The RCN has today (30 March) opened a consultative ballot for eligible members to accept or reject the offer from the independent care home and social care provider.
If members vote to accept this offer, we’ll tell Four Seasons Health Care. If members vote to reject the offer, we’ll seek to negotiate an improved offer.
In December 2022, the RCN alongside other unions GMB and Unison conducted a survey asking our members to identify their priorities for improving their pay and terms and conditions. The survey results were the basis for a jointly developed pay claim, which was submitted to Four Seasons Health Care in December 2022.
The main points of the proposed offer include:
- all those on the national minimum wage will receive the planned increase from £9.50 to £10.42 which is equal to 9.7% and affects 43% of the workforce
- between 5 – 5.9% for all other staff
- a one-off, non-consolidated payment of £200 (for staff with an annual salary up to £52,000)
- sick pay from day one of any absence, paid at statutory sick pay rate
- an additional day of leave for the King’s Coronation
- an additional day of leave for staff with two years’ service, which affects 21.5% of current staff
- a further additional day of annual leave for five years’ service, which affects 32% of staff.
Four Seasons Health Care has also offered some non-pay additional benefits such as a hot meal being provided on every shift, and membership of the Blue Light discount scheme.
The RCN Trade Union Committee recognises that while the offer does not meet the pay claim submitted by the RCN and other recognised trade unions, it does include pay increases of at least 5%, along with some other improvements. Therefore, the RCN is not making a recommendation to members about whether to accept or reject this offer. Members must decide.
Only RCN members employed by Four Seasons Health Care/brighterkind can vote on this pay offer.
Voting is being carried out on the RCN’s website and online through myRCN and closes at midday on 27 April – no further votes will be accepted after this time.
