9 Day Fortnight Question

[Benson97]

My office is about to move to the 9 day fortnight pattern. My question is, what happens with reserves/floaters? For example, If a reserve covers a duty that has one day off, then the following week they cover a different duty that has 1 day off, they are actually working a 10 day fortnight. Added to that, the chances are pretty high a reserve might never even get a long weekend, as they keep moving to cover different duties each week.

[yellowbelly]

My office is about to move to the 9 day fortnight pattern. My question is, what happens with reserves/floaters? For example, If a reserve covers a duty that has one day off, then the following week they cover a different duty that has 1 day off, they are actually working a 10 day fortnight. Added to that, the chances are pretty high a reserve might never even get a long weekend, as they keep moving to cover different duties each week.

Don't know much about the 9 day fortnight but in the propaganda that was pushed out that included the shift patterns (3 versions of 9 day fortnight) I can't see the DOC working 10 days. 9 days same as everyone else.

Edit: sorry Benson slightly misunderstood that it was a reserve covering a DOC that you were referring to!

[ted_e_bear]

The DOC will do 9 as it's included in the duty rotation section but good question about the reserves maybe someone knows how they work out the reserves attendance pattern for a 9 day fortnight office.

[tramssirhc]

My office is about to move to the 9 day fortnight pattern. My question is, what happens with reserves/floaters? For example, If a reserve covers a duty that has one day off, then the following week they cover a different duty that has 1 day off, they are actually working a 10 day fortnight. Added to that, the chances are pretty high a reserve might never even get a long weekend, as they keep moving to cover different duties each week.

What happens with leave reserve is a very good question. Historically leave reserves have not been afforded the same conditions as floaters and walk holders. Under Herefords, 9 day fortnights, 2 in 5 there is the high likelihood that workers will work above their contracted hours. In some respects the day or days off is not the issue. The issue is the hours required to be worked and how those hours are balanced to ensure that a worker doesn't work more than their contract hours.

The CWU have no agreement regarding the treatment of leave reserves. Many workers report that the local rep is not concerned about leave reserves conditions because they aren't leave reserves themselves. Of course they will have been at some point and will have experienced what it's like for leave reserves. Every Tuesday off, increased weekly hours, the fight to be paid or given the time back. Any decent caring trade union rep would make sure no one faced that. This is the CWU were talking about.

In the absence of a proper agreement I'd advise leave reserves to ask for equal treatment with all other opgs. That means equal amounts of Saturdays off. Either payment for hours in excess of the contract hours or a clear explanation of how their hours will be balanced to ensure they work no more than their contract hours over a reference period. That reference period should be the length of whichever rotation is agreed e.g. 2 in 5 is a 5 week rotation so the leave reserves would be reasonable to expect 2 in 5 Saturdays off and their hours averaged over 5 weeks.

[tramssirhc]

My office is about to move to the 9 day fortnight pattern. My question is, what happens with reserves/floaters? For example, If a reserve covers a duty that has one day off, then the following week they cover a different duty that has 1 day off, they are actually working a 10 day fortnight. Added to that, the chances are pretty high a reserve might never even get a long weekend, as they keep moving to cover different duties each week.

Leave reserves can also use the comparison of the conditions afforded to Wallington leave reserves. They have a rotational system to ensure they are treated equally. If they didn't it would be difficult to maintain their contract of employment.