Labour Court recommends paired annual leave applications for job-sharing nurses

In 2003, the Labour Court recommended that job-sharing nurses in Unit 5b at Mid Western Hospital, Limerick, accept the Mid Western Health Board's proposal to apply for block annual leave as a pair. The recommendation, dated 15 April, followed a dispute with the Services Industrial Professional Technical Union. The union had sought to retain individual applications, saying the proposed change could reduce premium earnings. The Court said management should make every effort to ensure the arrangements worked smoothly and to consider employees' requirements when matching leave dates.