resourcing

We speak to many pharmacists who are looking for hours to fit around school time or others who are returning from maternity leave and looking for part time work. However at present there does not appear to be much innovation from pharmacy employers to genuinely facilitate this. Earlier this year we tried in vain to find something for a pharmacist who wants to return to the profession after having a year out, but cannot find part time work during school hours to enable her to look after her young family. Whilst she wanted the stability of regular work patterns and employment, she had no other option but to work self-employed as a locum.

During the first 2 days of this week my team have spoken to 3 pharmacists who were each handling at least 2500 items per week as the sole pharmacist on the premises. They all wanted to change jobs as they felt overworked and wanted extra cover - with none forthcoming.

In each of these cases, the employee still cared for the company they worked for and for their in-store colleagues. In fact it was only this loyalty that had stopped them from handing in their notice sooner. What these pharmacists were asking for was a little bit more support.

I then thought back to the part-time pharmacist we couldn't help earlier in the year and of others in a similar predicament. What about offering part-time cover in these branches during core hours? There are a vast number of pharmacists who would like the option to work reduced hours during the day - typically at peak times when pharmacies are under the most pressure. I often wonder why some pharmacy businesses choose not to exploit this opportunity. In terms of the cost to employ the extra support, it may well be a smart investment. If it helps improve the retention of under pressure full-time managers, improves the customer experience and increases the volume of items/services that the pharmacy can cater for at a given time, surely this will be of benefit.

Employers who have started to implement flexible working contracts for their staff have seen positive results. Helen Godwin of Boots UK believes that flexible working has had a beneficial impact on their pharmacy business - for the customer and for their employees:

"With our stores opening extended hours and with an increase in seven day trading, it helps us to staff our stores and deliver a comprehensive pharmacy service for our patients and customers.  Part-time working also enables us to increase staffing levels at key times during the day, such as busy lunchtime periods, to enable us to meet customer needs. Boots UK believes working part-time provides employees with the flexibility they need to meet responsibilities outside of work (such as child-care). It also gives them the opportunity to pursue other career opportunities alongside their job with us (such as working in a hospital or their local PCOs), as well as reach a desired work-life balance pursuing a hobby or interest."

On the subject of flexible working, Debbie Hinton, the winner of Britain's Best Boss 2009 commented "I have promoted a culture where my staff feel comfortable requesting a change to their hours and working patterns. This has been a 'win-win' strategy for everyone and we have been able to offer extra clinics to our patients as a result. Staff retention, timekeeping, productivity and general levels of motivation have all significantly improved. If I need extra hours worked to achieve a particular target or new service, my team always provide me with appropriate participation and fresh ideas."

In addition to proactive measures taken by employers, there has also been an increasing pressure on employers to offer flexible working hours. Recently, work and pensions secretary Yvette Cooper called for wider flexible working rights for all employees - extended beyond working mothers and those winding down to retirement. And with increasing numbers of people having to work beyond 65 combined with the national retirement age due to rise we will see an increase in the age of the workforce. As employers we all may well have to change our attitudes and the options we offer to our staff.