Labour Court rejects INMO claim on night-shift leave timing

The Labour Court recommended that Bon Secours introduce its proposed night-shift start-time change without further delay, and did not recommend conceding INMO’s claim that staff should choose when to take leave accrued under the change. The recommendation was dated 5 March 2012. Management proposed moving the shift start from 8.50pm to 8pm, with the extra 50 minutes per shift banked as leave. Bon Secours said leave should be scheduled when the hospital was less busy to avoid replacement staffing costs; INMO sought dates that suited staff. The Court said the change would slightly reduce discretionary annual leave, while giving full-time staff 13 additional rostered days off a year and part-time staff six. It considered the effects more than offset each other.