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1st stage sick warning! any advice please

Postal workers discussion forum. Discuss the day to day life in a Blue Shirt.
rachris
Posts: 18
Joined: 11 May 2007, 07:58

1st stage sick warning! any advice please

Post by rachris »

hi
my hubby is a postie who has just been given a 1st stage warning and i am absolutly FUMING! :mad

basicly his manager is implying that his 4 sick absences in the last 4 years have been taken during or around school holidays deliberatly,she "finds it more than a coincidence" WHICH is just what it is! we didnt even realise until we heard the manager had been implying this to his colleagues while he was off sick. he has had a sicknote from his gp for these absences or if less than 10 days has visited his gp .she also states he has "clearly failed to attend on a regular basis" how can 4 absences in 4 years warrant that statement! my hubby has asthma which he told them when he was first employed by them,he has gone to work many times when he shouldnt have. his most recent absence he was off for 3 weeks as he started with a cold which then went onto his chest resulting in a bad case of bronchitis and 2 courses of antibiotics.as anyone with asthma knows you are more open to chest infections and can take longer to recover BUT she says because he didnt have an asthma attack "the relevance of this is unclear" to her! i know he cant appeal against the warning but is there anything he can do about what she has wrote because its a load of rubbish and lies!!

any advice would be grateful
thank you
TrueBlueTerrier
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Post by TrueBlueTerrier »

This is a cut and past from the unions web page on Conduct Code:

4.2 Fair Treatment Employees have the right to be treated fairly, including the right to make a case in response to any allegations or questions put, whether formal or informal. Employees also have the right to be treated in an impartial, non-discriminatory way. Harassment and bullying are not tolerated in Royal Mail. There is a detailed procedure for dealing with complaints of harassment which may lead to action under this code. Proven cases can lead to dismissal.

4.4 Work Record and Extenuating circumstances. Employees have the right to have their previous work record and conduct and any extenuating circumstances fully taken into account.


Therefore my advice would be to contact the local CWU rep and get their advice and get a letter from the doctor detailing his medical condition and where applicable his sick record/visits to the doctor regarding his condition. Also if may be worth keeping a diary about his attendance and sick periods.


This is all for if it goes any further down the Conduct Code route. I have had 1 stage 1 warning when I first started work for an injury on duty, I ignored it and carried on as normal after a year it went away.

Good luck to your hubby and ask him to visit the board some others on here have a lot more experience on this sort of thing tna I do.

Link to CWU Conduct Code page http://www.cwu.org/default.asp?Step=4&pid=125&catid=30
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TrueBlueTerrier
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Attendance Procedure

Post by TrueBlueTerrier »

This is from their Attendance Procedure page

5.1 Stage 1 - 1st Stage Warning
When an employee's attendance first becomes unsatisfactory the employee should be interviewed or written to in order to determine whether a 1st Stage Warning should be given that his/her attendance is falling short of the required standards. The approach should be handled sensitively. In such circumstances it may prove useful to show the employee his/her absence record and such practice is strongly recommended. When shown their record many employees are genuinely surprised and a friendly word can on occasions achieve a genuine change for the better. If the employee is being interviewed, the interviewer should first ask the employee for his/her own explanation of the absence(s) and for any mitigating factors, then (assuming it is appropriate to proceed with the interview) give the employee a 1st Stage Warning that his/her attendance is unsatisfactory, that s/he must make every effort to reach Royal Mail's standards; and the specific improvement required (absence level and timescale) in order to do so. The employee should be reminded of the services of the Employee Health Service and encouraged to take advantage of the assistance on offer as well as consulting his/her own Doctor if appropriate to improve his/her attendance record. The employee should also be reminded of his/her right to approach his/her local Union representative. At the interview the employee may be represented by the relevant union representative for that location or accompanied by a friend from the same location. If the 1st Stage Warning is given at an interview, it should subsequently be confirmed in writing. If the matter is dealt with in writing the employee should be advised that the relevant manager is considering giving a 1st Stage Warning on the basis of the employee's record, and invited to put forward any explanation/mitigating factors. The employee should be advised of the subsequent decision and the specific improvement he/she must achieve. This should be confirmed in writing.


and that page is http://www.cwu.org/default.asp?Step=4&pid=128
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Homer
Posts: 57
Joined: 05 May 2007, 09:55
Location: Burslem

Post by Homer »

DID THE OFFICE REP GO IN WITH HIM?
rachris
Posts: 18
Joined: 11 May 2007, 07:58

Post by rachris »

Yes and he has going to see him today to show him the letter
L Tommo
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rachris...

Post by L Tommo »

GOOD LUCK TO YA OLD MAN...

OUT


DONT LET THE BASTARDS GRIND YA DOWN!!!

