Weekend work

RE: Weekend work

Louise B — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 14:34:11 GMT

Congratulations Becky - that is quite a result and should give others confidence to also look towards restructuring to ensure their wellbeing! Nice one :)

RE: Weekend work

Becky Jones — Fri, 05 Nov 2021 20:47:38 GMT

Quick update:: had a really cool and calm discussion with my manager and head nurse. I’ve been sent away with a pay rise , a new title and the responsibility of hiring the nurse nurse to do my weekend shift . X

RE: Weekend work

Becky Jones — Tue, 02 Nov 2021 04:32:41 GMT

Thank you ! Ben , it’s refreshing to hear your response. I’m currently responding to this message at 4:15 am having been awake since 3 mulling this over . I ll be getting up at 5 to walk the dog then starting my shift at 7 so just snatching a minute whilst I can . I have a meeting scheduled today with my manager to discuss my issues having put it all in a letter . We have a good relationship and I know we ll be able to talk about my issues honestly and openly.
I am committed to improving working conditions for all of my colleagues and not for my own selfish reasons. Comment s like “ if your that unhappy why don’t you get another job “ are incredibly unhelpful, poorly thought out and coming from someone who doesn’t have to work weekends or out of hour s quite frankly blood boiling. I am not someone who has ever shied away from hard work . I have 3 children and a very supportive husband who god forbid I’d actually quite like to spend abit more time with . I love where I work and love every one I work with and want everyone to come to work feeling happy positive and giving it everything they’ve got .
Unless these topics are broached then nothing will ever change and unless I try how will I ever know ? I could either give it a go or continue to be unhappy. Right , might as well get up seeing as it’s too late to go back to sleep. Have a good day everyone, only 4 sleeps until the weekend, whoop ! Oh actually I’m working Saturday 7-7 , doh ..

RE: Weekend work

Ben Ogden — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 11:32:18 GMT

If the job is appealing enough there are always people willing to work; case and point; the American hiring issues in chain fast food places.

There are people who will work all hours at the weekend, Friday-Sunday and have the rest of the week for them, youi just have to make the package attractive ebnough.

My advice is this. Join a Union, they can support you with this, assess your contract and even help represent you. Looking at it from a hiring point of view; is it better to work with your employee's to find a solution that work for both or do you keep mugging them off and lose them anyway?

Responses like you've had are a clear message; You won't go, so why make the effort to keep you. Treat your career more like a business and you'll be suprised how much easier you can make things for yourself.

RE: Weekend work

V E S — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 11:15:41 GMT

It is currently hard enough to find nurses in general, let alone nurses to do just weekends!

Does your contract specifically ask you to do the weekend shift on top of? I think lieu time is reasonable.

I agree with Selena, there were issues in places I've worked previously where some nurses work weekends and some don't, because it doesn't seem fair. Yes I think well being is a priority and employers should consider this when asking for nurses to do OOH work...but what about your colleagues wellbeing? They have to consider all their staff.

Sorry if you think we are being negative, but I think the repsonses you've received are an honest representation of veterinary workplace. If you are that unhappy, find a job with no weekend or OOH work, they do exist. I currently don't do weekends. Not that I mind doing them, or OOH work in general, but it is currently not needed for my job role.

PS; You'll definitely have to do weekend work and late shifts at Tesco/any other retail! Especially in run up to xmas... Just saying!

RE: Weekend work

Selena Carnell — Sun, 31 Oct 2021 20:49:51 GMT

I'm not trying to be negative or saying you should work till you drop,

I've been involved in hiring staff for the past three years, we had TWO applicants for our most recent RVN vacancy, advertising for full or part time, We tried advertising for a Saturday only nurse and had zero responses.

Our current vet advert has had no responses. Our boss is working 4 days a week 8:30am till 7pm and 1:3 saturdays 8-1 (usually 8-4, but we have been unable to staff it)

Certainly putting my back out wasn't a badge of honour! I would rather give birth than have that level of pain again.

From your employers point of view they have offered a solution. It is so hard to get things right as an employer, especially more so in smaller places with few staff able to cover.

Talk to them, maybe you could reduce your hours, do more admin? take on a trainee? Good Luck!

RE: Weekend work

Becky Jones — Sun, 31 Oct 2021 20:20:57 GMT

Well at least I can try . I refuse to put my physical and mental health at risk. Having your back put out doesn’t sound like any fun at all and it’s not a badge of honour I wish to gain . The outdated attitude of working till you drop is what’s wrong with the whole industry and quite frankly I feel really upset by the responses I’ve got . I’m signing off now to beat my tired and messed up head against a big brick wall made of all the nurses who ve left the careers they worked so hard to achieve for refusing to put up the crap dealt out to them . See you in Tesco

RE: Weekend work

Selena Carnell — Sun, 31 Oct 2021 19:38:05 GMT

Problem is we can't even get vets that want to do weekends, new vets seem to have an unrealistic view of what is required, same as new RVN's moaning about 40hr weeks. with no on call or OOH. A day off in lieu of a weekend is fairly standard.

Qualified 1999, 3 years ago my back gave out and 3 months off work, ive gone from working 30hrs a week to over 40 since covid hit. we can't find staff that are willing to do the hours.

If i went to work for Tesco's i would be on an even lower wage.. I still love what i do, I'm 44 and can't get up off the floor quite so easily!

RE: Weekend work

Becky Jones — Sun, 31 Oct 2021 19:21:38 GMT

Not the positive response I’d hoped for . I’ve been an RVN for 23 years with a certificate in ECC . With the state of the veterinary industry at present I would have thought that employers would be bending over backwards to keep good vet nurses. I am now facing a career change because of an out dated system that refuses to evolve or put workers well-being as a priority. If I am to continue does that mean I ll be doing back breaking shifts into my 70 s ? Forget it , the rcvs will lose another skilled RVN to the checkout counter at Tesco’s . Nice one

RE: Weekend work

Selena Carnell — Sun, 31 Oct 2021 15:17:41 GMT

You will be very lucky to find anyone who wants to do weekend work, is it all one day or split over Saturday and Sunday?

We did have a girl that did Saturdays for us, but she gave up once her child was older as that was the only time they saw each other, especially once school started.

If weekends are in your contract i don't think there's much you can do, especially if you havre been working them since joining.

A day off in lieu sounds reasonable, but will someone have to cover your shift?

We have one part time nurse who doesn't do weekends and it has caused issues, so now weekends are part of the hiring if you can't do them you dont get the job.

During covid I have been working 1:2 Saturdays, due to furloughed staff. we lost one staff member and the remaining girls are moaning about doing a 1:3 when we used to have a 1:4 (saturdays only)

RE: Weekend work

Becky Jones — Sun, 31 Oct 2021 10:01:29 GMT

No , I’m proposing they get a nurse to work every weekend. We always have 2 nurses on so we d still need people to pick up those shifts . I m thinking it would be perfect for someone who struggles with childcare or someone wanting to study during the week but still work in practice. The weekend s are not part of my 40 hour week and have always been paid as overtime. It would just be a case of giving the money I earn for them to someone else.

RE: Weekend work

V E S — Sun, 31 Oct 2021 08:51:44 GMT

If you think about it from employers point of view, it would be difficult to hire someone just to do one shift every 1:3 weekends. Do all the other nurses do 1:3 as well? If they let you not do weekends, they might also not want to do weekends? Or will one of them have to pick up the extra shift?

Is the 12 hours part of your 40 hours or on top of? What does your contract say exactly regarding hours/the weekend?

Sorry for all the questions there x