Coronavirus?

[Woody Guthrie]

How do u get proof if you are self isolating and it turns out to be normal flu or cold ?

This Budget announces that the Government and the NHS will bring forward a temporary alternative to the fit note in the coming weeks which can be used for the duration of the Covid-19 outbreak.'

According to Mr Sunak, the move would 'take pressure' of GP practices.

He said: 'This system will enable people who are advised to self-isolate to obtain a notification via NHS 111 which they can use as evidence for absence from work, where necessary. This notification would meet employers’ need for evidence, whilst taking pressure away from general practices.'

He added that 'employers should maintain records of staff absences, but should not require employees to provide a GP fit note'.

[viking1488]

why is everyone so bothered about getting a stage warning instead of putting for 1 your own heath for 2 if you have got the virus your putting everyone around you at risk why would you even think about going into work the way rm are going about this there will be a lot of the workforce on the sick and there wont be a lot they can do about it .... you have been told by the government if you have a high temp with a fever to stay home for 7 days i really dont see what the problem is here

[FacesOfStone]

why is everyone so bothered about getting a stage warning instead of putting for 1 your own heath for 2 if you have got the virus your putting everyone around you at risk why would you even think about going into work the way rm are going about this there will be a lot of the workforce on the sick and there wont be a lot they can do about it .... you have been told by the government if you have a high temp with a fever to stay home for 7 days i really dont see what the problem is here

Because some people could lose their jobs as a result, and subsequently be unable to pay rent and lose their house over it. As far as I’m concerned, a manager who has told an employee in that position that they would face possible dismissal would bear responsible for any harm that may come to other people. Until the possibility is categorically ruled out, I can’t fault any employee who decides against risking a potentially job-ending absence.

Looking at the bigger picture, it’s a massive failure on the part of the Johnson government not to assuage such fears by temporarily insisting that employers cannot discipline staff who follow government advice on this.

[Murdoch]

why is everyone so bothered about getting a stage warning instead of putting for 1 your own heath for 2 if you have got the virus your putting everyone around you at risk why would you even think about going into work the way rm are going about this there will be a lot of the workforce on the sick and there wont be a lot they can do about it .... you have been told by the government if you have a high temp with a fever to stay home for 7 days i really dont see what the problem is here

Because for a young healthy person. This virus probably won't do much harm, it might just be a mild cold or cough. Ordinarily, they wouldn't take time off, but the advice from the government is to self isolate if you have those symptoms. However, Royal Mail has no policy on whether following the government advice would count towards the attendance policy stages as per usual.

So people are complaining that the lack of a clarity, doesn't sit will with the advice from the Government, as people will ofcourse want to avoid triggering a stage. Royal Mail's silence on the matter will make people who have Covid-19 come into work and spread the disease around.

Also, the OP mentioned the scenario where somebody is already on a stage 2, but is showing symptoms. Triggering a stage 3, starts a process that can get you sacked. Would you rather come into work with a cough, or self isolate for 7 days and risk getting sacked?

[FacesOfStone]

why is everyone so bothered about getting a stage warning instead of putting for 1 your own heath for 2 if you have got the virus your putting everyone around you at risk why would you even think about going into work the way rm are going about this there will be a lot of the workforce on the sick and there wont be a lot they can do about it .... you have been told by the government if you have a high temp with a fever to stay home for 7 days i really dont see what the problem is here

Because for a young healthy person. This virus probably won't do much harm, it might just be a mild cold or cough. Ordinarily, they wouldn't take time off, but the advice from the government is to self isolate if you have those symptoms. However, Royal Mail has no policy on whether following the government advice would count towards the attendance policy stages as per usual.

So people are complaining that the lack of a clearity, doesn't sit will with the advice from the Government, as people will ofcourse want to avoid triggering a stage. Royal Mail's silence on the matter will make people who have Covid-19 come into work and spread the disease around.

Also, the OP mentioned the scenario where somebody is already on a stage 2, but is showing symptoms. Triggering a stage 3, starts a process that can get you sacked. Would you rather come into work with a cough, or self isolate for 7 days and risk getting sacked?

