Attendance review meeting - off due to recovery from surgery

[greengiant]

Some reassurance / advice would be welcomed!

In brief. Between November & December last year I was off following planned knee surgery* (which I warned my lino of 2 months before the operation). Came back to work on the 30th december, and have been on indoor / light duties since, and I only got clearance from my physio to start part deliveries as from last week.

Today I get an envelope handed to me from lino, saying that I'm invited to an attendance review meeting, as my "level of attendance is a cause for concern and has fallen below the Royal Mail Group attendance standards."

According to the letter, the purpose of the meeting will be to discuss the reasons affecting my ability to attend regularly (that'll be the knee surgery with 6 weeks non weight bearing on crutches then ) And that a decision will be made by manager, on what further actions will be required.

Also included was a copy of my attendance report, which lists the single day sick I had in november 2014, periods of annual leave, and the recent sick leave (due to knee surgery) which amounted to 48 calendar days.

So that'll be a stage 1 warning for me then?

* the knee injury was caused by missing a bottom step march last year. At the time I didn't think anything of it, so didn't report it as an accident on duty. knee didn't heal so started seeing physio & gp. Eventually MRI scan diagnosed damaged cartilage, hence the knee operation.

[24601]

Corrective surgery does not trigger a stage warning

[TrueBlueTerrier]

The review is automatically triggered, it doesn't mean that a stage will be issued.

A good point in your favour is that the absence was caused by surgery which will probably help improve your attendance in the future, this is the line that both you and the rep you take in with you, should be pushing.

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

Corrective surgery does not trigger a stage warning

not that simple unfortunately, corrective surgery can indeed trigger a review and even end up with a stage warning or dismissal

[24601]

I was off for 5 months after shoulder surgery and the DOM confirmed that corrective surgery does not trigger a stage warning and I didn't receive one.

[nataddick]

I was off for corrective leg surgery for 29 days last year and got a stage 1 ! Signed off by surgeon for 14 days and GP for 15 days (inc BH day) and still got it with CWU rep and Line Manager informed throughout the whole process.

[greengiant]

Thanks for the replies. Will see what the outcome is...

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

I was off for 5 months after shoulder surgery and the DOM confirmed that corrective surgery does not trigger a stage warning and I didn't receive one.

It's not as simple as it does not trigger one unfortunately it can and can also lead to dismissal as well, whether a stage is issued or not is at the discretion of the manager, if your manager is of the opinion that he won't issue one for corrective surgery that's great but end of the day it's at his discretion

[greengiant]

You mean im likely to face dismissal already zx135, despite no stages being issued yet???

[24601]

How can the rules be so vague.I was told my the Dom (who ought to know) that corrective surgery does not trigger a stage warning,zx135 believes it does. Surely something as important should be well known

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

You mean im likely to face dismissal already zx135, despite no stages being issued yet???

No I never said that, just that absence due to corrective surgery can count towards stages and dismissal, yours will count towards your first stage

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

How can the rules be so vague.I was told my the Dom (who ought to know) that corrective surgery does not trigger a stage warning,zx135 believes it does. Surely something as important should be well known

The rules are not vague, in fact there's a whole document availible to download

http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... hp?id=8540" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

and in it it quite clearly says that managers need to use there judgement on whether a sickness absence will trigger a warning,

[greengiant]

How can the rules be so vague.I was told my the Dom (who ought to know) that corrective surgery does not trigger a stage warning,zx135 believes it does. Surely something as important should be well known

The rules are not vague, in fact there's a whole document availible to download

http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... hp?id=8540" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

and in it it quite clearly says that managers need to use there judgement on whether a sickness absence will trigger a warning,

Ive had a look at that document, thanks for providing the link!
Now I'm totally confused over whether I'm getting an Informal or Formal Attendance Review Meeting.

Oh well, I'll see what tomorrow brings!

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

How can the rules be so vague.I was told my the Dom (who ought to know) that corrective surgery does not trigger a stage warning,zx135 believes it does. Surely something as important should be well known

The rules are not vague, in fact there's a whole document availible to download

http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... hp?id=8540" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

and in it it quite clearly says that managers need to use there judgement on whether a sickness absence will trigger a warning,

Ive had a look at that document, thanks for providing the link!
Now I'm totally confused over whether I'm getting an Informal or Formal Attendance Review Meeting.

Oh well, I'll see what tomorrow brings!

If they gave you a letter and copy of your sick letter it's pretty much certain it's a formal one,

make sure you take a rep and make sure he won't just roll over on it, argue it's unfair and sets a bad precedent where people may put off corrective surgery due to it, which may result in greater absence in future, manager is then going to have to justify it over that and may just make it unappetising for him to do

[24601]

Well obviously my Dom was wrong