That’s according to three NZNO members who work as nurses and healthcare workers and who want to remain anonymous out of fear of being punished by their employer.
Bupa is one of the country’s largest aged-care providers and earlier this year it introduced sweeping changes in the work rosters of staff at 17 of its sites, citing a need for more “efficiency”.
‘I can’t afford to bring my car to work anymore.’
Despite its workers opposing the change proposal, and reinforcing that with a hīkoi in April to Bupa’s head office in Newmarket and 25 protests nationwide, the company decided to go ahead with the restructuring.
As a result, hundreds of aged-care workers have either had their hours reduced or workloads increased.
Bupa’s spokesperson told Kaitiaki that change is challenging and that their “new digital rostering system aimed to improve care for residents by better matching the skills of their staff to resident needs and ensuring consistent care.”
However, one worker disagreed with that.
“My hours haven’t been cut but the workload has increased. Before I would care for four elderly residents each day, now I’m caring for six. And that’s not fair on them or me because it means I’m constantly rushing and not giving each of them the quality care they need and deserve,” one worker said.
‘I love working with the elderly but right now it’s like working in hell.’
“We also don’t have time anymore during our work hours to do the compulsory training Bupa requires of us, so we end up doing this in our own time.
“Sadly, a lot of our international workers here are too scared to speak up, so they don’t fight or rock the boat. I’m not angry with them and I always try to be there for them, regardless.”
Bupa also told Kaitiaki that their new roster system supported “staff wellbeing, avoiding double shifts, providing adequate rest and fairly distributing all shift types.”
Another worker also disagreed with Bupa.
“I love the residents here but it’s too much of a struggle now. I can’t afford to bring my car to work anymore so I train and bus, which takes more time and isn’t safe when I’m working late shift.
‘I’m missing out on my child, my husband and those special occasions. If nothing changes soon, I will leave.’
“I’m tired. I am only getting one weekend off every sixth weekend. I’m missing out on my child, my husband and those special occasions. If nothing changes soon, I will leave. Some of our workers have already left.
“I love working with the elderly but right now it’s like working in hell.”
Another worker said most residents at the site she worked at needed hospital-level care.
“We are getting more and more residents who have complex needs – dementia, incontinence and less mobility so they are at risk of falling quite a lot. Caring for these residents requires two workers for safety reasons.
‘Stop feeding private corporates who have no passion for the health of these old people.’
“Bupa doesn’t care about them or us. This is about profit for them and that’s why the Government needs to return the care of some of this country’s most vulnerable people back to the public health system. Stop feeding private corporates who have no passion for the health of these old people.”
A bargaining team is currently being put together to negotiate the collective agreement for aged-care workers who are members of a union. The focus for that bargaining will be on work rosters, as a result of so many workers telling their unions that the new roster system is not good for them and residents.
NZNO is also linking up with Unicare, a global union federation which is dealing with Bupa in a number of countries.
A recent report by E tū union, which has many members working in aged care, and The Centre for International Corporate Tax Accountability and Research, has recommended that the Government: ‘Explore whether long-term demand for aged residential care is better delivered through both the public and private sector, rather than relying solely on private sector delivery.’