this you could ask your UNISON representative for some assistance. Finally, you could also raise this as an issue with your development review. You shouldn't feel afraid to ask or raise concerns. Q My off duty was changed last week without any discussion. Can they do this? A There may be occasions when off duties need to be changed, however, once this is published it should only be changed with your consent. On occasions managers will ask someone to swap or alter their pattern of work, its fine for them to ask and if you can accommodate it I am sure people will agree to do so. However, there may be occasions when you are unable to alter your off duty and that should always be respected. If this is regularly occurring you may want to raise the matter in a staff or unit meeting to try to get to the bottom of why it is happening. Q I have my appraisal coming up next week. Last year we agreed that I would go on a new course, however, that hasn't happened yet and I am due another incremental point. Will this affect my salary? What advice would you give me in preparation for my appraisal? A First it is your employer's responsibility to provide training, especially training that is agreed as part of an appraisal, it cannot therefore affect your earnings. In terms of preparation there are a number of things which you might want to consider, the most