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Original poster

anyone had dealings with computerised rostering in nhs setting, especially part time parent?

35 replies

allbie · 30/04/2011 12:21

My ward is taking on computerised rostering for the off-duty. Many part time staff are clearly worried as previously, they had set days (with some flexibility for the ward) to cope with childcare arrangements. Now it would seem that these previous working arrangements will not be necessarily be met by the computer and the staff with childcare issues will have to 'like it or lump it'. There has been mention that if these staff members can't be flexible then they should look to going on the 'bank'. This all seems totally opposite to the so-called family-friendly mantra and the government's aim of enabling people to work! If you have any valid advice or heart-warming tales, then I shall be truly grateful to you!

OP posts:
WhyMeWhyNot · 30/04/2011 12:37

I work for NHS too and they issued all our staff that in 3 months their contracts would be changing............ There will be no more term-time only jobs, no early or late shifts [only long days] and annual leave will not be applied for but allocated.Hmm

Original poster
allbie · 30/04/2011 12:48

Bloody hell! We already do long days which just 'happened' without real consultation. Termtime has always been frowned upon....allocated annual leave, now that is truly dreadful. Under the guise of 'family-friendly', eh? It's all complete bollocks. I feel like a lone voice as everyone I work with will moan like hell but not do anything then lie down and roll over.

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WhyMeWhyNot · 30/04/2011 18:57

But we're told we have to count ourselves lucky to have a job et.etc.etc.

5 of our managers are having to reapply for their jobs, but only 2 jobs to be available.

Those 2 'lucky' ones will then between them do the work of the 5.

notmyownname · 01/05/2011 05:34

I am NHS and my roster is done by the computer.

I work 20 hours a week.

I am now expected to work every other Sunday and 6 out of 8 Saturdays.

I have namechanged to start a thread about the same.

The NHS is no longer an attractive employer in a lot of ways TBH.

Original poster
allbie · 01/05/2011 11:29

Notmyownname, you are so right! The NHS is sliding in so many ways. Why so may weekend days? Is that because your requests aren't met or that you get the dross no one else will do? I mainly work nights as that's all that fits in with home. Part time workers are seen as very low down the food chain in my experience. Many of our 'hierarchy' have no children, aren't married or don't significant other...how can you possibly manage people if you have no idea what being responsible for others, other than yourself, is actually like? I shall see how it goes but will be taking appropriate steps to get a new job....if I can???

OP posts:
notmyownname · 01/05/2011 20:02

I am looking for a new job. They have decided that everyone in my place of work will work more than every other weekend, even if part time. Which is fine.

Unless you have children.

And if you have children you need a partner who is off every weekend to look after them. And if you don't have one, you are stuffed. Because who can get a childminder for weekends and bank holidays?

ambercat · 01/05/2011 20:14

This is why i work on the bank! for the last year have done 2 or 3 days on the same ward so still feel part of a team but am in charge of what hours i can work, they know me and like me so request me for shifts so i have never been without work.

Newly qualified and inexperienced nurses are being left to cover nights and weekends as they are cheaper, not great for patient care or safety!

Original poster
allbie · 02/05/2011 10:25

Ambercat, our hospital is rather poorly staffed on the wards. I work in ITU which is relatively well staffed. I think if I joined the bank, I'd be mainly offered ward work which I truly do not want to do. I am an experienced ITU nurse and chose to specialise in this area along time ago. If I'm forced onto the bank, I don't feel I would be any better off. I'll have to 'suck it and see', I guess!! If I leave the NHS, I will try hard not to get into nursing of any sort again!

OP posts:
Original poster
allbie · 02/05/2011 10:35

Notmyownname, a childminder at the weekend? Now that isn't funny, is it? You must be stressed at the situation. All we want to do is go to work, do a good job and use our skills to help others. We happen to have children which is a biologically normal state of affairs (generally!) We are more than willing to work but we have other people in our lives to consider. Crikey, the juggling we do to make sure everything runs smoothly.

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Feebly · 02/05/2011 20:40

notmyownname I'm thinking, judging by your hours described you work in the same nhs job I've left (telephones used a lot?)
Computer rostering is pretty rubbish I'm afraid. You have to think about the bank holidays as well, last year the computer allocated me to work Christmas eve, Christmas day, boxing day, new years eve and new years day! All random and completely unchangeable! I left and am currently desperately job hunting. Family friendly hours are scarce though.

SauvignonBlanche · 02/05/2011 20:45

I've just been to a company demonstration on e-rostering, my Trust is looking to bring it in next year.
Do you not have a self-roster facility? I'm keen to use that.
As an NHS manager who did not beam down from the planet Zog and can remember being a Staff nurse (and yes I have children, thank you) I realise that staff are much more productive when they are happy with their rota.

VivaLeBeaver · 02/05/2011 20:49

We're going to have the same problem soon. I work 3 days a week and have been told I'll be able to request 3 shifts a month!

