About Roster Optimisation
Endeavour Foundation has always been focused on continuously improving our rosters to ensure we deliver a high-quality service to the people we support.
In an effort to address ongoing work shortages, support in managing fatigue and burnout of staff, and to better align to modern workplace standards, we made the decision to look at the way that we were rostering employees and began the roster optimisation process to improve the working arrangements for support workers and people we support to create better outcomes for everyone.
We are committed to a roster that gives our people who work in our homes the flexibility they need to balance family and life commitments and that is fair and equitable in delivering support to people in our services. We are aiming to maintain total working hours, generally in the same pattern of work for the employees, with no loss of contracted hours, as little impact as possible on their take home wage and maintaining their work / life balance.
The process of roster optimisation follows these steps:
This whole process should take around 7 weeks, but we acknowledge that we are working with a large number of people and there are sometimes delays which we can’t anticipate.
What’s in it for me?
- There is more opportunity to build stronger connections with the people we support as the number of sites employees work across may decrease. * Fun fact we currently have some employees that work over 3+ homes!
- There is the opportunity to build genuine relationships with families of the people we support, as employees will be able to spend more time getting to know the people in the homes they work in.
- There is the opportunity to speak up and let us know what sort of roster you would like to see.
- There is the opportunity to have a roster that allows employees to offer the best quality support to our people, as the updated roster will result in less agency usage, less unfilled shifts and will also allow for greater fatigue management.
When in consultation, there are some things to consider
During consultation, you will have the opportunity to speak directly with your Portfolio Manager. Lessons learned has shown us that this contact with your Portfolio Manager is essential during this process and we would encourage you to reach out via email and make a plan for a face to face meeting, or via an online meeting.
Meal breaks
We will require a 2/3 majority vote across all affected services for the roster to take effect, as per clause 6.1.5b of the Endeavour Foundation Union Collective Agreement [EFUCA] which states:
“A change to the work rosters will only occur after consultations and after two thirds (2/3) of the employees directly affected by the proposed new roster agree to the roster change. If we are able to achieve this, the tentative implementation date of the proposed roster is April 2023″.
The voting process will also include an option for you to agree, or disagree, with any meal breaks that, in your proposed roster, are rostered to be taken within the last 30 minutes of your shift, as per clause 6.2.2 of the EFUCA, which states:
“An employee and Endeavour may agree in writing to take the 30 minute meal break during the final 30 minutes of a rostered shift instead of at the completion of five hours continuous work. An employee must provide written consent to do this and agreement can be withdrawn at the employee’s election. If agreed, the roster will reflect that the 30 minute meal break will be taken during the final 30 minutes of the rostered shift. The payment for electing to take the meal break during the final 30 minutes of the rostered shift will be an additional 15 minutes pay of the applicable ordinary rate of pay and will be counted as the employee’s ordinary time earnings for all purposes.”
Key changes
Clarification around shifts
- No more 12-hour shifts
- Shifts will not exceed 8 hours except by agreement (10 hours max) including sleepovers
- A Sleepover shift – consists of time worked prior to the sleepover period, as well as time worked following the sleepover period
- Minimum broken shifts
- 8 hours between shifts after a sleepover
- 10 hours between shifts after a non sleepover
Taking care of each other
We understand that this can be a difficult and frustrating process. As such, our organisational values become even more important in guiding how we behave and treat our colleagues. Please consider how you are living our values and demonstrating the value of CARE. CARE is about being respectful of each other and treating each other with respect. It is the way we can achieve excellent outcomes for you, your colleagues and the people we support.
CARE should be reflected in the conversations that we have with each other, as leaders and colleagues. We are all doing our best to accommodate roster changes to ensure that we deliver a high-quality service to the people we support – they are at the heart of everything we do.
FAQs
The current rosters no longer provide an adequate solution for our people. We are optimising our current rosters to align to the standards set by our underpinning modern awards. This will allow us to provide the best quality of care, and better support our employees.
The organisation is too large to change rosters quickly, and we want to bring our employees on this journey alongside us.
The roster consultation process is set out in the Endeavour Foundation Union Collective Agreement (EFUCA). The timetable of events during consultation is highlighted in the graphic above.
You will receive a copy of the proposed changes and have an opportunity to discuss these changes with your manager and provide your feedback. Once your manager has considered all feedback across the service, you will receive a copy of the final version of the proposed roster for you to vote on
The proposed roster must have 2/3 of the employees at the site affected by the change vote yes for the roster to change.