Exactly. I think what makes the lack of central communication on the matter worse is that they'll know that there will be a massive discrepancy in how managers will handle it. As things stand, workers in some offices will be treated in an even-handed and compassionate way, whereas many others will just be hoping that working through it doesn’t lead to pneumonia, hospitalisation and dismissal.

[Murdoch]

Exactly. I think what makes the lack of central communication on the matter worse is that they'll know that there will be a massive discrepancy in how managers will handle it. As things stand, workers in some offices will be treated in an even-handed and compassionate way, whereas many others will just be hoping that working through it doesn’t lead to pneumonia, hospitalisation and dismissal.

Yepp, and what underpins the silence. Is the fact the management thinks if they say self-isolation doesn't count towards stages. Then posties will just take the piss and all go off on the sick.

[Janet Brum]

Rm silence means they secretly hope for the virus to go away, they just hide their heads in the sand

We have the potential to spread the virus everywhere and still Rm doesn`t take it seriously and does nothing, this is inaceptable !

[viking1488]

Exactly. I think what makes the lack of central communication on the matter worse is that they'll know that there will be a massive discrepancy in how managers will handle it. As things stand, workers in some offices will be treated in an even-handed and compassionate way, whereas many others will just be hoping that working through it doesn’t lead to pneumonia, hospitalisation and dismissal.

Yepp, and what underpins the silence. Is the fact the management thinks if they say self-isolation doesn't count towards stages. Then posties will just take the piss and all go off on the sick.

you
come to work with covid 19 some have other health conditions your not just putting there health at risk you could be putting there lives at risk also if you have got it so will most you work with so you will be on the sick anyhow god help us all if this is the attitude towards this virus within rm

[FacesOfStone]

Yepp, and what underpins the silence. Is the fact the management thinks if they say self-isolation doesn't count towards stages. Then posties will just take the piss and all go off on the sick.

you
come to work with covid 19 some have other health conditions your not just putting there health at risk you could be putting there lives at risk also if you have got it so will most you work with so you will be on the sick anyhow god help us all if this is the attitude towards this virus within rm

Again, managers who tell people they’ll be issued with stage 3s will know that. It’s not the fault of the worker who has been told they face losing their job if they don’t turn up and put themselves, their colleagues and customers at risk.

[Murdoch]

you come to work with covid 19 some have other health conditions your not just putting there health at risk you could be putting there lives at risk also if you have got it so will most you work with so you will be on the sick anyhow god help us all if this is the attitude towards this virus within rm

Attendance policies directly effect worker's behaviours. lets take an extreme example. People that have zero hour contracts, and no sick pay entitlement beyond SSP, but have children to feed and rent to pay, aren't going to take time off work if they have the sniffles, which may or may not be Covid-19 (they're unlikely to be tested unless they symptoms are severe). That is unless their employer specifically has a policy on it, for example full pay for the 7 days of self-isolation (which many employers are doing already).

So don't sit there putting this all on the individual to make the tough decision whether to take time off work, for what could just be a cold.

The government too, are being far too complacent on this matter. If you want people to self-isolate to protect the vunerable, protect the workers from disciplinary action for doing so.

On the plus, the latest RMTV has at least relaxed the PDA signing rules, to lessen contact with the public.

[sardonicus]

Update from my DO regarding RM stance towards Coronavirus

There are on average across our 6 postcodes/sections at least one worker with flu/common cold/coronavirus symptons.

They have been told that they are welcome into work, embrassed even, and section managers are not sending them home, but instead are telling them that they can talk to an inhouse health advisor - not there especially, I think someone who is designated and paid extra to be trained in first aid etc, and there all year round.

They are NOT telling workers to go home and self isolate as the government advises.

They are knowingly allowing workers with possible signs of coronavirus (might turn out to be flu/cold, but may also be coronavirus) to go back to their sections and possibly infect co workers and customers with whatever virus they actually have.

Our Union rep is taking no steps to stand up for these people or the other workers they mat infect.

