NHS Employers, part of the NHS confederation, has updated a pay agreement for NHS healthcare employees in England to ensure they are paid for any additional hours they work above their allotted hours, during the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.
Unions including Unison, the Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Midwives, have agreed an overtime template with NHS employers ensuring that health employees across England receive pay if they work overtime.
Employees who have to work beyond their shifts, or agree at the specific request of the employer to work longer than 37.5 hours, will receive pay for the extra hours that they work.
This agreement, for all NHS employees from band one to seven will be effective immediately, until 31 August 2020, at which time it will be reviewed with the option to extend it if necessary.
Employees in band eight and nine currently receive time off in lieu as opposed to overtime payments. Talks by trade unions and NHS employers are being held to discuss modifying this.
A spokesperson at NHS employers, said: "Trade unions and employers have continued to work constructively, and at pace, to input into the government’s emergency response in producing guidance and updates on emerging positions.
"As part of this work, the employers and trade unions from the NHS Staff Council Executive recently asked the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to introduce temporary changes to overtime payments made to staff during the Coronavirus emergency and its aftermath."
"The request has been considered by the Secretary of State, who has confirmed that he is content to leave the matter for local determination rather than agree the proposal for a national solution. The NHS Staff Council is aware that the conversation about these overtime provisions will, consequently, move to an organisational level."
