Monthly archives: December 2024
Annual leave payments for regular overtime/additional hours
Over the past few years there have been a number of legal decisions that have shaped the law about how payments for annual leave should be calculated. These decisions prompted the national NHS Staff Council to consult with Trade Unions about how annual leave is calculated for staff employed within the NHS under Agenda for Change Terms and Conditions.
In 2021 they reached an agreement where, if certain criteria are met, annual leave payments should include an average of overtime worked, as well as basic pay. The agreement only covered the period April 2019 – March 2021 and was a corrective ‘one off’ payment.
In the absence of any agreed National methodology for calculating annual leave payments for April 2021 and beyond, a regional working group made up of local NHS organisations, agreed in principle that a multiplier of 14.54 per cent should be applied; this reduces the risk of underpayment as it was based on 33 days annual leave. The reasoning behind this is that many staff in the NHS will have 10 years’ service or more and it reduces the risk of under-payments.
The regional working group determined that the criteria be applied to any overtime or additional standard hours worked in at least six out of twelve months.
Our Staff Side colleagues have agreed that this principle be applied to all staff under Agenda for Change terms and conditions satisfying the above criteria and would be paid in a retrospective one-off payment going forward.
Staff receiving a payment will receive the amount via Payroll in December’s pay. This will be identified on payslips as ‘Ann Leave OT Cor Pay.’
The payment is non-consolidated and non-pensionable and will be subject to deductions for income tax and national insurance contributions and other usual deductions.
If you have any queries about calculation of the payment or the deductions made, please call the Payroll Department on 0121 507 6655 option 1. If you feel that you should have been paid an amount under this criteria, then you will need to raise this with your line Manager who will be able to source evidence for this and progress any potential payment via Payroll.
Have you collected your festive chocolates for your ward, area or department?
To say thank you for your hard work over the last 12 months, each team has been gifted some chocolates from the Trust. Your department will have an allocated number of tubs of chocolate and a designated collection point.
Collection points and times:
You can have your allocation of chocolate from one of the following locations, Monday – Friday, 2.30pm – 6pm
- Midland Met Stores (Level 0 warehouse) – 0121 507 4954
- City Hospital Stores (receipt and distribution – 0121 507 3135
- Sandwell Hospital Stores (basement warehouse) – 0121 507 5846
You can contact stores on the site you are collecting chocolates from on the above telephone numbers. All teams chocolate collection locations can be found here – Christmas chocolate collection locations.
When collecting your chocolate please remember the following:
- The supplies team will inform you of the number of tins allocated for your department on collection.
- You must only take the total number of tins allocated for your department to ensure no department is left short.
- If your team works cross site, please collect all allocated tins from the specific pick-up point for your department. You must then arrange to share this with your wider team. Please do not attempt to collect your allocation from more than one site.
Colleagues have up until Friday 3 January to collect their chocolates.
Mental Health First Aid training available for SWB staff
The Trust is committed to supporting our colleagues to maintain good health and wellbeing at work. To support better mental health at work, we are developing a cohort of trained Mental Health First Aiders within the Trust.
Mental Health First Aid is a two-day training course, delivered by internationally recognised experts, ‘Mental Health First Aid England’. It teaches people how to identify, understand and help a person who may be developing a mental health issue. You will learn how to recognise those crucial warning signs of mental ill health, understand the signs and symptoms of common mental health issues, provide help on a first aid basis and effectively guide someone towards the right support.
This is a great opportunity to learn more about how to support colleagues’ mental health in the workplace. Anyone can become a Mental Health First Aider, whether or not you have experienced mental health issues yourself. Please click here for further information to help you decide whether this training is right for you.
Training dates are available on Monday 27 January and Thursday 30 January (“cohort 4”) and Monday 3 February and Friday 7 February (“cohort 5”). Sessions are 9am – 5pm at Sandwell. You must be able to attend both days of the relevant cohort. You must also have your line manager’s support to attend.
This training is aimed at colleagues who are primarily based on-site. We are aiming to train a range of people from different areas to maximise accessibility to mental health first aid support. If we are oversubscribed, you may not be selected straight away but can be added to the waiting list.
