EXCLUSIVE: Royal Mail reduces absences by one month

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.wsandb.co.uk/wsb/news/240159 ... -one-month" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Royal Mail is introducing a nationwide early intervention and case management system that could save it over a month on mental health and muscular-skeletal absences.
The scheme is being rolled-out across the country following two successful small scale pilots.

After the first pilot achieved savings of 22 days for mental health absence and 12 days for muscular-skeletal, a second slightly revised one was commissioned.

This included 312 cases with intervention occurring after 28 days absence.

When compared against a control group, individuals who entered into case management with mental health and muscular-skeletal issues were 37 and 28 days quicker returning to work respectively.

Speaking at Health and Wellbeing at Work 2015, Royal Mail group director of safety, health, wellbeing and sustainability Shaun Davis said: "The approach of having a pilot and then fine tuning it and then having a further pilot really helps you to start and be able to qualify what you say, particularly when you are looking for investment or looking for support.

"It also gets the organisation warmed up to the idea as well, so you can get people taking interest. It created a bit of its own momentum because once people started seeing the benefits of the pilot, they wanted a piece of that themselves. So they were then saying can we have it sooner?"

Royal Mail is working with OH Assist on the scheme which began its full launch in January.

OH Assist consultant occupational physician Dr Noel McElearney added: "It's up, it's running and the early indications are that the long-term sick absence headline rates are starting to come down already."

[El-Bandito]

Everything looks good in print. Savings of 22 days for mental health absence will look brilliant on paper until RM management rush someone, back to work,with real mental health issues! Until they go 'postal '. I think there's been an NHS study that states that 25% of the working UK population has mental health issues. If this study is even exaggerated by say 10%.It would mean that approximately 10000 RM employees have these issues. RM should be treading very carefully if this 'exclusive ' has any basis.

[fishtank]

Back earlier doesn't necessarily mean less absence, how many end up back on the sick or even down the IHR road?

Early intervention can work but only in the hands of decent, intelligent management, nuff said.

[DB1100]

What happened to plain English? I haven't a clue what that article is on about.

[cyrus]

Do you think this is it in action? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKovKi4 ... e=youtu.be" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[pants123]

perhaps ROYAL MAIL need to STOP bulling and beating its work force down to a pulp... then maybe the sick absences wont be so high..

[Judgee]

perhaps ROYAL MAIL need to STOP bulling and beating its work force down to a pulp... then maybe the sick absences wont be so high..

[bustedflush]

Translated it means that should you be depressed, arthritic or otherwise unfit for duty and signed off by a medical practitioner med-long term that you will be constantly rung-up and written to. The objective being that RM's OHA can interpret your GP's words differently and therefore give your DIM scope to bully, cajole and threaten you back into work early on alternative or shorter duties.

This reduces sick hours, increases their bonuses.

[spiderj]

Try getting yourself referred to oh assist like I did.

Nigh on impossible until you go off long term.

Way to be proactive in our do....wiat till the problems worse

[TrueBlueTerrier]

[bimwhoop]

I have recently been signed off sick due to reactive stress. The basics are I have suffered with sleep troubles, anxiety and depression for nearly twenty years which I deal with in my own way and have successfully not allowed to effect my work. Last year my wife gave birth to twins by having an emergency caesarian complicated by a what we thought was a Crohns disease stricture but turned out to be a stage 3 small bowel tumour which effectively collapsed our world. Unfortunately the prognosis is terminal with months maybe weeks left to go. I will be left with three children to care for and no financial security.

So I have now been off sick for three weeks and have already been referred to Occupational Health after a week. Had phone conversation - occupational health have confirmed I should be off work due to the stress as the home stresses are uncontrollable whilst I can have a rest from the work stresses which is a whole forum in itself.

I yesterday received contact from the DO who is an OPG covering for the actual DO off sick with high blood pressure summoning me into work at 7am this morning to meet the sector manager.

The whole meeting was the sector manager constantly telling me that the unit was suffering because too many people were off sick and short staffed and that he needs me back to work on reduced hours. I kept telling him I am too stressed and tired to be at work. He was like a stuck record going on I need to be back.

So therefore is there any point with this intervention when even the sector manager is not taking a blind bit of notice of what OHA are saying and he is only interested in getting bums on seats to try and get mail delivered out of struggling units!!!!

Spoke to union rep and he says if I have a doctors note and OHA are recommending I stay off work the best thing to do is stay off work and just wait to see what they say next.

Being a postie is best job I've ever done. Unfortunately it seems the people running the business do not look after their strongest asset - their people.

[Judgee]

Sorry to hear you are having such a bad time. Managers, particularly bad ones are usually complete tossers in these situations.

