Up to 2,700 frontline HSE staff apply for leave

The HSE has received thousands of applications from frontline staff for its three-year career break scheme, raising speculation management will have to turn down a number of applications in order to protect vital services.

While the HSE would not provide a figure for the number of applications when contacted, Industrial Relations News quoted sources as saying 2,700 people had applied for the leave scheme, which was launched in May.

It said the “majority” of those people were frontline staff. The deadline for applications was May 31.

The scheme was set up to cut staff numbers under the HSE’s 2013 Employment Control Framework and to cut expenditure costs.

Those whose applications are accepted will receive an “incentive” payment of one-third of their gross basic pay up to a maximum of €12,000 per year for the three years.

As part of its criteria for the scheme, the HSE said while there was no maximum for the number who could avail of it, its operation was “subject to the operating requirement that services are not significantly adversely affected”.

“Applications for incentivised career breaks (ICBs) will be facilitated to the maximum extent possible, however, the needs of the business/service may require that some applications in exceptional cases will have to be refused or deferred, the business reasons for which must be clearly documented,” it said.

“An application for an ICB under this scheme may also be refused or deferred if there is a potential conflict of interest between the activity in which the employee proposes to engage or engages in during his/her ICB and his/her position in the organisation.”

Nonetheless the HSE’s director of human resources, Barry O’Brien, said the scheme was “a tool to assist managers to achieve the reduction required in the current year while delivering the agreed level of service.

“Therefore applications for career breaks under this scheme should be facilitated to the greatest extent possible,” said Mr O’Brien.

The HSE stipulated that where a vacancy arose under the scheme it would have to be filled by redeployment, not by hiring, acting up, overtime, or agency work, in order to ensure that it would not come at an additional cost.

Those who decided to return will, according to a circular from Mr O’Brien, be assigned to the next appropriate vacancy to be filled following the expiry of the ICB, with a guarantee of reemployment in a relevant grade, not necessarily in his/her existing work location, within 12 months of the expiry of the ICB.

Last night the HSE issued a statement saying it was still validating applications for the scheme. A figure for the number of applicants was not provided.

“Managers at local level will make the ultimate decision in relation to individual applications and such decisions will be taken in the context of the Haddington Road Agreement (on public service cost reductions),” the statement said.