No. If you have been working above your contracted hours, there may be opportunities to increase your contracted hours.
Each roster change and consultation are facilitated for individual sites. You will be involved in consultation for each site and vote on each roster.
Endeavour Foundation is aligning their rosters with underpinning modern award framework for optimisation for our employees and client service delivery.
The organisation is too large to change rosters quickly, so to consult properly with our employees, we have started the process now to ensure a robust and collaborative approach.
It will allow us to improve the support of our people, reduce fatigue and roster inequity and in turn improve safety of employees and the people we support.
Potentially, which is why we are consulting with you; we will work with you to reasonably accommodate your individual circumstances.
In some circumstances, through a collaborative approach, contract hours may also be increased.
All rostered employees.
Not contracted hours, however, the pattern of work may look different.
- Shifts will not exceed 8 hours except by agreement (10 hours max, and by written agreement between staff and the organisation).
- Ensure shifts rostered to span more than 5 hours will include a rostered 30min unpaid Meal Break (non 1:1). If, in emergencies, staff are unable to take a meal break, this is allowed for in the EFUCA, I think this wording reflects that better.
- 8 hours between shifts after a sleepover
- 10 hours between shifts after a non-sleepover
- Minimum broken shifts
- Full time – no minimum engagement
- Part time – 2-hour minimum engagement per shift
- Casual – 2-hour minimum engagement per shift
No, the max hours remain 76 hours fortnightly.
No, this continues to be 10 days (with a requirement of a minimum of 2 consecutive days off in the fortnight).
No, employees receive 30min unpaid break when they work over 5 hrs. These breaks will be included in your roster. Meal breaks are to be taken at the rostered time. Where agreed in writing, the 30min meal break can be taken in the final 30 minutes of a rostered shift. In this circumstance, the employee will be paid an additional 15 minutes pay at their ordinary rate; this will be counted as ordinary time earnings for all purposes.
Glossary of Terms
| Roster Optimisation | Roster Optimisation is the name of the project that Endeavour Foundation are undertaking in order to optimise our current rosters to align with an underpinning modern award to allow us to provide the best quality of care, and support our employees. |
| Roster Consultation | Roster consultation is the process that occurs once your new rosters have been proposed. During this time, you will work with your Portfolio Manager to respond to any questions or concerns you may have before you vote on your new roster. |
| Roster Change | Roster change is what will happen once the voting has occurred, and we have had a 2/3 result. You will be informed as to when the new roster will be implemented. |
Home
| SIL | Supported Independent Living is the Home portfolio – where we work each day with the people we support in their home and covers all aspects of supported independent living. We provide this 24 hours a day 7 days a week. |
| ROC | Roster of Care is a proposed roster of supports that Endeavour Foundation creates on behalf of the people we support to correctly support each customer in Home services. This may be various ratios such as 1:1 supports, 1:2, 1:3,1:4 supports etc, extra support during showering or mealtimes or whether a site requires sleepovers or active awakes. |
| CP | Community Participation Is funding that can be used more flexibly. This funding is used when people we support attend day programs such as L&L. It is also used to indicate services provided by other support providers |
| COC | Change of Circumstances is when a person we support may have had a decline, or change to supports, and the roster of care needs to be changed. |
Community
| POS | Pattern of Supports is the schedule of that is created for each person we support showing the ratio of care that they are funded for and we are required to deliver. There are various ratios such as 1:1 supports; 1 Employees:2 People we support; 1:3; 1:4. this can be at our Learning and Learning and Lifestyle (L&L) hubs or through Community Access and in home Support. |
| L&L | Learning and Lifestyle hubs follow a person-centred support model designed to develop independence, confidence, self-esteem and social interaction skills of the people we support. |
Work
| ADE | Australian Disability Enterprises or, in more updated terms, our Social Enterprises, provide employment opportunities for the people we support. |
We are here to help
If you have any further questions, feel free to reach out:
- Contact your Portfolio Manager.
- Contact the Roster Optimisation team – email – [email protected],
- Contact the People & Wellbeing team – email [email protected]
- Contact Tracey Coorey from The Services Union – Phone – 0421 729 071 or email – [email protected]
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – Benestar
We know that change can sometimes be challenging and we would encourage you to reach out to our Employee Assistance Program, Benestar for support. You can call Benestar on 1300 360 364 or find out more on the intranet. This is a free and confidential service.
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