Stick to your guns. Let you manager stomp and spout as much as he likes at the end of the day you are stressed and depressed and have documentation to back that up.

Keep the union fully aware of the situation and get them to put in a grievance if you think your manager is overstepping the mark. Management can get OH to check up on you but ultimately it is down you to decide if you feel you can cope going back to work even part time hours.

Don't let them bully you into going back before you are ready.

[motherhubbard]

Discrimination by association
Already applies to race, religion or belief and sexual orientation. Now extended to cover age, disability, gender reassignment and sex. This is direct discrimination against someone because they associate with another person who possesses a protected characteristic. See Annex 1 for an example of discrimination by association.

June works as a project manager and is looking forward to a promised promotion. However, after she tells her boss that her mother, who lives at home, has had a stroke, the promotion is withdrawn. This may be discrimination against June because of her association with a disabled person.

Ask the sector manager if he thinks this applies in your case and get your Branch Disability officer to help you.

[aiden01]

I have recently been signed off sick due to reactive stress. The basics are I have suffered with sleep troubles, anxiety and depression for nearly twenty years which I deal with in my own way and have successfully not allowed to effect my work. Last year my wife gave birth to twins by having an emergency caesarian complicated by a what we thought was a Crohns disease stricture but turned out to be a stage 3 small bowel tumour which effectively collapsed our world. Unfortunately the prognosis is terminal with months maybe weeks left to go. I will be left with three children to care for and no financial security.

So I have now been off sick for three weeks and have already been referred to Occupational Health after a week. Had phone conversation - occupational health have confirmed I should be off work due to the stress as the home stresses are uncontrollable whilst I can have a rest from the work stresses which is a whole forum in itself.

I yesterday received contact from the DO who is an OPG covering for the actual DO off sick with high blood pressure summoning me into work at 7am this morning to meet the sector manager.

The whole meeting was the sector manager constantly telling me that the unit was suffering because too many people were off sick and short staffed and that he needs me back to work on reduced hours. I kept telling him I am too stressed and tired to be at work. He was like a stuck record going on I need to be back.

So therefore is there any point with this intervention when even the sector manager is not taking a blind bit of notice of what OHA are saying and he is only interested in getting bums on seats to try and get mail delivered out of struggling units!!!!

Spoke to union rep and he says if I have a doctors note and OHA are recommending I stay off work the best thing to do is stay off work and just wait to see what they say next.

Being a postie is best job I've ever done. Unfortunately it seems the people running the business do not look after their strongest asset - their people.

sorry to hear about your wife mate but to read what you have posted about what your managers are getting up to is a national disgrace. I would personally contact local mp and disgrace whoever this manager is at the end of the day as you have said your loving wife may only have weeks to live and yet they STILL want you in work that's loyal service to rm for you

[Lounge Lizard]

I have recently been signed off sick due to reactive stress. The basics are I have suffered with sleep troubles, anxiety and depression for nearly twenty years which I deal with in my own way and have successfully not allowed to effect my work. Last year my wife gave birth to twins by having an emergency caesarian complicated by a what we thought was a Crohns disease stricture but turned out to be a stage 3 small bowel tumour which effectively collapsed our world. Unfortunately the prognosis is terminal with months maybe weeks left to go. I will be left with three children to care for and no financial security.

So I have now been off sick for three weeks and have already been referred to Occupational Health after a week. Had phone conversation - occupational health have confirmed I should be off work due to the stress as the home stresses are uncontrollable whilst I can have a rest from the work stresses which is a whole forum in itself.

I yesterday received contact from the DO who is an OPG covering for the actual DO off sick with high blood pressure summoning me into work at 7am this morning to meet the sector manager.

The whole meeting was the sector manager constantly telling me that the unit was suffering because too many people were off sick and short staffed and that he needs me back to work on reduced hours. I kept telling him I am too stressed and tired to be at work. He was like a stuck record going on I need to be back.

So therefore is there any point with this intervention when even the sector manager is not taking a blind bit of notice of what OHA are saying and he is only interested in getting bums on seats to try and get mail delivered out of struggling units!!!!

Spoke to union rep and he says if I have a doctors note and OHA are recommending I stay off work the best thing to do is stay off work and just wait to see what they say next.

Being a postie is best job I've ever done. Unfortunately it seems the people running the business do not look after their strongest asset - their people.

sorry to hear about your wife mate but to read what you have posted about what your managers are getting up to is a national disgrace. I would personally contact local mp and disgrace whoever this manager is at the end of the day as you have said your loving wife may only have weeks to live and yet they STILL want you in work that's loyal service to rm for you

But anyone that stressed is hardly likely to be up to contacting their MP or the local press, and will be fearful of the likely backlash.