When I am visiting workplaces around Scotland on our RCN Roadshows, members often ask me about the easiest way to get advice for issues they are facing. There are a number of steps that I’d advise you to follow, to make sure you get the support you need. 

If you’re experiencing an issue at work, I’d suggest looking at our online advice guides as your first port of call. The guides provide information on a wide range of workplace and employment issues and can often be the easiest and quickest way to find help and support for whatever it is you’re dealing with. The guides are very comprehensive, and include information on pay, sickness, safeguarding, redeployment, personal safety, and many more topics. There is also a problems at work checklist, which gives some helpful tips for resolving common workplace problems. Plus, the guides are always available, meaning you can get immediate advice at any time. 
 
If, after reading the relevant advice guides, you still need support, then get in touch with our Advice Team at RCN Direct, where you can speak directly to an adviser. They’ll provide individual advice relevant to your issue and help identify the most appropriate next steps.  

If you need local representation, the adviser can arrange this for you, and they’ll ask your local rep to get in touch. But if you know the local rep in your area, you can also get in touch with them directly. 

We are grateful to have many wonderful, dedicated reps throughout Scotland, who work hard to help their colleagues when they need support at work. There are four different RCN rep roles, and each can offer distinct support:  

• Stewards help members to feel empowered to speak up and engage in formal processes, and they represent colleagues when needed. 
• Learning reps ensure that members have fair access to the learning and training they need to do their jobs well and progress in the profession.  
• Health and safety reps champion safe working practices and environments, identifying health, safety and wellbeing issues and engaging with their employer to bring about changes.  
• Job evaluation reps – our new rep role – will ensure that members are supported through the job evaluation process and that everyone is recognised for the skills and talent they bring to patient care.  

The descriptions above might seem straightforward, but there is a lot of hard work that goes on behind the scenes. You can learn more about the day-to-day duties of stewards, health and safety reps and learning reps here. 

If you are interested in becoming a rep yourself, find out more about becoming a rep here. 

Whatever your issue at work, there are multiple avenues to get advice from the RCN. Just remember – support is always available; you never have to deal with problems alone!