A revised re-deployment policy, covering the HSE, voluntary hospitals and other ‘section 38’ agencies, has been agreed with Fórsa and other unions. The policy restores normal consultation requirements when managers want to reassign staff. But it makes an exception for emergency situations arising from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Last autumn, unions withdrew cooperation from an emergency redeployment policy that management put in place at the onset of the Covid crisis. This was because some managers were using it as cover for short-notice reassignments that weren’t related to the virus.

The new agreement has resolved this dispute.

Fórsa’s head of health Éamonn Donnelly said the union wanted to stay flexible on urgent Covid-related reassignments, but said staff support for this would be undermined if it were misused by managers.

“There will likely be a need to conclude a short-term parallel agreement in respect of the roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccination programme, as there will be a requirement for health professionals and clerical staff for short-term re-assignments in that context,” he said.

Read the redeployment policy HERE.

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