Rostering Information for Staff. Far West Local Health District

Transcription

1 Rostering Information for Staff Far West Local Health District February 2018

2 Introduction Far West Local Health District (FWLHD) Rostering Policy Compliance Procedure outlines the processes that your roster manager undertakes in order to develop and publish your roster. As a staff member, you also have certain obligations in relation to aspects of your roster. The following information is provided to inform you of these obligations and outline the processes that the roster manager will adhere to in the development and publication of your roster. Your roster manager has a range of responsibilities to ensure that rosters meet the requirements of patients, staff and the organisation. Rosters are to be published (made available) for all staff to see at least two weeks prior to the commencement date of the first working period in any roster. Your roster managers must review rosters prior to publication to ensure: You have been rostered in compliance with the relevant award The roster meets demand template to ensure service delivery within approved budgeted staffing levels The applicable skill set is covered by the roster The correct number of staff are rostered on annual leave to achieve the annual leave requirements Roster requests have been accommodated wherever possible as per the policy procedure for roster request management The pattern of shifts rostered and shift length duration is cognisant with minimising and managing work related fatigue as per the NSW Health Preventing & Managing Work Related Fatigue For Nursing and Midwifery, appropriate signed documentation has been received and kept on record where the staff member elects to waive their entitlement as per the Public Health System Nurses and Midwives (State) Award 2017 Clause 4(iv)(a) in relation to breaks between shifts. FWLHD requires that all rosters in areas where shifts are worked have a level of secondary approval prior to publishing. Secondary approval of rosters is to ensure Rostering Best Practice principles have been applied. Therefore, it is crucial that your roster requests for specific shifts and other leave requests are submitted in a timely manner. 2 Rostering Information for Staff Far West Local Health District

3 Roster Requests It is expected that roster managers will endeavor to meet individual requests where possible. However you must be aware that patients and department needs are the first consideration in making rostering decisions, meaning some requests may not be approved. Roster request process Your roster manager is required to document the process for roster requests for your ward/unit/service. This process will include: How you make a roster request (e.g. template roster, or Employee Online) The time frame within which requests can be made in relation to the scheduled publication of the roster The number of requests that can be made within a roster period; default to be four requests per full time staff member and pro rata for part time staff member or as otherwise agreed at a unit level, in a 28 day roster period For JMOs on a five term year it is three requests per term. For a four term year it is four requests per term. You must follow the documented roster request process in order for your requests to be considered. Roster request patterns The process for roster requests is to support ad hoc, one off or special requests that you may need to make. If you need to request a regular day or shift that you can or cannot work on an ongoing basis, then you must discuss this with your roster manager and request to enter a Temporary Individual Roster Arrangement. 3 Rostering Information for Staff Far West Local Health District

4 Reviewing requests When reviewing roster requests, your roster manager must consider the ability for service delivery demands to be met and the applicable skill set. When more staff request to work or not to work a particular day / shift than is required for service delivery, your roster manager must consider: The reason for your request The number of requests that you have made The number of requests you have had approved / not approved in the past Staffing requirements for service delivery If your request is not approved, your roster manager will liaise with you in the first instance. Your roster manager is required to keep a record of reasons for non-approval. Shift swaps Once a roster has been published and there is a shift that you can no longer work, or had requested not to work and your roster manager was unable to accommodate your request, it is your responsibility to try to arrange to swap this shift with a colleague. If you can t organise a shift swap you are required to attend work as rostered. If you wish to swap a shift you must ensure documentation via the relevant FWLHD Request for Change of Roster form and meet the following requirements: 1. Identify an appropriate staff member to swap the shift with, based on the skill set of the staff member 2. Obtain agreement from the staff member you wish to swap with 3. Identify if the swap will incur overtime for either party 4. Obtain approval from your roster manager, who will update the roster once approval is granted Shift swaps are to be submitted at least 24 hours in advance of the commencement of the shift to be swapped and approved during business hours by the roster manager or their delegate. 4 Rostering Information for Staff Far West Local Health District

