Not acceptable for band 3 admin NHS staff to have to travel for miles

[Thetravellingadmin]

I’m band 3 NHS admin at top of my pay scale so about 23k from memory. I have a high workload and manage 2 staff. I have been told that due to staff shortages I will now have to travel to various sites across my trust. My trust encompasses a huge area and it is about an hours full motorway driving in some cases to go to another site.

I have travelled to one of these sites today for a meeting and the thought of doing this regularly horrified me. It took well over an hour, in difficult traffic conditions and there was nowhere to park at the end of it. I was advised to park on a residential housing estate which I felt bad about but was told because the NHS had not purchased enough parking spaces in the industrial park where the office is everyone just parks outside peoples houses all day. It was then a 10 minute walk to the site!

It seems madness that junior staff on not great wages are now expected to travel, with no available parking, causing wear and tear to their car plus cost of petrol etc oh and I also had to pay extra on my insurance to purchase “business insurance” which of course the NHS don’t cover. I can claim mileage but I’m not sure I would break even.

Of course there is a small clause in my contract which days “trust wide travel” so I have no option.

Im looking for another job!

I wouldn’t want to do that either. I actually didn’t go for another job recently because it involved travel to other sites.
I’m not really a fan of teams, but in instances like this, surely you could do that?
Also, a band 3 managing staff?

Get a new job. How are you band 3 and in charge of 2 staff members and expected to travel? That's surely band 6/7+ territory?

No I am Band 3 and manage two Band 2 staff. I can’t quite believe my level of responsibility either and subsequent pay!

Our Band 4s who manage about 50 staff are travelling daily to other long distance sites.

If you can claim mileage at the 'normal' rate of 45p per mile (and your time is covered) you'll come out on top, even factoring in wear and tear unless your car is a V8.
Assuming 40MPG at £1.50 per litre, your fuel cost is 17p oer mile.

I must be missing something because usually you find a new job when you dont like the current one.

23k for travelling to different sites is quite normal in both private sector and public sector. I have had to do it on less!

Good luck with the job hunt though

Band 3 is not a management role, band 4 is? Where i work band 4 is line management, band 5 manager of the band 4s, and so on.
Bit shocking they are expecting so much for so little pay.

Yes, my manager who is band 4 recently delegated the band 2s to me to manage to reduce her workload and apparently this is ok.

I hope you're with a union, or you could contact hr.
If it's not in your contract it is not ok.

Find out if there's a pool car available?

Presumably you can claim mileage?

The travelling is quite common. What is worse is when health care workers or sessional workers aren't paid for the time in between. At least it sounds like it's being done during work time?

My job is zero hours (teaching related) so if I do 2.5 hours in the morning and then 2 .5hours on another site I'm paid 5 hours rather than "a days work."

Has your JD been altered to reflect that you are now managing the B2’s?

I would have to concur with people who are saying that if your job no longer suits you then it is time to find another one. That said, your post makes little sense. The extra travel time from your contractual site should be counted as working time. The mileage allowance covers wear and tear - far more than petrol costs. I have never had any insurance company charge me extra for travelling to and from different workplaces and I have been doing this for decades - so perhaps you need to consider how good your insurance provider is. And a ten minute walk from your car to your office is hardly taxing, unless you have a disability, in which case you should discuss reasonable adjustements and parking with your employer.

Band 3 admin here. I wouldn't like it and I'd look for another job.

And yes plenty of other band 2/3 posts available I would be tempted to change job. If you've got line management experience now you could apply higher.

I do think this is a useful thread for all those that think it's easy to get a high paid job...

The travel isn't really factored into wages and if already in your contract then you just need to find another job (as you say you're doing).
You'll be paid mileage that will cover wear and tear plus fuel but appreciate that it's quite a change to your ways of working and done blame you if you want another job

I currently work at my local site - a 20 minute walk no car required. So to now be told I have to drive for over an hour a day, with no parking, regularly to work elsewhere is not acceptable to me!

Who would want to do that?

I loved my job doing community work as hated being in 1 place all day but it doesn’t sound like you will enjoy anything about the new parts of your role! Getting stuck at the top of a band is a common problem as it is very tempting to give experienced staff more responsibilities without having any financial rewards or career progression , most staff have some degree of responsibility towards junior staff /bands but if you line manage 2 people on top of your normal role I would def be looking elsewhere at band 3.

I think its the nature of many jobs with multiple sites to be honest.

Look for another role. Plenty is homeworking too if that's your thing.

Interesting how bands and responsibilities vary across the country.
I have been band 4 for many years and don't manage staff.

I hope you can include travel in the work day. But when it's not something you have signed up for its frustrating.

This. Certainly the travel part if it's in your contract.

NHS mileage is about 66p now so should more than cover it. If you put business mileage on at the beginning of your policy it often doesn't actually cost any extra as I checked this.

However, what if you couldn't drive, presumably that wasn't in the job description?

Often B3 admins will kind of manage the B2s but I have never heard of them properly managing them as in agreeing leave, appraisals etc, more just giving out the work that needs doing and being a point of contact for them.

I’m a band 6 and I don’t line manage anyone. The person above me (b7 doesn’t manage anyone either) My line manager is an 8A. We’re an NHS arms length body though, it’s very different to a trust.