Worker frustration as more managers leave aged care home

Aged care workers have voiced frustration and said “morale is low” after being told another two managers would be leaving Southern Cross Care Tas, and would likely not be replaced for months.

Aged care workers have voiced frustration after being told another two managers would be leaving Southern Cross Care Tas, and would likely not be replaced for months.

An internal memo leaked to The Mercury from CEO Robyn Boyd reveals two executive managers will be “ceasing employment” with the company.

The Mercury asked Southern Cross Care for the reason behind their departure, but they did not respond.

The memo was sent to all staff on Thursday and reveals that the Executive Manager Home and Community as well as the Executive Manager Retirement Living roles would be vacated.

The former Mel Szczypka left the company on May 20, and the latter Lee-Ann Patterson is due to leave the company on 10 July.

Ms Boyd told staff that their departure presented an “opportunity” to consolidate their roles into a role called Executive Manager Integrated Services.

She said the company would also create a new role of Chief Operating Officer, who would work with the Executive Manager Integrated Services and Care Services.

However Ms Boyd said these two vacancies would not be filled for some time.

“It is anticipated that recruitment for these two critical roles will take a number of months,” Ms Boyd writes.

“We will provide further information outlining the Executive structure in the near future.”

Health and Community Services Union’s Robbie Moore said staff were fed up with the “revolving door” of upper management at Southern Cross Care Tas.

Mr Moore said staff wanted answers as to why the executive kept changing, but had received no clarity from the higher ups.

Southern Cross Care, Rivulet

“This just keeps happening. Morale is so low and it feels like it’s always chaos and there’s no stability there,” Mr Moore said.

“Staff are reasonably asking what is happening, what’s the board doing, what’s the CEO doing, why are managers leaving every second day and no one seems to be staying.”

A current worker, who cannot be named, said they felt “extremely unsafe” given the level of turnover at Southern Cross Care Tas.

The worker said they’d seen a “whopping” turnover both at the executive level as well as at their workplace.

Ms Boyd concluded her letter to staff by thanking both executive managers for their service to the company.

“I would like to thank Lee-Ann and Mel for their contribution to Southern Cross Care (Tas) and wish them well as they depart,” she said.

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Originally published as Worker frustration as more managers leave aged care home