GUIDELINES FOR REDUCED HOURS

INTRODUCTION

Currently 50% of female staff and 10% of male staff in the NHS work less than full time hours. Due to demographic and other factors this number is likely to increase in the future. It is recognised that the health service requires part-time staff to function.

The West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust already employs part-time staff but these guidelines may highlight alternate options.

CHOICES

Job Sharing ( see Policy PP(99)047)

Two members of staff voluntarily share the duties and responsibilities of one full-time job sharing pay, holidays and other benefits accordingly. It is often difficult to sustain if one sharer leaves.

Term-Time Working (see Policy PP(99)091)

This is developed with an agreement to allow a member of staff extended unpaid holiday to coincide with school holidays.

Voluntarily reduced Working

This is where a member of staff voluntarily requests reduced working for a specified period, usually to enable them to manage other personal commitments. Pay is naturally reduced accordingly.

ADVANTAGES

Reduced hour patterns enable members of staff to continue to work when they are unable to fulfil the demands of full-time work.

The Trust can achieve the required staffing levels when sufficient full-time staff cannot be recruited.

This gives more flexibility in staff planning to achieve appropriate skill mix.

The Trust does not wish to lose existing staff whose continuity of input will be valuable and who may subsequently resume full-time work.

Members of staff benefit by being able to continue to work and earn when they might otherwise be unable to as well as maintain their skills and continue as a valued member of the team.

Reference:

 Dept. of Health. Working Lives: Programme for Change, Reduced Hours