The official line from RM is that they will get sick pay if the self isolate but will get a stage on their return - unless they can prove they had coronavirus.

If the illness turns out to be flu/cold then they will get staged. They will also get staged if they cannot prove they had coronavirus, even though gps don't do testing now, let alone allow anyone with as much as a trickley nose near their practices. They are saying call 111 and get proof that way but workers are saying that they cant prove a phone call and that calling 111 is not a shortcut to a test as 111 are saying self isolate!

So if you get symptoms and self isolate, and it turns out not to be coronavirus, you get punished anyway! Not condusive to allowing workers to act responsibly.
I

so the upshot of it all is workers who may be infected but on a stage, be it on a 1 or 2, are still comimg into work, and infecting co workers with whatever virus they do have. This leads to the possibility that they infect a co worker, who then goes home and infects their family members, who can infect others and so on. My co worker turned up looking like sh*t, temperature, coughing, feeling poorly etc but said they had no choice but to turn up as they were on a stage 1 already, which end in a few weeks, and so had no choice - YES they did, its called personal responsibility!

The manager just shrugged their shoulders and laughed.

I had to share a van with this person and our walk.

The current actions and policy by RM on corona virus is disgusting and far removed from government policy and the wider community interests. They are punishing people with stages for being honest and following government guidelines. DOMS and section managers are turning a blind eye to possibly infected workers. They don't care. My union rep is also allowing this to happen.

What a fuc*ing joke!

p.s we have no antiseptic wipes, no hand sanitiser, no gloves, absolutely nothing, and never have. Just get the mail out! Me suspects the managers are keeping any they may have, if indeed they ever had any, for themselves, prob in a locker in their cosy office.

[2yearpostie]

Update from my DO regarding RM stance towards Coronavirus

There are on average across our 6 postcodes/sections at least one worker with flu/common cold/coronavirus symptons.

They have been told that they are welcome into work, embrassed even, and section managers are not sending them home, but instead are telling them that they can talk to an inhouse health advisor - not there especially, I think someone who is designated and paid extra to be trained in first aid etc, and there all year round.

They are NOT telling workers to go home and self isolate as the government advises.

They are knowingly allowing workers with possible signs of coronavirus (might turn out to be flu/cold, but may also be coronavirus) to go back to their sections and possibly infect co workers and customers with whatever virus they actually have.

Our Union rep is taking no steps to stand up for these people or the other workers they mat infect.

The official line from RM is that they will get sick pay if the self isolate but will get a stage on their return - unless they can prove they had coronavirus.

If the illness turns out to be flu/cold then they will get staged. They will also get staged if they cannot prove they had coronavirus, even though gps don't do testing now, let alone allow anyone with as much as a trickley nose near their practices. They are saying call 111 and get proof that way but workers are saying that they cant prove a phone call and that calling 111 is not a shortcut to a test as 111 are saying self isolate!

So if you get symptoms and self isolate, and it turns out not to be coronavirus, you get punished anyway! Not condusive to allowing workers to act responsibly.
I

so the upshot of it all is workers who may be infected but on a stage, be it on a 1 or 2, are still comimg into work, and infecting co workers with whatever virus they do have. This leads to the possibility that they infect a co worker, who then goes home and infects their family members, who can infect others and so on. My co worker turned up looking like sh*t, temperature, coughing, feeling poorly etc but said they had no choice but to turn up as they were on a stage 1 already, which end in a few weeks, and so had no choice - YES they did, its called personal responsibility!

The manager just shrugged their shoulders and laughed.

I had to share a van with this person and our walk.

The current actions and policy by RM on corona virus is disgusting and far removed from government policy and the wider community interests. They are punishing people with stages for being honest and following government guidelines. DOMS and section managers are turning a blind eye to possibly infected workers. They don't care. My union rep is also allowing this to happen.

What a fuc*ing joke!

p.s we have no antiseptic wipes, no hand sanitiser, no gloves, absolutely nothing, and never have. Just get the mail out! Me suspects the managers are keeping any they may have, if indeed they ever had any, for themselves, prob in a locker in their cosy office.

