1. INTRODUCTION

Loveworld Medical Centre is committed to providing a safe and secure work environment for her employees and visitors. In accordance, the company has provided accommodation spaces in the hospital premises for staff use. This policy specifies the accommodation spaces reserved as sleepover spaces for staff use. It further outlines the guidelines and processes to access and make use of the accommodation facilities. These facilities are provided to ensure staff safety, security, convenience and well-being. They are not intended as a second or interim home for staff.

The aim of this policy therefore is to ensure efficient use, effective management and environmental sustainability for all stakeholders. Part of the objectives of the spaces and this policy is to formalize all sleepover requirements and arrangements and to limit staff sleepover occurrences to the designated spaces provided thus.

The accommodation spaces herein referred are situated on the third floor of the admin block. They are intended strictly for overnight stay only in exigency situations warranting overnight stay.

Exigency situations that may warrant overnight stay include:

1. Surgical and medical procedural cases that extend into the late hours and where it might be unsafe for staff involved to close and go home afterwards.
2. Where staff are made to work late by management due to the demands of an emergency work situation.
3. Where clinical staff including consultants, doctors, nurses or other support staff are called in for emergency cases after working hours involving patient care; and where it becomes too late for them to go back home after attending to such emergencies.
4. Or where staff have to be on duty the following morning after being involved in cases of 1, 2 or 3 above, and it is not possible for such staff to get home and return back to work in time for the morning shift.
5. In cases of force majeure where staff on duty are prevented from commuting back home due to protests or state unrest.

2. SCOPE

This policy applies to all full-time, contract and temporary employees who are work with Loveworld Medical Centre and whose work location is situated at 51/53 Kudirat Abiola way, Oregun, Ikeja. The accommodation spaces herein referred are located on the third floor of the admin block of the hospital.

This policy is also premised on the day and night work schedules, being 8am to 6pm and 6pm to 8am respectively for clinical staff. Other staff who are made to work late into the night due to urgent work deliverables, outside of the clinical work schedules may apply for sleepover and approval granted at management discretion.

3. OBJECTIVES

3.1 Staff safety and security: A primary objective of the accommodation spaces and the accompanying policy is to ensure the safety and security of staff who use the facility.

3.2 Staff convenience and well-being: To ensure staff convenience and well-being on the job.

3.3 To create a marked distinction between patient accommodation and staff accommodation spaces: By providing the specified staff accommodation and sleepover spaces, the policy specifies staff sleeping spaces. Subsequently, any staff found sleeping on patient beds or locations other than the designated spaces will be liable to violating company policy.

3.4 The sanity and sustainability of the hospital environment: To ensure that whilst providing the opportunity for staff to rest, we protect the hospital environment to uphold the standard set by the hospital board and founder.

3.5 To ensure the responsible use of the spaces: To ensure the cleanliness, orderliness, and overall condition of the accommodation spaces, being a shared facility.

3.6 To dissuade staff from misusing the space: To ensure that staff use the space circumspectly, mindful of the fact that the spaces are shared spaces.

3.7 Accessibility: To ensure optimum accessibility to staff who require the use of the spaces and to reduce the possibility of abuse or misuse of the spaces.

3.8 To distinguish between staff, work and sleep locations in the facility: By providing the said accommodation spaces, the distinction is made between sleep and workspaces, and between sleep times and work times.

4.      HOW TO ACCESS AND USE THE ACCOMMODATION SPACES

4.1.      To request for sleepover, kindly follow the steps below:

4.1.1.   The requesting staff member will fill out the accommodation request form and submit: 

4.1.2.   Inform your Line Manager of the request submitted

4.2.      Line Manager’s recommendation

4.2.1.   Line Manager logs into the same link, reviews the form and makes his/her recommendation.

4.2.2.   The line manager’s recommendation should include a brief statement of the circumstances justifying the need for sleepover.

4.2.3.   The staff confirms to HR that his/her line manager has submitted her form for sleepover.

4.3.      Human Resources

4.3.1.   Upon receipt of the line manager’s recommendation, HR reviews the request to ensure compliance with the policy definitions.

4.3.2.   HR confirms the request approval to the Facility Manager for processing.

4.4.      Facility Unit

4.4.1.   Upon receipt of the request, the facility team prepares an assigned bedspace and feedback to the requesting staff.

4.4.2.   The facility team will thereafter grant access to the requesting staff after ensuring that the space is well cleaned and prepared.

4.4.3.   The facility team will further notify the security team of the intended stay to ensure that appropriate security measures are in place and to notify of staff eligibility to remain in the premises after working hours.

4.4.4.   The facility team shall grant access to the keys through the security department. Staff shall sign out the keys with the security and sign in at return daily. Staff should do a quick check with the facility to ensure that the facility is in good condition and that staff is not made liable later, should a damage be recorded at the end of his/her stay.

4.5.      Security

4.5.1.   The security team will conduct a routine safety check to ensure staff safety by ensuring the keys are signed out at collection and signed in at return daily.

5.  ACCOUNTABILITY & RESPONSIBILITY

5.1.      Responsibility for Damages:

5.1.1.   Any staff assigned to stay over shall be responsible for any damage occurring during the period of their stay in the facility.

5.1.2.   Where damage has occurred, such must be reported immediately to the Facility team, who will in turn assess the extent and cost of the damage and communicate same to the staff and management for repairs.

5.1.3.   The cost of repairs of damaged company property may be deducted from source where staff refuses to honor the repairs cost.

5.1.4.   Where a group or more than one staff are assigned bedspaces in the same room in the same time space, facility department shall assign the key to a particular individual amongst the group of staff, this assignee shall become the primary responsibility officer for the space during the period of their stay. Should this individual exit after the first night, this responsibility shall be past to another staff occupying the room.

5.2.      Sanitation and Cleanliness

5.2.1.   Staff members are expected to maintain a high standard of cleanliness in the accommodation spaces.

5.2.2.   Upon vacating the accommodation, staff must ensure that the space is left in the same clean condition as it was met in the first instance.

5.2.3.   Consistent failure to maintain a clean and tidy state may result in restrictions for future use by such staff.

6.     IMPORTANT GUIDELINES:

1. Any staff who do not directly request accommodation space must not be found to stay over at the accommodation.
2. Visitors of any kind are not allowed into the bedroom spaces.
3. The male and female rooms are clearly separated and must remain so in practice. Males are not allowed into the female rooms neither are females allowed into the male rooms.
4. Failure to adhere to these guidelines shall result in immediate ejection from the space, with the risk of permanent restriction from the use of the space.
5. Assigning of bedspace to a staff does not imply sole right to the room. Other staff members assigned have equal right to the room.
6. Keys to the rooms will be signed in and out in a notebook with the security at admin block.
7. The attached lounge shall be used strictly as a lounge for relaxing and lounging. It cannot be used as a sleeping space. The couches should not be used as beds. It is a general common room for all staff using the bedrooms at any time.

7. PROCESS ADHERENCE MONITORING:

7.1.      The Audit and Quality Improvement team shall periodically conduct audits to ascertain compliance with this policy.

7.2.      Should this policy or its provision be amended, the amended policy shall supersede the current.