Page 18 - World of Irish Nursing April 2018

24 Questions & Answers

Q A Bulletin

Board

With INMO interim director
of industrial relations
Tony Fitzpatrick

Query from member Reply

I have been out on sick leave for over a year and I am due You have an entitlement to accrue annual leave during your
to return to work in the next couple of weeks. I work as paid sick leave as a nurse/midwife in the public health service
a staff nurse in the public health service. I was asking my as it is classified as working time.
employer about my annual leave entitlement, which has
accrued during my paid and unpaid sick leave. However, due to changes to the Organisation of Working
Time Act in August 2015, all nurses/midwives are now also
I was advised by my employer that while I will accrue entitled to accrue the statutory entitlement to annual leave
annual leave during paid sick leave, I will not accrue during the unpaid period of sick leave. If you have any diffi-
annual leave during my unpaid sick leave. Is this correct? culties you can contact the INMO Information Office at Tel:
6640610/19.

Query from member Reply

I qualified as a public health nurse in 2013 and have a This is correct. The midwifery qualification allowance was
midwifery qualification. I was advised by my employer restored with effect from July 1, 2017. Therefore, you should
that due to the review of allowances in 2012, this be paid the allowance retrospectively to July 2017.
payment was abolished and I am not entitled to payment
of the qualification allowance. Please note that the changes introduced in 2012 by gov-
ernment following the review of allowances applied to
I have recently heard that some of the allowances have new entrants only.
been restored as part of the nursing and midwifery
recruitment agreement in 2017. I would like to know if Therefore public health nurses already in employment should
the midwifery qualification allowance was restored? have already been in receipt of, and continue to receive, the
allowance.

Know your rights and entitlements

• Annual leave
The INMO Information Office offers same-day responses to all questions • Sick leave
• Maternity leave
• Parental leave
Contact Information Officers Catherine Hopkins • Pregnancy-related
and Karen McCann at sick leave
Tel: 01 664 0610/19 • Pay and pensions
Email: catherine.hopkins@inmo.ie • Flexible working
karen.mccann@inmo.ie • Public holidays
• Career breaks
Mon to Thur 8.30am-5pm; Fri 8.30am-4.30pm • Injury at work win Vol 26 no 3 April 2018
• Agency workers
• Incremental credit