5 ADOs Rostering ADOs As a rule, your roster manager will roster your ADO when it is due. Accruing ADOs If you want to accrue your ADO, then you must request prior approval from your roster manager. Your roster manager will keep a record of your request to accrue your ADO. Accrual is as stipulated in the relevant associated Award. The maximum accrual for full time staff is three days except those employed under the Skilled Trades Award who may accrue up to five ADOs. Once three ADOs have accrued the next ADO will be rostered, your roster manager will do this to ensure that maximum accrual is not exceeded. ADOs for HM 5 and above are not cumulative and if not taken within the month, are forfeited. If you are rostered an ADO and subsequently are sick your ADO cannot be changed to reflect sick leave as per the Leave Matters for the NSW Health Service (PD2017_028). ADO balances ADO balances are calculated and maintained by StaffLink and you can check your ADO balance at any time. Your roster manager will check your ADO balance prior to finalising the roster. Requesting an ADO If you want to request your ADO on a specific day, then the rostering policy procedure for Roster Requests must be adhered to. Junior Medical Officers (JMO) should take their ADOs within their allocated rotation. FWLHD will pay out ADOs accrued within their organisation where they have not been able to be taken (as per Medical Officers - Employment Arrangements in the NSW Public Health Service PD2016_059) prior to moving to their next rotation. 5 Rostering Information for Staff Far West Local Health District

6 Annual Leave Planning Annual Leave All staff are responsible for managing their own annual leave appropriately in accordance with the Leave Matters for the NSW Health Service (PD2017_028). Your roster manager will have a 12 month annual leave plan and advise you when and how requests for annual leave are to be submitted. Your roster manager will advise you if there is an alternate process / timing for annual leave requests for periods of altered activity (e.g. seasonal fluctuations) or high demand for annual leave (e.g. Christmas/New Year). Ideally 75% of your annual leave should be planned and scheduled in advance over a 12 month period. Your remaining 25% of leave should be taken through the year with appropriate approval. Approval for Annual Leave You must complete a leave request form and obtain signed approval from your roster manager prior to taking annual leave. You should not make non-refundable bookings prior to your leave being formally approved. Failure to obtain formal approval prior to making non-refundable bookings is at your own risk. Reviewing requests for Annual Leave When more staff request annual leave than is possible in order to meet service delivery, your roster manager will consider: The reason that your leave is being requested, e.g. personal circumstances or a special event that cannot be rescheduled The amount / frequency of requests that you have made previously Whether you have had a request for leave not approved previously The amount of leave liability that you have had (the higher the liability the higher the priority for annual leave) The ability to maintain the service If your annual leave is not approved, then your roster manager will keep a record of both your request and the reason that your request has not been approved. 6 Rostering Information for Staff Far West Local Health District

7 Excessive Annual Leave Excessive annual leave is defined by the NSW Treasury as a balance of 30 days or more (Treasury Circular NSW TC 16/03). If you have an excessive annual leave balance, your roster manager will speak to you about a formal annual leave management plan. Wherever possible, annual leave will be scheduled at mutually agreed times between you and your roster manager. However, your roster manager may direct you to take annual leave. In these circumstances, your roster manager will provide you with notice of no less than 28 days and where practicable three months. If you have just transferred from full time to work part time you will be requested to take any outstanding annual leave that is owed as soon as possible. You must be able to take the leave within 12 months from the date of transfer to the new part time hours. If it is not possible to reduce all of your excessive leave prior to commencement, your manager will roster your part time hours plus annual leave up to 76 hours per fortnight until your leave balance is reduced below 30 days. Cashing out of extra and public holiday leave can be taken as per the relevant awards IB2016_054 Cashing Out Accrued Additional Annual Leave. Long Service Leave Long Service Leave (LSL) is to be taken at a mutually agreeable time with your roster manager and has no priority over annual leave. If you have excessive annual leave this leave must be taken prior to LSL being taken. For all other types of leave please refer to Leave Matters for the NSW Health Service (PD2017_028) Leave Without Pay (LWOP) A written request for LWOP must be made in advance to the roster manager outlining reasons for the request. Applications for LWOP should be considered after review of ADO, TIL and annual leave balances along with organisational demand and any additional costs to the organisation. Clinical and service requirements are to be considered first and all requests will be considered on an individual basis. All LWOP will be approved as per the delegations manual. Unpaid sick leave is not LWOP and should be recorded accurately within the rostering system. There is no guarantee that LWOP will be granted. Please refer to Leave Matters for the NSW Health Service (PD2017_028) for further information. 7 Rostering Information for Staff Far West Local Health District

