Need to know
For #TeamEEAST Last updated: 19 April 2024 at 22:27
As part of last week’s We Are EEAST Briefing, Bob Champion, Director of Workforce, answered your questions regarding the Afc payments during annual leave (previously known as ‘Flowers payments’).
Q1 - Myself and my band 8 DTC colleagues work a 24/7 shift pattern, and as such we receive overtime payments for additional shifts. I understand this is an anomaly for the organisation. None of us have received this additional payment on scheduled overtime. I have received a small payment based on incidental claims but not on planned OT, this is several thousands of pounds in my calculations. We have contacted payroll as requested but heard nothing back.
Q2 - How are you paying those who have left the Trust? An ex-colleague has emailed the designated email address twice and been ignored and has also emailed the OCE.EEAST email address and has also been ignored...it's not very professional or fair!
Q3 - So what way is AL going to be calculated now with this agreement?
Q4 - Should all staff now submit a grievance for not getting their Flowers payment? It has now become a farce. I also disagree with the comment about the band 8 issue - the court ruling was that it applies to ALL NHS employees.
Q5 - Will people who left after the March date get it automatically then in October pay?
Q6 - Sorry I missed the start so you may have covered it, for those staff that are legible who have not received AL CALC pay in their sept or oct ESR, when will it be paid?
Q7 - Full time staff have still not received flowers payment in October pay run, why?
Q8 - How long is a reasonable amount of time to expect a response from the Flowers email address?
Q9 - What about those of us that take TOIL? Will this also be at an enhanced rate moving forward?
Q10 - Flowers payments is due to a court order - are the Trust now nervous with the amount of staff who have not received the payment? Time for everyone to send in the bailiffs?
Q11 - Is the designated email address "up to date" now? You say it had a lot of emails, but until you start replying to people they'll keep emailing. Are you saying that anyone who has checked they're eligible to receive the payment but left after March has to email that email address again?! just to potentially keep being ignored?
For the avoidance of doubt going forward, colleagues are advised to refer to the corrective and future payments relating to overtime being reflected in annual leave pay, simply as 'holiday pay' rather than the previously used term 'Flower's payments'.
You can find out more information about the payments by visiting the dedicated page on East24, or viewing our FAQs.
Published 26th October 2021