Fórsa has successfully secured the re-opening of the HSE’s job evaluation scheme following its suspension at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The head of Fórsa’s Health and Welfare division, Éamonn Donnelly, said re-opening the scheme in the HSE was achieved following a “hard fought battle”, in the context of the current environment, and he outlined the approach that’s been taken due to Covid-19 restrictions.
The union acknowledged the HSE’s job evaluation unit for their committed and positive approach to finding new and effective ways to bring the scheme back into operation.
“We’ve had to alter the model of assessments from direct contact with the applicant to a remote, desktop-assessment model. This new approach gives rise to a number of differences in how the scheme will be run, and we’re asking applicants to bear the frustration for a while and continue to be patient as the scheme is re-established.
“For example, it can appear that some applicants have their assessments completed ahead of others who may have submitted their application earlier. This can, but doesn’t usually, happen,” he said.
He added that provision within the scheme to multi-assess posts within a particular category can cause some confusion, but that this approach helps to speed up the assessments overall.
There is provision within the scheme to multi-assess posts within a particular category which helps to speed up the assessments overall.
“The clearest example is medical secretary posts, where it’s clear that the post fits all of the agreed criteria for a medical secretary post. In these cases, individual assessments are not necessary and indeed, would only succeed in clogging up the scheme,” he said.
Éamonn also acknowledged the staff in the HSE’s job evaluation unit “for their committed and positive approach to finding new and effective ways to bring the scheme back into operation.”
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