NHS change of hours?

GlasweJen

I currently work in a position where I should theoretically work across 2 sites but I work at site A and a colleague on the same band as me works on site B.

My colleague is leaving in September and has handed in her notice, she has a 37.5 hour contract and I'm on 22.5. Prior to me starting she was on 22.5 and the person at my site on 37.5 she did not interview for this change in hours. My site is much busier and has more work so to justify giving my colleague more hours she's been doing paperwork for a team within the department but that paperwork is soon to be handed over to their own assistant who is on a higher band than us.

The senior charge nurse is off long term and her post is being covered by charge nurses at each site. The charge nurse at my site has said I can just increase my hours and stay where I am as our site is the one that had the hours allocated in the first place and we are constantly understaffed (we often borrow staff from another site, site C to cover my days off), the charge nurse at site B said I need to go work there if I want more hours even though that means that on 2 afternoons of the week there is literally nothing for me to do. Charge nurse B also said I'd have to apply for the job and be interviewed even though it's the same job as I am doing and my contract states both sites.

I've said I'm happy to work over both sites so I can train my colleagues replacement and the department has some flexibility on where I should be on what days so I can cover extra clinics at either site and not be twiddling my thumbs on 2 mornings but charge nurse B doesn't want any more part time staff on her site.

Basically the jobs are being put up for advertising soon and I don't know if I should apply or not. I've tried to speak to the lead nurse who is my bosses boss but she's ridiculously hard to get hold of and last time I spoke to her she said she'd speak to both charge nurses but never has.

Does anyone know where I stand in all of this?

Guest101

GlasweJen wrote: »

I currently work in a position where I should theoretically work across 2 sites but I work at site A and a colleague on the same band as me works on site B.

My colleague is leaving in September and has handed in her notice, she has a 37.5 hour contract and I'm on 22.5. Prior to me starting she was on 22.5 and the person at my site on 37.5 she did not interview for this change in hours. My site is much busier and has more work so to justify giving my colleague more hours she's been doing paperwork for a team within the department but that paperwork is soon to be handed over to their own assistant who is on a higher band than us.

The senior charge nurse is off long term and her post is being covered by charge nurses at each site. The charge nurse at my site has said I can just increase my hours and stay where I am as our site is the one that had the hours allocated in the first place and we are constantly understaffed (we often borrow staff from another site, site C to cover my days off), the charge nurse at site B said I need to go work there if I want more hours even though that means that on 2 afternoons of the week there is literally nothing for me to do. Charge nurse B also said I'd have to apply for the job and be interviewed even though it's the same job as I am doing and my contract states both sites. - If your contract says 22.5 hours, that is all your entitled to, anything over is discretionary.

I've said I'm happy to work over both sites so I can train my colleagues replacement and the department has some flexibility on where I should be on what days so I can cover extra clinics at either site and not be twiddling my thumbs on 2 mornings but charge nurse B doesn't want any more part time staff on her site.

Basically the jobs are being put up for advertising soon and I don't know if I should apply or not. I've tried to speak to the lead nurse who is my bosses boss but she's ridiculously hard to get hold of and last time I spoke to her she said she'd speak to both charge nurses but never has.

Does anyone know where I stand in all of this?

I'm unclear exactly what the problem is, it seems to be lost in the ABCs, but it seems you want to go for the other role. Your role is for 22.5 hours.

GlasweJen

Guest101 wrote: »

I'm unclear exactly what the problem is, it seems to be lost in the ABCs, but it seems you want to go for the other role. Your role is for 22.5 hours.

That's exactly it, I'd like more hours. One person is telling me that because I'm already recruited for the role I can just increase my hours and sign a new contract to that effect but another person is telling me that I need to apply and interview for the role. Both of these people are supposed to be my joint boss, big boss is off long term sick and big big boss said it's down to the department to sort out and she'd talk to the two charge nurses but she hasn't done anything about it.

My colleague originally had my hours and just added more on without an application or interview when the last person in the role left, she didn't even sign a new contract until a year had passed and she realised it could affect her staff benefits.

Guest101

GlasweJen wrote: »

That's exactly it, I'd like more hours. One person is telling me that because I'm already recruited for the role I can just increase my hours and sign a new contract to that effect but another person is telling me that I need to apply and interview for the role. - impossible to answer, but typically the recruiting manager would decide whether they want to recruit fresh or simply add-on to your contract. It sounds like they'd prefer someone new, but it could be down to misconceptions about policy. Employment services may be able to help. Both of these people are supposed to be my joint boss, big boss is off long term sick and big big boss said it's down to the department to sort out and she'd talk to the two charge nurses but she hasn't done anything about it. - the issue with having 2 line managers. Have you got a union?

My colleague originally had my hours and just added more on without an application or interview when the last person in the role left, she didn't even sign a new contract until a year had passed and she realised it could affect her staff benefits.

Unfortunately what happens to one person has no bearing on you.


They could in theory pay someone to sit down all day and pay you to work all day.

GlasweJen

Yeah, I'm basically being caught up in an argument between the joint bosses. I think the problem is that site B doesn't want to lose the hours even though we need them at site A and the full time position was always meant to be for site A, it just suited my colleague more to work at site B and it suited me at the time to work part time.

It doesn't help that the managers can't stand each other and constantly bicker over things.

I'm in the union, I'll give the rep a call. I don't want to apply and land in front of the two managers arguing over wether or not I should even be sitting in front of them.

IAmWales

GlasweJen wrote: »

Yeah, I'm basically being caught up in an argument between the joint bosses. I think the problem is that site B doesn't want to lose the hours even though we need them at site A and the full time position was always meant to be for site A, it just suited my colleague more to work at site B and it suited me at the time to work part time.

It doesn't help that the managers can't stand each other and constantly bicker over things.

I'm in the union, I'll give the rep a call. I don't want to apply and land in front of the two managers arguing over wether or not I should even be sitting in front of them.

What do you want the rep to do?

GlasweJen

I just need to know if I should apply for the role should it come up or if there's another process for when you're already in the role. Would the union would know this?

Guest101

IAmWales wrote: »

What do you want the rep to do?

The rep may just be able to highlight this to employment services as an issue. It may be nothing, but having two line managers giving two messages is no good for the OP

IAmWales

GlasweJen wrote: »

I just need to know if I should apply for the role should it come up or if there's another process for when you're already in the role. Would the union would know this?

If you're unsure you should ask HR.

As a previous NHS manager, I would reiterate what Guest101 has said, you're applying for a different job and as such you should apply as per any other (internal) candidate.

Red-Squirrel_2

Can you ask for a meeting between yourself and the two charge nurses? Maybe with your union rep there, or someone from HR? Boss from site B is probably just worried she'll be even more short handed than she is now! You need some clarification though on what's going to be happening and how you need to go about increasing your hours/applying for the other job.

aife

I agree you should contact HR - I would assume that is what your opposite number did in the first place
It's not unreasonable for her to have done that , but what i don't understand is this - you say this person often has nothing to do but your site is often short and has to borrow staff . Why isn't the other person being asked to help out at your site ? Sounds like very poor management
Can you raise this in supervision ?
Does your Trust have one of those schemes where staff are invited to suggest efficiency savings ?
Whatever you decide you need to act quickly , before they get to the stage of interviewing people , or the post will be filled and I suspect you'll end up feeling resentful