Christmas on call

Re: Christmas on call

Kim Buckley — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:42:31 GMT

For christmas day we get 2 days off in lieu and £75 for the night duty. We are allowed friends/bfs over and we can leave the building for a couple of hours aslong as we aren't to far away as still on call.

Re: Christmas on call

wobbliebob — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:12:04 GMT

if you have to work it they will at least have to owe you a day in leau (ignore spelling). as it is a bank holiday

Re: Christmas on call

Steph Worsley — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:06:48 GMT

I dont think thats right especially working nights as it is unsociable working hours should get paid more plus the fact it is bank holiday

We are lucky that we dont have to do nights but during the day over xmas we get double time pay and time off in lieu (effectively triple pay) this is the same for all bank holidays.

Re: Christmas on call

Lisa Whitehouse — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:03:55 GMT

Our nurses are on call as normal over christmas with the vets taking the phones (standard practice) they get there normal hourly rate & an extra days holiday onto entitlement for any bank holidays (days/nigts worked), its worked out so that all trainees get fair shar of nights & QVN get fair share of days.As far as Christmas goes have advised staff that they only need to look after any ip's can sit in on call flat watching tv etc & even have bf/friend round for few hours as appreciate its a family time.

Bahh humbug for me thats why im doing Christmas day & Boxing day- my choice.

Hope you get yours sorted out though Laura.

Re: Christmas on call

Sal the 1st — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:32:57 GMT

reading this thread makes Scrooge sound generous by comparison. I once did a locum where I was expected to be on call every night of the 6 weeks I was there (little surprise sprung on me after I had accepted the job) I was assured there was hardly any inpatients ever (yeah right) and nurses never got called out except it was life and death (really?)

rapid renegotiation if he still wanted a nurse ( and later found out that loads had turned it down because of the on call - which was prob the reason locum agency neglected to mention it to me. I offered him 20quid a night plus 10% of night takings to be on call and an extra 30 quid if he wanted me to take the phones - and I thought he was going to have a coronary with the shock! He then tells me his nurses do it for free it is part of their job. My reply 'get one of your nurses to do it then - oh but sorry I forgot you dont have any nurses anymore do you, cant imagine why they wouldnt want to work here!'

Re: Christmas on call

Nick Shackleton — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 06:55:13 GMT

Typically private practice vets!!! Thinking about their pockets once again! never mind the staff who work for them! This really makes me mad!

We don't get paid for working bank holidays just extra days holiday so in effect you get it back and for working our weekends we get 4 days off so in effect double pay!

I remember back in general practice working weekends and nights on call for a mere £25 per night plus any call outs! You are meant to be paid for every hour you spend in the practice whether you are asleep or working.

Here are a few links off the Direct Gov website that maybe of some help

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/WorkingHoursAndTimeOff/DG_10028439

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/WorkingHoursAndTimeOff/DG_174557

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/WorkingHoursAndTimeOff/DG_10028516

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/WorkingHoursAndTimeOff/DG_10028519

Re: Christmas on call

Sal the 1st — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:06:50 GMT

[quote user="Laura James"]

Its always been that the nurse is on call in the practice 364 days a year and call the vet out if needed

[/quote]

are your trainees happy with this situation or is it something they have to do. Do they get good back up? and I dont just mean from a qual nurse.

Re: Christmas on call

Sal the 1st — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:58:52 GMT

presumably (tho I might be wrong) clients will be paying premium rates for any call out or hospitalisation over the Christmas period (this is how it has been done at every single place I have worked) and presumably they will justify the extra costs by telling clients they have to pay their staff extra to cover a bank holiday (which is what is usually said). Wonder what the clients would think if they have to pay extra and then find that the staff dont get it ?

This is something that goes on that pees me off almost more than anything else.

I have worked for a practice that charged a nurses call out and the boss used to actually ask for the call out fee 'for the nurse' before calling the nurse out and telling the owner that if they didnt pay up front the nurse would refuse to come out. In reality I used to get about a fifth of the nurse call out fee charged and that was before tax. Used to get some really nasty looks from clients that had paid for me to come out as well!

its all very wrong

Re: Christmas on call

Laura James — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:50:17 GMT

We wont get anything like that, its to be considered as a normal shift, which doesnt seem fair as we arent allowed to leave the premesis or sleep during the night

Re: Christmas on call

loobylou — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:39:12 GMT

That does seem a bit mean but dont think they have to pay you more for a bank holiday.
We dont get paid per hour as we are salaried but we always give our nurses who work christmas day 2 days back in lieu. Almost worth working as you then get a good break!

Re: Christmas on call

Laura James — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:36:52 GMT

I should have said, 8 out of 9 of us who may end up doing it are students so £5.80 is our hourly rate

Re: Christmas on call

Nick Shackleton — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:17:20 GMT

30p above NMW what a piss take!!! Think you should be getting your usual hourly rate! That's disgraceful!