NHS pay band & associated authority question

Coraline

ohreally wrote: »

You should contact your trade union for advice as this situation is becoming complex.
Phone and speak with your tu branch secretary about best way for you to progress.

I will definitely do this--but still waiting for my welcome documents. I never anticipated things getting this crazy but if you looked at my last thread about UNISON last week I did join on Saturday. The timing is unbelievable.

These new issues however have come forth after joining and I have email trails to prove it.

Right now my strategy is to delay them and keep my sanity, I'm still waiting for mental health services to get back to me about therapy!

LannieDuck

Coraline wrote: »

Yes--I'm more than qualified to do this type of work--but currently I'm doing multiple jobs. I need an assistant to handle the hands-on portion so I can focus on the strategic, which is my background and what they want me to do.

As of now, I cannot cope with the workload or stress as I'm spread so thin--it's the sheer volume of it that's the problem.

Basically in my "team" there are 2 people, including myself, doing the work of 5 full time equivalents for the past 9 weeks. I'm far from alone in this predicament...

In that case it's definitely a problem. How sympathetic is your line manager? It's their job to help you prioritise your work - do they understand that you don't have enough hours in the day to do all of it?

Coraline

LannieDuck wrote: »

How sympathetic is your line manager? It's their job to help you prioritise your work - do they understand that you don't have enough hours in the day to do all of it?

The way I'm feeling now, not at all. She knows we are clocking 60-70 hour weeks and is putting more demands on us. TBH she's overwhelmed and starting to blame mistakes on us.

But I have paper trails that support we're doing the right thing.

I've starting saying "no" to a lot of requests, that's it's just too much. I've been trying to schedule a meeting with her to explain that this is becoming a Health and Safety issue but she keeps cancelling them because she's too busy.

LannieDuck

Coraline wrote: »

The way I'm feeling now, not at all. She knows we are clocking 60-70 hour weeks and is putting more demands on us. TBH she's overwhelmed and starting to blame mistakes on us.

But I have paper trails that support we're doing the right thing.

I've starting saying "no" to a lot of requests, that's it's just too much. I've been trying to schedule a meeting with her to explain that this is becoming a Health and Safety issue but she keeps cancelling them because she's too busy.

I'm a firm believer in a work-life balance. Paying you a salary doesn't mean that your employer can demand 70 hour weeks from you. I've got nothing against doing longer hours when you're busy at work, but when you're expected to do it as standard, it's taking the p!ss.

If your manager won't prioritise your work for you, you'll have to do it. I suggest you cover your back by leaving an e-mail trail explaining exactly how much time you have, and which pieces of work you've assigned as important/urgent, and which you won't have time for.

Unless she deleted it, there's a thread on here by Ruby (can't quite remember her nick) who's husband was doing 70 hour weeks and made himself ill. In the end, his work didn't thank him for working himself that hard, and to some extent they expected him to do it because he always had. You can make a rod for your own back if you just accept unreasonable demands.

I think you're doing the right thing in saying 'no' to new work, and I hope your union will be able to help you and your team. Doesn't make it easy to do tho!

Final thought - if other people in your team are in the same position, would it be better to try and address the problems as a group?

Coraline

Thank you LannieDuck...exactly right.

The only people in my "group" as of now are myself and another woman, whom incidentally was the one who interviewed me to be her assistant! Then the Director hired me to do PR, leaving us in this situation. She's as fed up as I am.

My partner is fed up with it too, and we've come to the same conclusion, it's just time to say "no" until things don't get done because there are NO resources!

The real irony? Because the director has had family issues and stress she's been out of the office 4 days a week. Well that's compounding to my problems as we have issues at home too, but this a job board, not a conselling service lol.

I feeel afraid because (maybe I'm just getting paranoid from the stress) that I'm being taken advantage of because of my immigration status. I need a job full stop and am very proud I pulled all of us (my partner and I, and her family) out of benefits and we are self sufficient, but besides that's just because the way I am, it's a fact we need to stay that way so I can become a resident.

