Auckland YMCA accommodation staff scared of job losses if restructure goes ahead
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YMCA North staff who work in the Auckland accommodation team say they're scared of losing their jobs, worry about their mental health deteriorating and safety being compromised, if a proposed restructure goes ahead.
The front-line accommodation staff at the Y's Pitt Street hostel and its City Lodge had a week to give feedback on a restructure proposal.
If the proposal goes ahead, workers called Guest Service Agents who have been working both across day and night shifts will only be able to work either in a day or night role.
Staff question how the proposal fits with the YMCA's key values.
Guest Service Agents are staff who deal with customers who are staying at the YMCA's hostel and lodge, manage security, cleanliness, bookings and billing.
Currently, they work both day and night shifts and are stationed at either the Pitt Street Hostel or the City Lodge.
In the proposal - these roles will be disestablished. Staff will now have to apply to be either a day worker or a night worker and will work across two different locations.
Night GSAs are the only reception and security staff on site - it means they must handle emergencies and security incidents by themselves.
A staff member who usually works night shifts at the City Lodge hostel told
Checkpoint
they did not feel prepared.
"All we had was a safeguarding training. The safeguarding is more related to protecting children and vulnerable people rather than yourself. So, in the security sense, we're not prepared."
They said the security company the YMCA contracts is not based on site, so GSAs must call a hotline if they face issues.
"I needed to evict an intruder that was in the building. A visitor there was not allowed to be there. He said, 'okay give me 40 minutes and I'll be there.' If we have a real emergency, real urgency, that's what we [are] dealing with.
"Probably we'll have to sort it out ourselves or call the police."
The worker said while they had been working people had tried to break in, the worker told
Checkpoint
they often carried a knife as they felt unsafe.
As part of their roles, on the night shift they must watch the entrances and exits and do hourly walk throughs of public areas.
"Night shifts are extra tough on health, on physical, mental health. You are extra tired even if you're just sitting on a chair [most] of the night."
As part of Auckland Council's service agreements, which started on 1 April this year, service partners must pay their workers the living wage.
Some Auckland Council leisure centres and pools are managed by the YMCA, meaning those YMCA staff must be paid the living wage.
However, because the YMCA's accommodation centres are not part of this service agreement, it means workers don't have to be paid the living wage.
The worker said after the restructure if they would only be working nights and the pay remained the same at $25 an hour, it would be unfair as they would be taking on more risk and a heavier workload.
"We are the ones who are taking aggressive customers, being on safety hazards, we are the ones taking the burden."
The worker said the way the proposal had been carried out went against the core values of the YMCA around Caring, Honesty, Respect and Responsibility.
If the proposal is confirmed to stay the same, there will be interviews held over the rest of July and staff will be told the outcomes of the interviews at the end of the month.
For staff who aren't selected for the new roles, if their current role is disestablished, they will be made redundant from 1 August.
If the worker loses their job, they're worried about the current job market and if they will be able to find work at all within the next couple of months.
"We live pay check by pay check, so I don't have any savings to my name. I should have like $10 to my name. It will be devastating, honestly, and I'm sure [it will] affect any area in my life financially, emotional, mental health wise."
On 15 July accommodation staff who work across the YMCA's City Lodge and Pitt Street hostel were sent a letter outlining the proposal.
The YMCA said it was because they were facing financial underperformance due to a mix of structural and market-related challenges.
They say the roles will give clarity to the workers' responsibilities and accountability.
YMCA North chief executive Rebecca Russell said in statement the proposed new structure would see greater streamlining across the two accommodation sites.
The YMCA is actively seeking feedback from affected staff and no final decisions have been made.
Security was a top priority, she said - with measures including mandatory door locking, pass cards and external security able to be called if needed.
Russell said she would be concerned if staff were having to arm themselves and this had not been raised with management. But anyone worried about safety should provide that feedback during the consultation, she said.
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