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Frequently asked questions for Trust staff
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Coronavirus
This would be for the agency to address. The agency would need to ensure that staff being sent to undertake a shift have not been advised to isolate. Trusts might consider asking agency staff if they wish to join their internal staff bank.
Please speak to your manager in the first instance to see if you can work the hours in a different way.
Depending on the number of hours you are unable to work you may want to take annual leave for the remainder of the hours or you may be able to undertake a different role at home for a few hours per week.
Your manger and HR will be able to advise you based upon your personal circumstances
If you are currently contracted part time you would be paid basic pay plus any enhancements for any hours up to a total of 37.5 hours.
There are several options for payment for full time staff (or staff that are part time and already worked extra hours up to full time). This includes overtime, bank payment and time off in lieu (TOIL).
Clinical substantive staff will be paid for additional hours as overtime except on Sundays where Bank is more beneficial.
Overtime pay will also be paid to support (admin and clerical) staff where they are covering service need.
Time in lieu should not be routine throughout this period.
At this difficult time, the Trust will appreciate staff returning to or staying in work even though they may have planned to retire in the coming weeks.
There are a couple of options available
Option 1: Defer your retirement date. Please speak to pensions/payroll immediately if you would like to do this.
Option 2: The Trust reduces the required 2 week break to a 24 hour break so you can claim your pension and return to work
Please speak to pensions before you take this option.
Staff do not need to defer their retirement date because the Government has lifted the restrictions on the amount of work staff can do without losing any of their pension during the emergency.
These measures will allow skilled and experienced staff who have recently retired from the NHS to return to work, and will also allow retired staff who have already returned to work to increase their commitments if required, without having their pension benefits suspended.
This only applies if the member of staff is officially isolated due to symptoms/household symptoms for a defined period or falls in to the category of being pregnant over 28 weeks gestation or pregnant with an underling heath and removed from patient facing roles.
If you have asked to move role or work at home then enhancement will not be protected.
If you’re a health worker, you may be eligible for a 1-year extension to your visa for free. This is because of coronavirus (COVID-19).
To get the extension, you must:
have a visa that expired between 31 March and 1 October 2020
work for the NHS or an independent healthcare provider in an eligible profession
The extension will apply from the date your visa is due to expire.
If your visa is due to expire after 1 October 2020, you will not get the free extension. You’ll need to extend your visa in the normal way.
If you’re eligible, your family members may also be able to get a 1-year extension.
More detail on the changes is available on the GOV.UK website.
If a person is shielding but still working at home it should be recorded in the following way, showing the appropriate hours:
If your symptoms are still Covid-19 related and this has been confirmed with a positive PCR test it will remain as special leave and you will receive an average of your last 3 months salary for the period. This will include any enhancements/bank shifts and overtime worked in that period.
Mandatory training has been revised and reduces the need for training in most areas whilst shifting face-to-face training to e-learning where possible.
We are also extending all staff competencies by 12 months (except fire and food safety which is 6 months) to extend the time individuals are required to complete refresher training. This will give us more capacity to focus on areas where it is needed most.
Please see the revised matrix on the Trust’s mandatory training intranet page.
We have made a decision to postpone all appraisals at this time.
We are currently planning for them to take place between September and December.
Please make sure that you continue to speak to staff about their work and check on their health and wellbeing.