Latest "news"... the manager who dropped this budget holding responsibility on me justified it with a one-line email from 2 months ago, then when I asked her with all the questions I had (in terms of authorisation, where does the money come from, where does FOI come from in on and on etc) just said "don't blame me, I'm just the middle man!"

I am just laughing to ease the pain! :P

FBaby

I don't want to be rude, but from what you are describing, your job does seem to be a band 6, certainly not a band 8a job.

In regards to budget allowance, the issue relating to band is more about how much you are entitled to authorised per invoice. A band 8a usually can authorise invoices up to £100K, but their budget can be millions.

In regards to the FOI, if you are indeed signing them off as in authorising the publication of the material, then indeed, this is very wrong, because you don't have training and because that role would be expected at manager level or ideally director level. If what you are doing though is just publishing it once the Manager has approved the content, then that would be appropriate of a band 6 role.

As you've realised, it is a stressful time for NHS organisations at the time. It is known and appreciated and the expectation is that staff do as well as they can. It is pressurised, but in the end, you can only do your best and that will be recognised. Unless they are putting you at risk of a serious error, I would not start complaining. Speak to your manager about your concerns. If they tell you not to worry, unless as the above, then just don't worry.

Coraline

I've done the point weight analysis myself, and every colleague across over a dozen regions across the UK doing the EXACT same job as myself, with full time support is an 8a.

so how can I not be an 8a with the same job description and requirements?

It is MY LEGAL CONCERN to accept a response of "don't worry!"

Coraline

addendum...I am so bloody full of worry I've turned to the net! At least I didn't go looking for Facebook groups

FBaby

Coraline wrote: »

I've done the point weight analysis myself, and every colleague across over a dozen regions across the UK doing the EXACT same job as myself, with full time support is an 8a.

so how can I not be an 8a with the same job description and requirements?

It is MY LEGAL CONCERN to accept a response of "don't worry!"

As you say, you've done it yourself. Are you responsible for staff? Do you have any leadership responsibility? Do you deal with highly sensitive information? Do you have to make strategic decisions? Do you have responsibility for developing strategies? A band level is not just assessed by its role, but by the level of responsibility you hold. What you have described so far certainly doesn't match the responsibilities of a band 8a and I very much doubt anyone employed to do a band 4 job with no previous NHS experience would be considered to do a band 8a level job even branded as an 6.

Of course you are doing the right thing making sure you are safe in your job. However, my advice is to be careful how you go about it as the last thing you want is to be branded as difficult when you have just started on the job. Do read all the policies, and if you do feel that you are asked to do things that fall outside of the policies, bring this up in a 'I just want to be sure I'm not doing anything I shouldn't' rather than talking about your 'LEGAL CONCERNS'

Coraline

FBaby wrote: »

As you say, you've done it yourself. Are you responsible for staff? Do you have any leadership responsibility? Do you deal with highly sensitive information? Do you have to make strategic decisions? Do you have responsibility for developing strategies? A band level is not just assessed by its role, but by the level of responsibility you hold. What you have described so far certainly doesn't match the responsibilities of a band 8a and I very much doubt anyone employed to do a band 4 job with no previous NHS experience would be considered to do a band 8a level job even branded as an 6.

Of course you are doing the right thing making sure you are safe in your job. However, my advice is to be careful how you go about it as the last thing you want is to be branded as difficult when you have just started on the job. Do read all the policies, and if you do feel that you are asked to do things that fall outside of the policies, bring this up in a 'I just want to be sure I'm not doing anything I shouldn't' rather than talking about your 'LEGAL CONCERNS'

pretty much to everything. The reason I am being vague is because this the Internet.

I don't want to be seen as difficult, I just want to do my job and be paid fairly for it.

If you wish to PM me, I can prove to you that I am over band 8. You also have to remember that all of us are vague describing things for very good reasons!