To apply to join the training please complete the application form by clicking here.
No processing of bookings at Sandwell Education Centre: 17 December, 12pm-1pm
Sandwell Education Centre will not be able to process any room booking requests or enquiries between 12pm and 1pm on Tuesday 17 December whilst the room booking system is migrated to a new server.
Room booking requests and enquiries will be processed as quickly as possible once the room booking system for Sandwell Education Centre is available again after 1pm on Tuesday 17 December.
IT Support service at City Hospital
If you require IT service desk support at City Health Campus, please visit the team on the first floor, in the former management block ( also known as the neonates previously).
Alternatively, you can contact the team on 0121 507 4050 for IT support.
Christmas email signature available now
To celebrate the festive period, we have a brand new email signature available. Colleagues are welcome to download the image and insert it into their email signature.
To use this Christmas email signature:
- Open a blank email.
- Click on insert signature and select which signature you wish to update or create a new one.
- Select the image and insert it.
- Press ok and close.
Click here to download the Christmas email signature.
Trust catering outlet Christmas opening times
Over the Christmas period our Trust catering outlets will be open on the following dates and times, on behalf of the team they would love to wish all colleagues a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Christmas presents for your patients
Your City and Metropolitan Hospitals Charity is delighted to allocate a sum of £5 per inpatient, for wards and departments to purchase gifts for those who are staying at Midland Met on Christmas Day.
Each inpatient ward or department at Midland Met will need to identify one lead person who will be responsible for purchasing the gifts. Colleagues are reminded of the need to use only reputable suppliers for goods/presents – the procurement department can advise if necessary.
For reimbursement, the lead person will need to email swbh.charityfinance@nhs.net no later than Friday 31 January quoting ‘Request form #348346’ in the subject title and including the following information:
- Their ward or department name and the number of inpatient beds expected to be occupied on Christmas Day
- Scanned receipts or legible photos of receipts
- Confirmation that goods/presents have been received safely
- Their bank details
They will then be reimbursed by the Finance Team in due course.
Note: This money is strictly for the purchase of Christmas gifts for inpatients that will be staying at Midland Met on Christmas Day. The charity is no longer able to provide petty cash.
If you require clarification on any of the above please email trustcharity@nhs.net or call ext. 5196.
Agile working and generic agile working zones
Following a recent agile working update from our Chief Executive, Richard Beeken, we’re reminding colleagues of the information provided and about the generic agile working zones.
After discussions between the Trust executives, the agreed new guidance is as follows:
- Clinical MDT agile zones will be created on level 6,7 and 9.
- Three distinct agile zones agreed – clinical zones, generic zones and named zones.
A space utilisation group is being set up:
- To effectively manage and optimise space across all sites.
- It will address agile working concerns collaboratively.
- Terms of Reference and membership to be finalised soon.
There will be space for clinical colleagues:
- Day rooms for resident doctors, nurse specialists and AHPs at ward entrances.
- Ward manager office locations to be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
We’ll have space for non-clinical teams:
- These areas will be primarily based within our City and Sandwell health campuses.
Equipment:
- Grab bags with dictation hardware and noise-cancelling headphones will be available.
- Equipment needs will be assessed for specific roles.
Confidential booths:
- Need for additional booths to be reviewed in the post 100 day period.
Onsite visits:
- Key services will have site visits in December to discuss bespoke needs.
Generic agile working zones
To support our move to agile working we have some generic agile working areas set up for colleagues to access.
These agile zones in the areas below at Midland Met:
- Level 3 – Optispace room number 03.ADM305
- Level 4 – Optispace room number 04.ADM418
- Level 5 – Optispace room number 05.ADM502
Midland Met’s 12 days of Christmas starts tomorrow!
Celebrate the countdown to Christmas with us!
This Christmas season we’re bringing you our 12 days of Christmas, starting Friday 13 December. Every day, there will be something Christmas themed to look forward to.
Whether it’s delicious hot chocolate or joyous carol singing, there will be something for everyone to enjoy.
Click here for a full view of the poster above.
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