The Labour Court has recommended that staff at Maryfield Nursing Home who work a Christmas or New Year shift receive €250, or a gift of similar value, and an extra day of annual leave. The recommendation, signed on 19 May 2006, followed a dispute with the Services Industrial Professional Technical Union (SIPTU).
The Home sought agreement for affected staff to work Christmas Day or New Year’s Day once every three years, saying residents’ needs had changed and experienced staff were needed. The union said a longstanding arrangement exempted the workers and that there had been no difficulty finding cover.
The Court accepted that the staff had a contractual exemption, but said changing resident needs meant the Home could no longer fully meet residents’ needs without them. It recommended that workers be allowed to choose which shift to work, with the payment or gift and extra leave in addition to their usual entitlements for working that day.