Last week, your workplace representatives attended the first of two consultative committee meetings the feedback from those members include:

1. Rostered shifts will change to 7.6 hours to align with a traditional working week and allow the option of full-time contracts at 76 hrs per fortnight.
2. The care model will change from the current house model to a facility model. Staff won’t be allocated a ward to work on until the day of their shift, with the exception of Lourdes.
3. Shift times aren’t finalised yet, but management intends to finalise the roster and implement it starting 7 August.
4. Shift overlap will be under 10 min.
5. There will be an additional one team leader in the AM and one in the PM.

The next consultative team meeting is scheduled to occur before 27 June. Members will be able to submit up to 10 questions that will be answered at an all-staff meeting.

Some question already proposed by the consultative team include:

1. What will the new shift times be?
2. What happens if I get put in a ward I don’t want to be in?
3. What happens if I get put with someone I don’t want to work with?
4. Will we get the option to work in the south side or the north side, and are we expected to work on both sides?
5. Will we get handover when we are assigned our ward to work in at the time we are assigned?
6. Will we have clear duty lists and shift expectations for all staffs and shifts before starting the new roster?
7. How will we achieve continuity of care if we are not in a regular house?
8. How do I address any concerns residents may have about the roster change?
9. What if I can’t pick up another day of work due to family commitments and don’t want to decrease my base hours?
10. Who will be working in Lourdes and should all staff including current staff have to apply to work in Lourdes?

If you have a question that doesn’t appear in the list above, please email your organiser Karen at [E-Mail not displayed].

Following the all-staff meeting, those staff directly impacted by the change will be offered individual meetings with management. Your union can support you at this meeting.

Only HSU members get representation and advice. Do you know someone who isn’t an HSU member? Encourage them to join their Union today at www.hsu.asn.au/join or call 1300 478 679.