Our members employed in the Community Dental Service (CDS) receive individual and collective employment advice, support, and representation from our Employment Relations Team, and through our excellent network of trained workplace Accredited Representatives (ARs).
This advice has been produced in response to some CDS employers in England seeking to introduce extended clinic opening hours, imposing new requirements on our members to work unsocial hours as part of their substantive roles. In some cases, this has occurred without adequate prior consultation, and / or without additional remuneration being offered.
We recognise that evening / weekend working is a significant departure from the ‘norm’ in the CDS and will impact on our members’ work / life balance; particularly if imposed without agreement. Issues around member wellbeing are important to us. We know that work related stress is a significant problem in the CDS, and in the profession more widely.