Hi all.
Bit of a sticky one here.
Posting on behalf of the other half who isnt tech handy.
She is an RMN staff nurse who has worked for the same company , at the same site , on basically the same contract for 28 years.
Recently - her employer has been shedding leased buildings that the care homes are based in , there may be financial issues - I dont honestly know.
Her care home may have lost their NHS funding (as care inspectorate reports show - they are rated highly ) so it is an unknown as to why this rumour has started, I can only surmise the company may be muddying the waters to cover their own tracks. I digress.
Rumours begun about the future longevity of the care home, which led to staff morale plummeting and obviously nervy nurses and care workers leaving to join more 'secure' employment - which has led to remaining staff increased workload , stress etc . Now they've found out that there is a push on to alter shift times - these changes mean night shift staff starting 3 hours earlier - but day shift staff only starting 30 mins earlier ( nightshifts were a few hours shorter than days ) leading to potential childcare issues, negative impacts on family life etc.
This has been done by a proposal pinned on a notice board - which staff that were off on holiday weren't aware of , and seems to be being pushed by the care home management itself...they had to choose which start time they preferred when they started doing 12 hour shifts , and no consultation whatsoever for actually changing to a 12hr shift pattern. My other half has worked there a long time - and doesnt want to alter to a 12hr pattern and is now talking about quitting.
Bearing in mind the fact the company alluded to redundancies due to the NHS funding stopping -I am looking ahead and can maybe see why this is happening right now, as it stands - their care home is unusual in that it doesn't do 12 hr shifts, others nearby in the same group DO , so am I being paranoid in thinking this is the companies get out of jail card ?
i.e offering suitable alternative employment , knowing that a lot of their staff at my partners care home are unable to do the 12hr shifts , leaving them no choice but to accept the 'proposed' changes or be dismissed , then losing any redundancy?
Q- The shift pattern is different elsewhere right now before the proposed changes - can this be termed as 'suitable alternative employment' or not ?
If not - and the company pushes through the proposals - is this constructive dismissal or unfair treatment ?
Any help would be great - head buzzing with all the stress.
Thanx