Sick/Harrassment

[femrep]

If someone is off sick what is the policy on contacting them about their return to work. Say for example someone is unwell Sat & not sure if they are going to be better Monday, would it be acceptable for the manager to ring on Sat/Sun asking they are back Monday?

I don't think it is, but just want to check.

[tojobevred]

was today ur 1st day off sick

[andy2007]

Officially. Either you should contact your Manager, or your Manager should contact you, once a week. It's supposed to be, so that they can check on your progress, and make sure you're all right. But in practice, it's an opportunity for them to put you under pressure to come back too early.

[femrep]

Yes, today is first day off.

Is there any official guidelines on this process?

[fishtank]

Yes, today is first day off.

Is there any official guidelines on this process?

This is the procedure that management follow.
It is a management document and has NOT been agreed with the CWU but it is the procedure that management follow.

The following briefing is for frontline managers to brief key points around sick absence and for our front line people to clearly understand their roles in terms of contact and providing regular up dates on their well being.

Royal Mail operates the sick absence contact strategy to ensure that we provide the necessary support to all of our employees while absent from work on sick leave. Regular contact provides us with up dates on our people and ensures we can utilise Atos Origin in whatever support is required. It also allows us to look at alternative solutions to ensuring our employees can return to work at the earliest possible opportunity.

To enable this to happen we need our frontline employees and managers to stick rigidly to the following guidelines.

Reporting Sick Leave

: All employees must ensure that their contact details are accurate and current.

: Employees must report for sick leave before their shift starts (for P/T employees, this should be at least 30 minutes before the start of shift).

: All Employees must speak directly to the Resources Unit (XXXXXXXXX). An answering machine operates out-with office hours.

: No text messages or reporting via a third party will be accepted, unless in extreme cases i.e. when it is unavoidable to do otherwise.

: The employee must provide his/her manager with as much detail about their illness and the manager should determine if the employee can be employed on temporary alternative indoor duties. Where this is not practical and an absence is required, the manager and employee must agree a further contact in the next two days.

Continued Sick Leave

When an employee continues with periods of sick absence it is their contractual obligation to keep in contact with their manager, failure to do so could result in their pay being held as the conditions of sick pay state the following:

Conditions on which Sick Pay is Paid

Entitlement to sick pay is always subject to strict observance of the following conditions:

(a) Certificates of incapacity must be received by the business for all sick absences

(b) The business must be satisfied that an employee's absence is necessary and due to genuine illness.(c) The business reserves the right to refuse sick pay if an absence is due to, or is aggravated by, causes within the employee's control, or if the employee has neglected instructions given by a Doctor.

(d) An absent employee shall remain at their normal home address (other than to receive in-patient treatment) unless they have consent of their line or local personnel manager. Employees who are sick immediately before they are due to go on holiday must confirm to their Line Manager that they are going on holiday on the due date (unless sick absence continues and the employee remains at home). We also have to ensure that we are taking the appropriate steps to ensure we are providing the relevant support to our employees by using our health care professionals, Atos Origin. By maintaining this contact we can also look at alternatives. i.e. alternative indoor duties.

In the cases where this process is not followed for no known reason, Managers could take steps to hold an employees pay and change their absence from Sick absence to Unauthorised absence.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

The business must be satisfied that an employee's absence is necessary and due to genuine illness.(

does not really match the "all sick absences should be treated as genuine" in the sick absence procedure does it. Could explain a lot

[andy2007]

It's also dangerous for people who are suffering from Depression. As part of the treatment, is to get the Patient to get out of the House, in a safe and controlled way. For example: Going for a walk, with someone to keep you company, or going to a friend or relatives house. According to that document. If they don't stay in their Home, they can have their pay stopped.

[fishtank]

It's also dangerous for people who are suffering from Depression. As part of the treatment, is to get the Patient to get out of the House, in a safe and controlled way. For example: Going for a walk, with someone to keep you company, or going to a friend or relatives house. According to that document. If they don't stay in their Home, they can have their pay stopped.

The "staying at home" part only refers to where you are living during your period of sick absence,it does not and cannot confine you to your house.
If you will not be living at your home address while you are sick you are supposed to notify Royal Mail...fair enough.
...but one of the places where this document goes too far is that it assumes that somehow your line manager can decide whether you can stay at home or not..

unless they have consent of their line or local personnel manager

I don't think so.....

[andy2007]

That's a relief. I'm glad I misunderstood that part.

[Lincox]

The business must be satisfied that an employee's absence is necessary and due to genuine illness.(c) The business reserves the right to refuse sick pay if an absence is due to, or is aggravated by, causes within the employee's control, or if the employee has neglected instructions given by a Doctor.


So it is alright for Royal Mail to ignore the instructions given by a Doctor, but we can,t. Typical