Call Centre Working Time

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Conference
2013 Energy Service Group Conference
Date
5 February 2013
Decision
Carried

UNISON welcomed the publication of the new call centre charter, launched last year by Professor Charlotte Rainer (report author) of Portsmouth University at this conference.

The continued and disproportionate levels of workplace stress, bullying and harassment which in turn leads to a higher than average level of sickness absence, is a big concern.

An increasing number of UNISON members, particularly within the Energy Service Group work in a call centre environment face poor working conditions and practices including restricted access to a toilet.

In some call centres employees are expected to logon to PC equipment prior to shift start time and be ready to take calls at 8.00am with no pay for being there 10 minutes prior to start time, which equates to over 1 weeks unpaid time over the course of a year.

This Conference calls on the appropriate sections in UNISON to devise an easy to understand checklist in regards to what falls within the Working Time Regulations to allow Branches to challenge such inappropriate instances as those listed.