special leave

[frankie]

Can anyone tell me what the criteria is for Special Leave? I thought you could have paid S/L for hospital appointments, but my dom said I would either have to change my day off or take a days paid leave. When I queried with him the fact our mail centre staff get this leave, his response was hospital appointments are not available for staff on nights and week-end shifts! I feel RM are wrong to treat staff from different offices this way. We all work for RM. So why are some workers treated better than others.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

This is a cut and paste from the Special Leave Document hope it helps:

ROYAL MAIL GROUP PLC PEOPLE MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK POLICY TEMPLATE


Name of policy:
Special Leave

Policy Owner:
Jonathan Allen
Head of Employee Relations
Royal Mail Group

1.Purpose and scope
Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to provide a facility for individuals to take authorised time off in excess of their annual leave provisions. The Special leave policy outlines the circumstances in which special leave could be used and the process required to make an application. This policy amends and replaces the Royal Mail Group plc Special Leave Policy dated 23/07/2006


This policy does not form part of the Employment Contract.
Scope

The policy applies to all employees in Royal Mail Group with the exception of casual employees and Post Office Limited

This updated policy is effective from 01 November 2006


Interfaces

This policy is linked to the Paternity Leave, Adoptive Leave, Dependants Leave, Maternity Leave, Flexible Working, Career Breaks, and Parental leave .
Reserved Powers & Delegated Authorities framework

Overall accountability is held by Group People & Organisational Development Director with delegated authority held by Group Head of Employee Relations. The Group Director Employee Relations must sign off any change to this policy.

Individual line managers are empowered to consider special leave applications and make decisions in accordance with this policy.

Mandatory elements

Special leave is a provision provided by Royal Mail that enables our people to take authorised time off in excess of their annual leave provisions.

Special leave is discretionary in nature but in some circumstances (such as Dependants leave, jury service), the employee is already entitled through legislation to take unpaid time off in any event (see the Special Leave guidance document, obtainable electronically from section 3 below or via HR help).

Special Leave must be applied for via an application form, which is available on HR Help.

The line manager will decide whether to grant special leave with or without pay. Some situations will automatically be without pay (career breaks, dependants leave and extended leave after maternity leave).

The criteria used to make decisions must be clear and explained to the individual, especially in situation where an application for special leave is refused.

All completed forms should be sent to HRSC Sick Absence

Pay is deducted equal to the agreed time off as soon as reasonably possible after the application is received.

Any period of unpaid special leave will not count towards reckonable service.

Any long periods of unpaid special leave may not count towards annual leave accrual.

The special leave process should be conducted fairly, promptly, in a non-discriminating way.

For Parcelforce employees, it is not possible to return from Annual leave and claim special leave retrospectively.

Supporting papers

Supporting documents are available on HR Help. In addition to this policy document there are also;
Guidance notes
Special leave reference summary (7.6)
Special leave form
Flowchart
PFWW managers handbook
.
In the event of any inconsistency between this policy and the supporting documentation the terms of the policy take precedence.