any names or identifiable traits out of the story. I would go for it, at least management will have to answer their questions.
If it looks like it is going through without any protest then they will continue to change things how they want especially as they wont be involved.

[poppynurse]

What hours will the change result in the day staff doing?

I have personal experience of shift changes in the NHS. I was dead against longer shifts when we changed from 8 to 13 hour shifts but I tried it and now actually prefer it. It means I have to do less days so get more time at home with family.

Our trust is now going the other way and saying that long shifts have to end and we have to go back to short shifts to comply with WTD so we are now fighting against that. I'm trying to come up with a way out of the WTD as it is quite woolly and open to interpretation.