Better Communication

[mosslm1]

Being semi-retired I enjoy working at RM through Angard as it gets me out of the house and I can meet up with fellow colleagues. Recently the offer to work appears to have dried up. I know RM has been doing an efficiency drive and lots of their staff are loosing their jobs which is very sad.
The issue that my fellow agency workers have is that we are not being given any information. Work for the following week was usually allocated to us on a Friday or late on Sunday night if demand unexpectedly increased. However, we are now sat by our phones from Friday to late Sunday anticipating a call but none materialise. We are seeing instances where we are allocated work at short notice very late at night or very early morning on the day of the shift, which then may be only be for 4 hours. I was booked to work for 4 hours (10am - 2pm) today only to have the shift cancelled a couple of hours before leaving home. We don't want to let RM down but should we get an early morning or late night call we are now having to sleep with our mobile phones next to the bed. Would it be possible for the Agency workers to be given some form of notification when RM are unlikely to be asking for shifts for the following week or following day? At least then we can go away for the weekend or book appointments without the worry of waiting for shifts to be issued all and then nothing is forthcoming.

[NW11851]

May I ask in which area if the country you are situated? (NOT the precise unit.)

In my neck of the woods, such consideration fir advance booking is unheard of, other than for a select group of Managers’ Friends and Families.

We rarely are booked in advance and have to rely on receiving a short-notice email advising us of shifts being available within the next 90 down to 30 minutes.

[Lockardian]

In busy times such as the run up to Christmas (and throughout the various lockdowns) we tend to get our shifts allocated or offered at least a week in advance. Now that it’s quietened down again we tend to be booked on the day at short notice in response to staff sickness/absence or an unexpected increase in workload. Unfortunately that’s how it’s pretty much always been with Angard.

[Rvlvr]

“ Unfortunately that’s how it’s pretty much always been with Angard.”

This. I started in the pre-pandemic times and had my phone set up so that it’d only make a sound from a text or call if it was from Angard, I pretty much took it in the shower with me, my phone never left my side because it was first come first served, and going in for a night shift off the back of zero sleep and maybe an hour’s notice was the norm. We’re not yet back to that at our MC fortunately but regardless, Angard and good communication don’t go together sadly, you’re a name on a spreadsheet to them and easily replaceable if you don’t say how high when they say jump.

[Warbo]

Being semi-retired I enjoy working at RM through Angard as it gets me out of the house and I can meet up with fellow colleagues. Recently the offer to work appears to have dried up. I know RM has been doing an efficiency drive and lots of their staff are loosing their jobs which is very sad.
The issue that my fellow agency workers have is that we are not being given any information. Work for the following week was usually allocated to us on a Friday or late on Sunday night if demand unexpectedly increased. However, we are now sat by our phones from Friday to late Sunday anticipating a call but none materialise. We are seeing instances where we are allocated work at short notice very late at night or very early morning on the day of the shift, which then may be only be for 4 hours. I was booked to work for 4 hours (10am - 2pm) today only to have the shift cancelled a couple of hours before leaving home. We don't want to let RM down but should we get an early morning or late night call we are now having to sleep with our mobile phones next to the bed. Would it be possible for the Agency workers to be given some form of notification when RM are unlikely to be asking for shifts for the following week or following day? At least then we can go away for the weekend or book appointments without the worry of waiting for shifts to be issued all and then nothing is forthcoming.

This is how a zero hour short notice contract works. This way of 'employment' has gone on for a long time. The casual nature suits some.