OH ASSIST

bloot · Post by **bloot** » 25 Mar 2018, 00:09

I have been referred to oh assist , I have been off almost three months with a back problem . There is much more detail but I will spare you agony of reading through that .
My question is , after trudging through endless topics here and elsewhere on the web I cannot find the answer to this question which has happened to me .I will get to this in a moment , I fully understand the benefit of oh assist and the reason for it . I also understand the process to which it should be used .
The question is this , if i have to have the reason explained to me why i have been referred , the issues why they are requesting oh guidance and how this information will be used , all the while , lets not forget , after receiving my consent , WHY have I not had any of these things , just an automated phone call from oh assist telling me i have a consultation .
Like i say , i understand why oh is there , i even believe it may be beneficial . But where do I stand when my consent hasnt even been asked for ?
The rules , regulations , health and safety , dont do this , dont do that topics are regurarly spoken about to employees . The first rule as i see it on referral to oh assist is to get an employees consent . WHY has this not happened for me ? Where do I stand ? I am getting stressed out and anxious !

Post by **rogersh** » 25 Mar 2018, 09:15

I have copied the following from the new national attendance agreement between Royal Mail & CWU

Referral to the occupational health service guide

Making a referral to Occupational Health Service
Before being referred, the employee must give
their consent. The manager should explain why
they wish to refer the employee, the issues on
which they are requesting Occupational Health
Service and how the information will be used.
Although the consent need only be verbal the
manager should clearly record the agreement.
The Occupational Health Practitioner will ensure
that consent has been given when they speak
with the employee.

Declining Occupational Health
Service referrals
As part of the attendance process, the
manager should refer the employee to
the Occupational Health Service for advice
on whether there are health issues that
are affecting attendance. In order for the
Occupational Health Service to provide expert
practical guidance, it is necessary for them
to be provided with all the employee’s details
through the referral document and to assess
the employee to discuss their absence and
any underlying health issues or problems
they may have
The employee must understand and consent
to this process.
An employee may refuse to cooperate with the
attendance process by either declining to give
this consent or in refusing or failing to attend
their referral appointment.
In such cases the approach that should be
taken by the manager should be the same.

• The manager should ensure that they
document every attempt made to
encourage the employee’s cooperation
with the process
• The manager should also ensure that the
employee clearly understands why the
referral to the Occupational Health Service
is being made and how the information
received from them will be used. In order
to demonstrate this, the manager should
write to the employee to explain why the
referral is being made

bloot · Post by **bloot** » 25 Mar 2018, 09:47

thanks but that really doesnt answer the question . I havent declined , just never been asked .

bloot · Post by **bloot** » 25 Mar 2018, 11:00

None of the parts in red have occurred . I understand the process . Why have none of the procedures been followed ? Where do I stand with this ?

rogersh wrote:I have copied the following from the new national attendance agreement between Royal Mail & CWU

Referral to the occupational health service guide

Making a referral to Occupational Health Service
Before being referred, the employee must give
their consent. The manager should explain why
they wish to refer the employee, the issues on
which they are requesting Occupational Health
Service and how the information will be used.
Although the consent need only be verbal the
manager should clearly record the agreement.
The Occupational Health Practitioner will ensure
that consent has been given when they speak
with the employee.

Declining Occupational Health
Service referrals
As part of the attendance process, the
manager should refer the employee to
the Occupational Health Service for advice
on whether there are health issues that
are affecting attendance. In order for the
Occupational Health Service to provide expert
practical guidance, it is necessary for them
to be provided with all the employee’s details
through the referral document and to assess
the employee to discuss their absence and
any underlying health issues or problems
they may have
The employee must understand and consent
to this process.
An employee may refuse to cooperate with the
attendance process by either declining to give
this consent or in refusing or failing to attend
their referral appointment.
In such cases the approach that should be
taken by the manager should be the same.

• The manager should ensure that they
document every attempt made to
encourage the employee’s cooperation
with the process
• The manager should also ensure that the
employee clearly understands why the
referral to the Occupational Health Service
is being made and how the information
received from them will be used. In order
to demonstrate this, the manager should
write to the employee to explain why the
referral is being made

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 25 Mar 2018, 11:03

bloot wrote:The first rule as i see it on referral to oh assist is to get an employees consent . WHY has this not happened for me ? Where do I stand ? I am getting stressed out and anxious !

To get a straight answer you'd have to ask the manager concerned and ask OH Assist if they have been told you have given your consent.

All we can do is offer advice not answer why your manager has failed to follow the procedure.

