2 min read
Holding Employers Accountable:
How NPAQ Empowers Nurse Members to Fight for Their Contractual Rights
Employers always expect the best. They expect you to always cross the t’s and dot the i’s. Well that goes both ways and when the government or a private employer fails to fulfil its obligations we’re happy to hold them accountable.
One of our NPAQ healthcare members contacted us for help because their employer was failing to meet their contractual obligations in rostering shifts, we were determined to help them resolve the issue as soon as possible.
The employment contract stipulated 38 hours a week, which our member heavily relied on for a number of reasons.
Instead, the employer regularly scheduled shifts below the agreed amount. The numerous times our member brought this to their attention, they were advised to ‘wait for a shift to be available’. This occurred throughout the entire period of employment, causing unnecessary hardship and severe stress for our nurse, who had to beg to pick up shifts when someone went on leave.
Investigating the extent of the issue with our member, the case manager concluded that the circumstances had led to a significant underpayment - totalling $18,000.
With the evidence in hand, they sent a letter of demand on behalf of the member, stating that the matter would be escalated to the Ombudsman if the employer did not make payment.
The employer issued the payment of $18,000 to our member which is a significant step towards allowing them to move on with their life.
Why is the NPAQ different? We believe that real change in healthcare STARTS with empowering frontline nurses, not bureaucrats.
If you are a member of NPAQ suffering from an underpayment or suspect your employer is breaking their contractual obligations, please submit a member support ticket on your dashboard, or contact us on 1300 263 374 - hotline@npaq.com.au.
To find out more about NPAQ and become protected today visit: https://npaq.redunion.com.au/join