New policies to support your well-being: Meal break and fatigue
The benefits of taking regular breaks and working reasonable hours include reducing mental and physical strain, and replenishing energy levels by resting and taking nourishment. Two new policies are now in effect to support staff well-being and quality care: Meal and Rest Break Policy and revised Fatigue Policy.
Break policy highlights
The new Meal and Rest Break Policy ensures all staff are able to take their breaks during shift, and notify their manager or supervisor if unable to take all scheduled breaks. Unless there are emergency circumstances, all staff are to take their breaks as per the policy guidelines:
- For Acute and Residential, breaks must be taken evenly during shift in line with the break pattern options outlined in the policy. Breaks can be combined as long as they do not exceed 45 minutes in duration.
- For Ambulatory clinics, Community sites and Corporate, staff may combine breaks to exceed 45 minutes in duration with manager approval.
- Breaks are not to be taken at the beginning or end of shift.
- Staff who take unauthorized breaks will be subject to discipline.
Managers and Supervisors are responsible for posting break times on flow sheets or assignment boards at the beginning of each shift so staff know when their scheduled breaks are to be taken. If you are a designated charge nurse of supervisor, please ask your manager for a copy of the ‘Meal and Rest Break Policy Q&A for leaders.’
Guidelines for working overtime
The Fatigue Policy supports quality care by reducing levels of staff fatigue associated with working too many consecutive shifts/hours. The policy has been updated to ensure staff do not work more than 390 overtime hours in a year without approval from the site Operations Director, Administrator On Call or approved designate. In addition, staff will be considered unavailable to work overtime shifts/hours while on vacation.
More information
Get familiar with the new Meal and Break Policy and Fatigue Policy on VCH connect. Watch for more information that will be distributed with your March 4 pay stub.
Yvonne
Meal breaks? Rest periods? concern for employees’ well being? I get to have a pee break? wow!! how thoughful of VCH (sarcasm).
Long overdue. But will it really make a difference? In fact, the Employmet Labour Standards of BC and union agreements already mandates meal breaks and rest periods. It was being violated at some work sites by managers and their proxies who deny, dismiss or ignore workers who try to stand up for their rights, their safety and their well being, and then bully the outspoken ones until they leave.
Now, how about *not* forcing workers to go into smoking environments in the community when they have a bad reaction to those environments, regardless of whether the client is smoking at the moment or not. It affects very few employees and situations. It is called a reasonable and common sense accommodation. WCB has rules about this, but VCH violates them.
Many good staff have left VCH in order to protect their health, safety and sanity.
I have nothing but contempt for the way VCH has treated many of its employees. Totally unnecessary, inexcusable, and a waste of dedicated and skilled employees who went on to better things, while VCH claims they don’t have enough employees to fill positions.
Too little too late for some of us, but thanks for trying anyway VCH.
Dan
I feel all warm inside that this is being done FOR ME!