LTB 374/17 - PFS (FORMERLY ROMEC) HR PROCEDURES

[TrueBlueTerrier]

LTB 374/17 - PFS (FORMERLY ROMEC) HR PROCEDURES

No. 374/2017

30th June 2017

TO: ALL BRANCHES WITH PFS MEMBERS

PFS ENGINEERING & CLEANING GRADE REPS



Dear Colleagues,

PFS (FORMERLY ROMEC) HR PROCEDURES

The agreement which facilitated the return of PFS to full Royal Mail ownership provided for the integration of the then separate PFS systems and services with those in place in Royal Mail Group. The move to the Royal Mail HR platform, including pay and transactional HR services, is expected to take place on 3rd July.

As part of this process PFS wrote to the Union at the end of March this year giving notice on the separate Romec HR Procedures, on the basis that they would be superseded by the Royal Mail Group attendance, conduct, grievance, bullying & harassment and NCI procedures. The Union objected to this, particularly in respect of the attendance and improving performance procedure and discussions subsequently took place which have resulted in agreement to adoption of the Royal Mail conduct, grievance and bullying & harassment procedures in PFS, but the retention of separate attendance and improving performance procedures.

Attendance Procedure

I attach a copy of the Romec attendance procedure which will continue to apply to our members in what is now PFS. Changes to the procedure have been made to make it compatible with PSP. The attendance standards at stages 2 & 3 of the procedure have been aligned with Royal Mail (two absences or ten days in the next six months following the previous review). In addition, an employee who meets the standards at stage two will revert to the stage 1.

All other aspects of the procedure remain in place, including the right to appeal against the issue of an attendance warning at stages 1 & 2.

The wording in the absence review section has been changed slightly to emphasis that a formal attendance review is not automatically necessary as a result of failure to reach the attendance standards – wording relating to absence for an operation and subsequent convalescence has been strengthened to say that this “would not normally warrant a formal review being issued”.

Improving performance procedure (IPP)

The PFS will also retain the Romec improving performance procedure which has been in place since the late 1990’s. This will continue to operate as a paper procedure and will be subject to review with the Union later in the year.

Conduct, Grievance, bullying & harassment

PFS will adopt the Royal Mail conduct, grievance and bullying & harassment procedures. There is little practical difference in the conduct and grievance procedures – in respect of bullying and harassment the adoption of the common procedure may be helpful dealing with issues where the respondent and claimant are in different parts of the business and will also mean that PFS will be included in any further publicity campaigns around B&H.

Review

The operation of the revised attendance procedure and the application of the Royal Mail procedures in PFS will be reviewed after six and twelve months.

A programme of joint workshops/training will be undertaken after the summer leave period to familiarise managers and representatives with the new procedures.

All enquiries regarding the content of this LTB should be addressed to the PTCS Department, quoting reference 328. Email address: rellis@cwu.org

Yours Sincerely,

Ray Ellis

Assistant Secretary