1968_karen

Ive just had a telephone interview and was told that because I was an international midwife I would be expected to work more night shifts than my Australian colleagues! They would expect 3-6months of nights! However, my Australian colleagues would be expected to work a minimum of 6 weeks!

So, has anyone else experienced this? Is this the "norm"?

Karen

Grayling

What visa are you going on?

If it is PR then tell them to piss off...and find another job.

If it is a 457 then you had better learn to dance to their tune.

G

adiestubbs

That may be the "culture" but is almost certainly illegal. Ask him to put it in writing and see what he says.

Ade

breezeboylan

Rubbish! I've never experienced any international nurses being treated any different.
Tracie

Margaret3

Havent you???? admitadly the OP post sounds like bollocks , but i have seen differences in the way aussie, british, asian, are treated, i have struggled many, many times with it.

1968_karen

I promise you Im not sprouting "bollocks".

After a 80 minute interview, I was told that they would offer me a 2 year contract on a 457, and I would be expected to work between 3-6 months of nights. When I queried this I was told that they could perhaps negotiate 3 months of nights in the first year. They went onto say that their Australian nurses are encouraged to do a minimum of 6 weeks, maximum of 12 weeks of nights.

Needless to say, I will NOT be accepting this position!

Karen

p.s. thank you everyone that took the time to reply.

breezeboylan

and there lies the reason that a nurse should never come on a 457 unless it is the only option available
Tracie

breezeboylan

I can honestly say Margaret that I haven't. Maybe I've been extremely lucky or you've been extremely unlucky. Either way it's a bloody disgrace if nurses are treated any different because of their race and tbh I wouldn't stand for it. I really think it is vital that nurses come on a PR visa if at all possible so as not to leave themselves open to discrimination.
Tracie

Grayling

It is nothing to do with race......it is to do with the employer's ability to shaft 457 visa holders because they are effectively 'tied labour'......or, for some reason, are desperate to get a visa as quickly as possible.

there is absolutely no need, in the vast majority of cases, for nurses to accept a 457 visa.

G

Kathryn V

I have to disagree with this, I was sponsored by a public hospital in Perth on a 457 visa to work as a RN. I was treated exactly the same as all the other nurses/midwives (Ozzie and others).

I have no complaints about the hospital/system at all. In fact I went over as a lapsed midwife from the UK and offered midwifery re-registration. To enable this, they brought forward my sponsorship for PR. This meant that I could apply for a grant to help cover my wages, whilst I took time off from work to do the course.

Of course the unit on which I worked benefited from me being a midwife, but they did not request that I re-register. I wanted to re-register and they enabled me to do just that. So within 6 months of getting to Oz I was a PR. NO COMPLANTS AT ALL.

di90

I came over on a 457 and work in melbourne and we only have to do 10 weeks of nights a year, same as oz midwives. It has only just recently gone up from 8 weeks.

vicki78

Hi Karen

Do you mind me asking which hospital was this and whereabouts in Australia?

Caddy the cat lover

Nope, we're all in it together. No favouritism at all. I do more nights than some because I request them and not because I have to.
Family friendly is non existent though. Some of the staff would love set days but the boss is adamant that it's a "No".
Sounds like you need to have a look at other units. Good luck with the hunt xxx

alipally

What a nightmare and a complete P!ss take I might add! There are plenty of other opportunities if you have to do a 457 in Australia that wouldn't treat you like that. I hope that you find one... or apply for a 175 and choose your job wisely!

Ali x