On the agency’s online diary system, which allows locums to specify their availability, it clearly states that “lunch preferences reduce the number of vacancies offered”. This implies that those who specify that they want to have a break, may not get offered employment.
The website said
“ Please note that lunch preferences reduce the number of vacancies offered.
We suggest you tick don’t mind”
Paul Day, Director of the PDA and National Officer of the PDA Union said: “A ‘race to the bottom’ is where workers or organisations agree to accept lower and lower standards in order to secure work. If locums must agree to give up having adequate rest in order to secure a shift, then what’s next? What other safety standards will they need to agree to miss, in order to earn a living?
This is unacceptable. Having adequate rest is not only a feature of running a safe pharmacy, it is also an employment right in the UK. Denial of a break is a breach of the Working Time Regulations. This also sounds like a policy that may disproportionately disadvantage those who are pregnant or who may need a break due to a disability, both of which are protected characteristics in law.”
This agency claims that saying you don’t mind missing lunch makes it more likely its clients will employ you. This appears to be dictated by the employment policies of the clients and to be in direct contravention of the law.
Mr Day concluded: “Any contractor using this agency should come clean if it’s them that is deciding who to employ on the basis of agreement to miss adequate rest periods. I expect patients and the regulator would want to know which contractors are employing locums on this basis.”
For more information about the Safer Pharmacies Charter, please visit: www.the-pda.org/safer-pharmacies-charter.
Notes to Editor
About the PDA
The PDA (The Pharmacists’ Defence Association) is a not-for-profit organisation, which aims to act upon and support the needs of individual pharmacists and, when necessary, defend their reputation. All PDA members are entitled to free PDA Union membership.
The PDA Union is the only trade union in the UK exclusively for pharmacists. It has a certificate of independence and is a member of Unions21 and EPhEU. The PDA and the PDA Union have more than 27,000 members.
Editors requiring further information should contact:
Paul Day
Director of the PDA and National Officer of the PDA Union
E: Paul.day@pda-union.org
T: 07905 911867 or 0121 694 7000