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 25 Mar 2018, 11:06

bloot wrote:None of the parts in red have occurred . I understand the process . Why have none of the procedures been followed ? Where do I stand with this ?

A grievance which the Union helping, possibly leading to a Tribunal.

bloot · Post by **bloot** » 25 Mar 2018, 11:21

My consultation is on monday , i got the automated call on friday . I emailed the local branch for information on friday as there is no rep . No response yet but may get one on monday . It says the practioner will ask if i have given consent , if i say no i havent given consent would this be seen as me declining ? Do i explain to oh assist that I wasnt asked for consent ?

Creditshampoo · Post by **Creditshampoo** » 25 Mar 2018, 12:07

bloot wrote:My consultation is on monday , i got the automated call on friday . I emailed the local branch for information on friday as there is no rep . No response yet but may get one on monday . It says the practioner will ask if i have given consent , if i say no i havent given consent would this be seen as me declining ? Do i explain to oh assist that I wasnt asked for consent ?

If you don’t give constant you won’t be referred/ the referral will be cancelled which isn’t in your interests

bloot · Post by **bloot** » 25 Mar 2018, 12:12

Creditshampoo wrote:
bloot wrote:My consultation is on monday , i got the automated call on friday . I emailed the local branch for information on friday as there is no rep . No response yet but may get one on monday . It says the practioner will ask if i have given consent , if i say no i havent given consent would this be seen as me declining ? Do i explain to oh assist that I wasnt asked for consent ?
If you don’t give constant you won’t be referred/ the referral will be cancelled which isn’t in your interests

this is why im stressed , anxious , confused .
i have been referred , my phone consultation is on monday . If its not in my interests ,(could you explain that a little further) i take it i just go ahead with the consultation regardless if i have given consent or not , then i think to myself whats the point of the procedure , i've done nothing wrong here .

bloot · Post by **bloot** » 25 Mar 2018, 12:39

Basically , I have been referred to oh assist , I got the automated call on friday , my consultation is on monday . The procedure for being referred is to get my consent first and foremost . This has not been done . I havent declined , as i said in my first post it may be beneficial . I understand the procedure and why employees are referred to oh assist .
As i see it the oh assist will ask me when they phone if i have given consent . I havent . The first i knew about it was on friday afternoon because of an automated call from oh assist .
I believe that the procedure has not been followed properly . But I dont know where this leaves me . Just get on with it and ignore the fact that it hasnt been done properly ?
If thats the case I dont see the point of the procedure in the first place .

ninja · Post by **ninja** » 25 Mar 2018, 13:09

Inform them that you haven't given consent or the reason why you have been referred.
The manager hasn't followed the process as outlined in attendance agreement or provided you with a copy of the b.r.f.

You need to raise a grievance over the application of the process being used.

Could you be covered by the equality act.

Assume the business are looking for I'll health retirement.

bloot · Post by **bloot** » 25 Mar 2018, 13:18

ninja wrote:Inform them that you haven't given consent or the reason why you have been referred.
The manager hasn't followed the process as outlined in attendance agreement or provided you with a copy of the b.r.f.

You need to raise a grievance over the application of the process being used.

Could you be covered by the equality act.

Assume the business are looking for I'll health retirement.

hi , thankyou, i asked in an earlier post that if i tell them i havent given consent would this be seen as declining oh ?
i take it i need to speak to the manager about the grievance procedure , im unsure what you mean by the equality act

Post by **rogersh** » 25 Mar 2018, 13:19

The procedure clearly states;
The Occupational Health Practitioner will ensure
that consent has been given when they speak
with the employee.

So when it is established you have not given consent, not that you have refused but you have not been asked, which means the procedure has not been adhered to. Then the question is should OH assist proceed in that situation? . So that is passing the question to them . As TBT says we can only give information or an opinion & my post does not answer your question.

bloot · Post by **bloot** » 25 Mar 2018, 13:25

rogersh wrote:The procedure clearly states;
The Occupational Health Practitioner will ensure
that consent has been given when they speak
with the employee.

So when it is established you have not given consent, not that you have refused but you have not been asked, which means the procedure has not been adhered to. Then the question is should OH assist proceed in that situation? . So that is passing the question to them . As TBT says we can only give information or an opinion & my post does not answer your question.

hi , thankyou , I really appreciate information and opinions . I just dont know what to expect when on monday i tell oh that my consent wasnt asked for . it is my intention to make it clear but stressed , anxious about the outcome .

bloot · Post by **bloot** » 25 Mar 2018, 13:36

its going through my head now that when i get the call on monday and oh dont mention anything about consent , what if that happens ?