So I said what if I've requested a couple of shifts but then want to make sure I have a weekend off as we're having a weekend away, etc. My boss said I'd have to take a/l. She's on another planet I swear.

bigbumum · 02/05/2011 20:49

My hospital have got rid of the nursing bank, it went about 18 months ago.

We have e rostering and as far as i know its worked out ok in the main.

I found out about 3 weeks ago that i will have my job for the next year, i have been waitng to hear since 2 weeks before Christmas if i have a job or not....workedt here for 22 years.

I do set hours and i am part time, i have had no issues. As they are desperately short, i end up doing many many more hours, did an extra night shift for them on Saterday after working 40 hours already last week. (im contracted to work 30 hours per week.

Neadless to say, i am actively looking for alternative employment which breaks my heart that i am leaving my beloved NHS which is actually unrecognisable from when i started.

girliefriend · 02/05/2011 20:53

Bloody hell the NHS is just getting worse and worse, I have always found them to be very very un family friendly, it took me 3 years and a lot of heart ache to get set (ish) days, when my dd had to go into hospital I was told I would not get any parental leave as it was a 'planned' operation Hmm

And am still seething at being told that the royal wedding wasn't actually a 'bank' holiiday but a 'public' holiiday therefore they don't have to pay anyone who worked enhancements Angry grr

FessaEst · 02/05/2011 20:57

E-rostering has not gone well in either of my last 2 jobs. The computer works in 6 weeks blocks and seems unable to calcualte the crossover, so you can be down for a night on the Sat and a late on the Sun for example. Plus, it takes things to the letter, so you can finish a twilight shift and be expected back on the late, as you will have had the mandatory 11 hr gap.

You have limited requests that you have to prioritise with a number (this includes set days or to have a weekend off). We are always being told to swap with colleagues, where before a human would have swapped it for you.

The skill mix is often a bit off, because the computer cannot differentiate between a band 5 with masses of experence that can do x, y & z, and a band 5 that can't and has only been qualified a few weeks (equal in their eyes).

I really miss being able to go in to the office and speak to the person doing the off duty...

Original poster
allbie · 02/05/2011 21:10

Fessa...shit city here I come, eh? Sounds just great.
Feebly...that off-duty was barbaric, not funny at all.
Sauvignon...nice to know that there is some empathetic management out there.
Thankyou all so much for contributing. I think I knew it was gonna be rough and at least I'm prepared for it, sort of. I will leave if I have to and that makes me quite sad really.

OP posts:
notmyownname · 02/05/2011 21:32

Feebly You are right. I knew it would be recognisable, hence my name change!

I have just worked 3 out of 4 days of the Easter weekend, and 3 out of the 4 days of this BH weekend.

Work-life balance??

bigbumum · 02/05/2011 21:37

Agree about the skill mix, and also the finishing a night shift Monday moring and being put on a long day ont h same day as it cant cross over.

Time owing is buggered up as well, i am owed over 30 hours, and it wont include TO payback days.

VivaLeBeaver · 02/05/2011 21:44

Where I work we have a lot of staff whose partners are coppers, firefighters, etc. The ones with kids are all going to have to leave as will no longer be able to arrange their shifts around their partner's shifts. Our ward is going to lose about 20 staff.

notmyownname · 02/05/2011 21:48

Thats me Viva, my DP is a shiftworker too. I am up the famous creek sans paddle.

FessaEst · 02/05/2011 22:01

Sorry allbie - would love to be be the bearer of better news Sad

bigbum - we have had loads of issues with wierd hours calculations. I ended up having about 10 days off when I kicked up a massive fuss about doing over my hours week, after week, after week. The computer was still listing me as owing them hours!!

twinklytoes · 02/05/2011 22:02

we're just about to ditch erostering. had it in place for two years. hassle to set up, hassle to use and we couldn't use the "computer does it for you" part as there was absoultely no way of keeping up with the flexible working requests, nights going into days, blah blah. we used it to pay staff for 8mths, no more timesheets but it rarely got it right. then payroll changed and they didn;t have the software!

system ditched at the end of april as they won't pay for a glorified spreadsheet. Not replaced it with anything tho. we're all relying on one manager's skills with excel spreadsheets, who's created a much better system.

yet another waste of money.

girliefriend · 03/05/2011 19:42

does anyone fancy forewarding this onto David Cameron?!

VivaLeBeaver · 03/05/2011 21:26

Cameron wouldn't give a shit.

He's be happy that some trusts think they can make financial savings by using it. He doesn't care about people losing their jobs because of it, etc.

BelaLugosiinStripes · 03/05/2011 21:59

With the vacancy freeze present in many trusts, they are saving money by not replacing people who leave.
That they are leaving because their working life has been made impractical/impossible/intolerable apparently doesn't figure in this!

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