:Applause :Applause :Applause :Applause
L TOMMO.... ILLEGITIMIS NON CARBORUNDUM........

EAST LONDON MAIL CENTER-ISHHHH
KawasakiKid
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Location: Stoke area

Post by KawasakiKid »

rachris wrote:Yes and he has going to see him today to show him the letter
Image The only course open to him now as far as I am aware, is to take out a grievance against the screw/muppetImage under the bullying and harrasment code. However don't hold your breath as RM are the judge and jury on this one as well -----------------------KWACKImage
--------------------
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Homer
Posts: 57
Joined: 05 May 2007, 09:55
Location: Burslem

Post by Homer »

All these screws piss in the same pot, they think they are doctors and know everything there is to know about medical conditions, try and see if you can get an appointment with the occupational health people, and see if you can get a written assesment of his condition and then do as Kawasakikid says and try and do her for bullying and harrasment. :d'oh!
da'bunny
Posts: 239
Joined: 08 May 2007, 20:47

Post by da'bunny »

The way sickness is handled is appaling , the warnings are total "£$£%$" At my place we've had people off with broken legs and even cancer and yet they still got warnings :evil/mad
L Tommo
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Be careful...

Post by L Tommo »

H&B Is one thing, A Grievence is another, Now in this case i feel you can doo em for a Grievence as The IR framework is being over looked or not adhered to at all... Look on the Royal Mail Conduct Code Via CWU that has been posted on this site.... go over it with a fine tooth comb and im sure between yourselves and a GOOD rep should have enough to sort it... WE ALL HOPE... H&B is quite another thing as its personal and RM will say,, (in my experience) "they treat EVERYBODY the same," even if its a shite way, its everybody in same boat so H&B isnt proved against just your old man... As this has to be to win your case at an I.T.

Hope this helps??? The CWU wont back you from HQ either unless they think you will win your case 101% TO MUCH ££££££ TO LOSE!!!


OUT

DONT LET ANYONE GRIND YA DOWN!!! :Applause :Applause :Applause :Applause :Applause :Applause :Applause :Applause
L TOMMO.... ILLEGITIMIS NON CARBORUNDUM........

EAST LONDON MAIL CENTER-ISHHHH
iow1
Posts: 93
Joined: 30 Mar 2007, 16:50

Post by iow1 »

how's this for a gut buster. i would not like to name the person or the source of this tid bit but as true as i am sat here watching the kids scrap over who's toy it is listen to this one.
we have a real tough cookie in a roving dom. those on the iow will know who i mean. he takes great pleasure in all things conduct code and warnings. however rumour has it. from phg in the late cage that a female postie who had almost a month off if not more. ESCAPED a warning bieng issued. i kid you not. now is that coz he was scared of her. or that he has the secret hots for her. or worse still was it coz she is in the minority of our workforce. hope your hubby gets on ok. if he keeps his head down he should be ok. but if that bird is looking for an excuse don't rise to it. tell him to log anything with dates if she says anything untoward. just incase........
floating postie.
phantomshare
Posts: 252
Joined: 29 Jan 2007, 19:10

Post by phantomshare »

Your hubby should write a grievance letter (as earlier stated this is not a harrasment case), and it should include what the manager is saying about the cause of his absences as all absences are treated as being genuine and obviously she is saying differently, the rep should link the asthma to any chest infections your hubby has had or does have in the future, and it might be advisable for your hubby to phone the EHS and have it logged down that he is an asthmatic.
rachris
Posts: 18
Joined: 11 May 2007, 07:58

Post by rachris »

Hi postie hubby here ( Isn't my missus wonderfull! Bless er!!) Yes Ive already got a business referal to Occupational health and am going down the union line regards comments made by manager about my sick absences. personally always had real gripe for the sick procedure myself. Its really harsh and unfair even more so when you have managers who are jobsworths, completly ignorant and arrogant. Lets face it no one wants to be ill and sometimes depending upon what illness you have it can be stressfull and all the sick procedure does is add to the stress. Until this incident I was keen to help when I could and really cared about the job. It seems the job doesn't care about me so sod um I say, No more favours, Just go to work do me hours and come home, End off. Royal Mail has now lost a dedicated employee from my perspective, Just because of unnecessary harsh and unfair treatment.
Message to all managers " You reap what you sow" ...
TrueBlueTerrier
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" You reap what you sow"

Post by TrueBlueTerrier »

Just because of unnecessary harsh and unfair treatment.
Message to all managers " You reap what you sow" ...
Completely agree I got my stage one after twisting my ankle on a delivery I was only off 8 days and as I was still on Trial they staged me.
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evilc
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Post by evilc »

Message 4 rachris , I am pretty certain that asthma comes under the " disability and discrimination act " which in the long term means it should be dealt with by the EHS. :wave :wave :wave :wave
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