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Technical Department Working Time model. Royal Opera House Covent Garden. UK Legal framework. Working Time Regulations (1998) 48 working hours averaged over a 17 week period (Individuals can agree to work more, with no penalty to the employer)
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Technical Department Working Time model Royal Opera House Covent Garden Steven Foulston
UK Legal framework • Working Time Regulations (1998) • 48 working hours averaged over a 17 week period (Individuals can agree to work more, with no penalty to the employer) • 1day off in 6 days, or 2 consecutive days off in 14. • 11 hour overnight break • 20 minute break per 6 hours worked. • Minimum 5.6 weeks paid annual leave. • Special rules for young people, pregnant women and overnight workers. Steven Foulston
Team Structure – Technical Stage • Covent Garden is a rep house, at least 7 shows in rehearsal/on stage at any one time. • Daily Teams – Blue and Red shift – 30 per team (Electrics/Stage/Props/Flys) • Project Teams - one team allocated to ‘Front each show’ - 4 teams, 7 per team. (Electrics/Stage/Props) • Build crew – 1 team, 6 staff (set construction/dismantle/transport to storage warehouse) Steven Foulston
Daily Team work pattern • Annualised Hours contract – 2496 hours per annum • Equates to 48 hours per week • Alternating shifts – 15 hours duration between 7.30am – 11.30 Red Shift: Blue Shift: Steven Foulston
Project Team work pattern • Work follows the rehearsal/performance schedule. • Hence general working hours are known up to a year in advance, but actual working times are notified the previous week. • General rules: • Annualised Hours contract – 2496 hours per annum • Equates to 48 hours per week • Working window 7.30am – 11.30, maximum 15 hours per shift. • A maximum of 280 hours can be worked during a four-week period • A minimum, if called, of four hours on any working day • There must be a minimum rest period of not less than 11 hours between calls. Steven Foulston
Set Building team • Same rules apply as per Project Team, but in practice, the team regularly work a Monday – Friday 8am – 6pm pattern. Steven Foulston
Issues/challenges • 15 hour shift system is physically demanding, especially for ‘older’ staff/those with medical conditions. • 15 hour shift system is technically ‘outlawed’ under the Working Time Regulations. However the Regulations allow a ‘derogation’ by collective agreement. • The arrangement is currently popular with staff, however there is a business risk, as they may collectively give 3 months notice to withdraw. In which case we would need to rethink our working model. Steven Foulston