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9 Temporary Individual Roster Arrangements (TIRAs) When a Temporary Individual Roster Arrangement is requested TIRAs are an agreed rostering arrangement for an individual to work (or not to work) specific shifts or specific days. TIRAs are one of several options under the NSW Public Service Commission's Flexible Work Practices Policy (G1995_001). Changes to ordinary working hours to facilitate short term needs should be considered on an individual basis. FWLHD strives to ensure flexible, fair and equitable rosters to all staff however provision for service delivery is the first priority. Entering into a Temporary Individual Roster Arrangement If you want to request to enter into a TIRA, you must discuss the arrangements with your roster manager in the first instance. If your request is for the duration of one individual roster cycle, then refer to the process for Roster Requests. If your request is for longer than one roster cycle, it needs to be submitted in writing on the FWLHD Application for Temporary Individual Roster Arrangement (TIRA) and will require secondary approval. When you request to enter a TIRA, your roster manager will consider: The implications on service delivery The implications on other staff members NSW Public Service Commission's Flexible Work Practices Policy (G1995_001) The reasons for the TIRA The skills set and competencies of the staff member requesting the TIRA If TIRAs are unable to be accommodated then consideration should be given to alternate work arrangements / locations / whether the TIRA could be accommodated in another setting And if this TIRA will impact leave accrual and excess annual leave balances e.g. if you are contracted to a 7 day rotating roster and your TIRA is to change your work practice to work Monday to Friday this will impact the accrual of annual leave and StaffLink needs to be amended accordingly. Approval for Temporary Individual Roster Arrangement For all staff, the TIRA must be submitted for approval. Arrangements with a duration of two months or less require approval from a roster manager. Arrangements between two and 12 months require approval from the delegated manager. Reviewing the Temporary Individual Roster Arrangement If you need to alter the terms of your TIRA prior to the review date, you need to discuss this with your roster manager at the earliest possible time. The initial trial period should be for one roster period and regular reviews every three months thereafter. The maximum length of time a TIRA can be in place for is a total of 12 months. You will be requested to provide strategies on how you attempt to resolve this temporary arrangement within a 12 month timeframe. TIRAs and returning to work on reduced hours following maternity leave It is a provision to request to return to work on reduced hours and this is documented in the various awards including Leave Matters for the NSW Health Service (PD2017_028) and should be requested on the applicable StaffLink form. 9 Rostering Information for Staff Far West Local Health District

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11 Overtime & Time in Lieu of Overtime (TIL) Wherever possible, the use of premium labour (overtime, agency and casual staff) should be limited in FWLHD, however, it is recognised that situations will arise in which overtime and time in lieu of overtime (TIL) will be necessary. In these situations your manager must follow the below approval processes. In accordance with relevant awards and in order to meet service needs, staff may be required to work reasonable overtime. Overtime and TIL is only to be offered after all attempts to utilise additional hours for part time staff or casuals have been exhausted. The option of taking TIL may not be possible in all settings and circumstances. Only when it is possible will the following processes apply. Approval for TIL All overtime, or by substitution TIL, must be approved prior to it being worked and should be fairly distributed among all staff. All overtime in or out of business hours must be approved in accordance with the delegations manual. TIL can be accrued for a minimum period of 30 minutes and up to a total maximum accrual equivalent to one shift of standard length for any employee. Consent for TIL instead of overtime payment The accrual of TIL is conditional on the prior mutual agreement between yourself and your delegated manager. Documentation of TIL All approved TIL is to be documented by your roster manager on the Time in Lieu log. Roster managers are required to review TIL balances on a weekly basis in order to monitor and manage TIL balances. Taking TIL You must seek and obtain approval from your roster manager prior to taking any accrued TIL. Your roster manager will consider the impact on service delivery and available staffing resources prior to approving your TIL to be taken. For TIL to be taken as a full shift a Leave form must be completed. Normally TIL will be taken within the pay period in which it occurred. If this is not possible, the manager will negotiate with you to roster it within three months of it being accrued. For further information about TIL please refer to Leave Matters for the NSW Health Service (PD2017_028). For information relating to time in lieu incurred during travel please refer to the NSW Health Official Travel Policy Rostering Information for Staff Far West Local Health District

12 Call Backs At the conclusion of a call-back you must be formally released by the delegated approver as per facility / service guidelines that there are no patients within the organisation that you might be called to see within a reasonable time period. As per Clause 12 of the Public Hospital Medical Officers Award, Clause 6 of the Barrier Industrial Council Agreement and Clause 9 of the Health Employees Conditions of Employment (State) Award, if you are not formally released, and are recalled again during the four hour minimum payment period you are not entitled to any additional payment until the expiration of the four hour period. 12 Rostering Information for Staff Far West Local Health District

13 Make Up Time Make up time (MUT) is another option within Leave Matters for the NSW Health Service (PD2017_028). MUT is an agreement for you to take time off and make the time up. MUT occurs when you and your roster manager mutually agree to the use of MUT prior to you undertaking approved time off. The maximum period of MUT is two hours. MUT must be taken and made up in the same pay period or within one week, whichever is the greater. Your manager is responsible for managing and monitoring the use of MUT. Use of MUT must not affect service delivery. It is not appropriate that you work through meal breaks to make up time. 13 Rostering Information for Staff Far West Local Health District

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