Swine Flu Attendance Procedure

[TrueBlueTerrier]

No. 994/2009
Ref: PTC/MA/dj/015
Date: 9 November 2009

TO ALL BRANCHES WITH POSTAL MEMBERS

Dear Colleagues

RE: Swine Flu Attendance Procedure

Branches will be aware that we recently held two meetings with Royal Mail and the Head of Health Operations to discuss Wave Two of the current flu pandemic.

We proposed the issue of joint guidelines on the management of absence arising from influenza infection during a period of pandemic which reiterated the existing requirements of the Attendance Procedure that each case should be considered on its merits and warnings should not be issued mechanistically. We suggested that warnings should not normally be issued where a trigger point is reached as a result of an absence arising wholly or mainly from influenza against the background of the exceptional circumstance of a declared pandemic. Royal Mail rejected our proposal but has however issued a questions & answers briefing to all of its managers. Before this briefing was issued we again attempted to persuade Royal Mail that the Attendance Procedure should not be applied mechanistically and each case should be dealt with on its own merits and if a warning had been triggered solely or mainly for an absence relating to the pandemic it would not normally be appropriate to issue a warning.

Please find attached the final version of the briefing sent to managers. I would refer branches to question 21 where you will note the final sentence states that "Managers are required to consider each case on its merits and Attendance Procedure warnings should never be applied mechanistically". We will continue to pursue our policy of additional wording in line with this LTB. However, branches and representatives should utilise the terminology used in question 21 if local managers continue to apply stage warnings mechanistically where a trigger point is reached as a result of an absence arising wholly or mainly from influenza.

Any enquiries to Ray Ellis's office, quoting reference PTC/MA/dj/015.
Email address: rellis@cwu.org

Yours sincerely



Ray Ellis,
Assistant Secretary

pandemic flu managers brief.doc

[DGP1]

Screw them, I'm on a stage 2 so I'll be in and I won't go home until I get a letter from Crozier himself telling me that no action will be taken against me.

[Pat Ostman]

Screw them, I'm on a stage 2 so I'll be in and I won't go home until I get a letter from Crozier himself telling me that no action will be taken against me.

Agree with you but the upshot is that it's doesn't do your work mates any favours. Difficult one

[Stormproof]

I'm hoping my DOM has received a briefing off RM, I had Swine Flu and its now triggered a S3