Labour Court varies recommendation on HSE nurse’s return to full-time hours

The Labour Court varied a Rights Commissioner’s recommendation in a dispute over an unnamed Clinical Nurse Specialist’s return to full-time hours at the Health Service Executive. The decision was signed on 10 September 2013. The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation appealed on the worker’s behalf. The Court said the HSE should promptly assess whether there was a business case for restoring her hours. If no business need was identified, she retained a future contingent expectation of returning to full-time hours within the HSE. The union said she was seeking her contractual hours after a period of reduced hours that was extended for a further year; the HSE said no hours were available in her grade and cited the public service moratorium.