HSA urging employers to reduce on call and call back work

The Report: December 2011 vol.32 num.4

SURVEY CONFIRMS MEMBERS WORRY INSUFFICIENT REST IS PUTTING THEIR SAFETY AT RISK

HSA MEMBERS WORKING ON CALL or call back say theyre suffering from fatigue thats so serious it sometimes jeopardizes their personal safety.

Following up on complaints that working on call and call backs can lead to getting insufficient time off between shifts, HSA addressed the issue as part of the recent Health Science Professionals collective agreement. The employers and unions including HSA have committed to a working group to review current practices and provide recommendations to reduce the need for overtime and call back.

To get a better handle on the extent of the problems, HSA held membership meetings and conducted a poll of members over the summer. The results confirm the seriousness of the problem:

• Only 5 per cent of members report they -never" feel fatigued after on call or call back work. 60 per cent say they always or usually feel fatigued, and 35 per cent say they sometimes feel fatigued.
• 62 per cent of members say they have suffered excessive fatigue or a fatigue related illness as a result of on call or call back work.
• 64 per cent usually or sometimes feel on call and call back work and the associated travel is jeopardizing their personal safety.

These findings will inform a join report now being finalized, and will be addressed in the upcoming round of bargaining.