Unfair leave arrangements

[Andyfire]

Hi

am currently a serving 9 day 42 hour fire safety officer(Watch manager B) and have a problem with leave arrangements and was hoping someone might be able to help.
I can only vouch for my brigads arrangements and would like to know what others are up to.

My annual leave is broken up into 3 amounts 14,7 and 6 day blocks. The problem I have is that out of these days come my weekends and for the life of me I can't see why they should make up part of my leave entitlement....

Any thoughts?

[Pip]

They shouldn't.you should get 27 days +3days long service after 5 years to take as you please.Until recently our '42' subs got this plus every other friday off (26 days a year!)They have now lost the fridays off( they used to be in lieu of evening training/inspection duties, but,many years ago,when that requirement was stopped, the fridays off were kept as a carrot to lure people into fire safety etc!)-so if I were you, it may not pay to make too much noise!

[jokar]

Just to upet you some more, main grade inspecting officers in the grand old LFB take there considerable leave in days not weeks.

[Andyfire]

Yes the 9 day fortnight is good...I think if it were to be removed I might challenge it. Well i will but as you say guys are saying we get an extra 26 days a year which is not to be argued with!!

Have been trying to get in LFB and have problems tracking down anyone with a small bit of intel who can give me advise about coming into thier fire safety department. Any ideas?

[messy]

Andy

What specific advice do you want (re entry to LFB)?

Post it here and I'll try and do some digging for you

[Andyfire]

Messy

Personal life has changed and would like to if possible move from current role of Watch manager b(fire safety engineer Kent fire and rescue) to a similar role in the LFB. However if it meant going ops again I would still consider it.

Andy

[rips]

I work day shifts and have done now for about 5 years. I am also a Station Officer (WM B) and get 28 days leave, which are taken during the week (Monday to Friday). 3 days leave is taken at weekends.

The weekend leave is taken as follows : one weekend (2days) during the summer leave and the other weekend day is taken at the end of the winter week holiday.

We are supposed to take at least a fortnight for summer and a week for winter, with the rest of the leave taken as required.

We (Tyne & Wear) lost the 9 nine day fortnight system over a year ago, and it was replaced by a flexi system. What you have to remember is the 9 day fortnight allows the CFO to allow you to work only 36 hours a week but be paid for 42. Our CFO claimed back the 6 hours (his right to do so) so he could increase the extra hours for CS duties.

At first, alot of personnel were horrified by a flexi system, but the one big bonus is you get credited for every hour you work. So it doesn't take long for you to have accumlated enough hours to have a flexi day off. You are entitled to a flexi day a fortnight (with more if justified), so it is the same as the 9 day fortnight system.

The personnel that have gained the most out of the flexi system are the Training Centre personnel. In the past they have worked far more than the 36 hours, and often far more than 42 hours and nveer recieved any credit for it. Now as soon as they have accumlated the hours they are given the time back. E.g. at the end of a trainee course the Trainers have been given leave (some times two weeks) to cover the extra hours worked.

Hope this answers some of the points raised.

[Pip]

Yes our chaps(and girls) can work 'flexi' as well, although before anything worked over their hours was taken as toil-so our lot are  worse off not any better off-Your staff seem to be better off now-but only because they had been ripped off in the past!

[rips]

No they weren't being ripped off, it was the goodwill of day-shift staff (especially traing staff) that ensured departments ran perfectly well.

Now the FRS realise that and have taken on board the extra hours worked.