Maybe a little leak to the press is needed..

[heathrow86]

How can you prove it was Corona virus, unless you are tested. They as yet are not testing everyone, as there are far to many people showing symptoms? You would think that should you trigger a stage warning, then this should be disregarded.

[viking1488]

Update from my DO regarding RM stance towards Coronavirus

There are on average across our 6 postcodes/sections at least one worker with flu/common cold/coronavirus symptons.

They have been told that they are welcome into work, embrassed even, and section managers are not sending them home, but instead are telling them that they can talk to an inhouse health advisor - not there especially, I think someone who is designated and paid extra to be trained in first aid etc, and there all year round.

They are NOT telling workers to go home and self isolate as the government advises.

They are knowingly allowing workers with possible signs of coronavirus (might turn out to be flu/cold, but may also be coronavirus) to go back to their sections and possibly infect co workers and customers with whatever virus they actually have.

Our Union rep is taking no steps to stand up for these people or the other workers they mat infect.

The official line from RM is that they will get sick pay if the self isolate but will get a stage on their return - unless they can prove they had coronavirus.

If the illness turns out to be flu/cold then they will get staged. They will also get staged if they cannot prove they had coronavirus, even though gps don't do testing now, let alone allow anyone with as much as a trickley nose near their practices. They are saying call 111 and get proof that way but workers are saying that they cant prove a phone call and that calling 111 is not a shortcut to a test as 111 are saying self isolate!

So if you get symptoms and self isolate, and it turns out not to be coronavirus, you get punished anyway! Not condusive to allowing workers to act responsibly.
I

so the upshot of it all is workers who may be infected but on a stage, be it on a 1 or 2, are still comimg into work, and infecting co workers with whatever virus they do have. This leads to the possibility that they infect a co worker, who then goes home and infects their family members, who can infect others and so on. My co worker turned up looking like sh*t, temperature, coughing, feeling poorly etc but said they had no choice but to turn up as they were on a stage 1 already, which end in a few weeks, and so had no choice - YES they did, its called personal responsibility!

The manager just shrugged their shoulders and laughed.

I had to share a van with this person and our walk.

The current actions and policy by RM on corona virus is disgusting and far removed from government policy and the wider community interests. They are punishing people with stages for being honest and following government guidelines. DOMS and section managers are turning a blind eye to possibly infected workers. They don't care. My union rep is also allowing this to happen.

What a fuc*ing joke!

p.s we have no antiseptic wipes, no hand sanitiser, no gloves, absolutely nothing, and never have. Just get the mail out! Me suspects the managers are keeping any they may have, if indeed they ever had any, for themselves, prob in a locker in their cosy office.

Maybe a little leak to the press is needed..

i agree this needs leaking to the press rm are showing there true colors and how they really think about the workforce

[FacesOfStone]

Update from my DO regarding RM stance towards Coronavirus

There are on average across our 6 postcodes/sections at least one worker with flu/common cold/coronavirus symptons.

They have been told that they are welcome into work, embrassed even, and section managers are not sending them home, but instead are telling them that they can talk to an inhouse health advisor - not there especially, I think someone who is designated and paid extra to be trained in first aid etc, and there all year round.

They are NOT telling workers to go home and self isolate as the government advises.

They are knowingly allowing workers with possible signs of coronavirus (might turn out to be flu/cold, but may also be coronavirus) to go back to their sections and possibly infect co workers and customers with whatever virus they actually have.

Our Union rep is taking no steps to stand up for these people or the other workers they mat infect.

The official line from RM is that they will get sick pay if the self isolate but will get a stage on their return - unless they can prove they had coronavirus.

If the illness turns out to be flu/cold then they will get staged. They will also get staged if they cannot prove they had coronavirus, even though gps don't do testing now, let alone allow anyone with as much as a trickley nose near their practices. They are saying call 111 and get proof that way but workers are saying that they cant prove a phone call and that calling 111 is not a shortcut to a test as 111 are saying self isolate!

So if you get symptoms and self isolate, and it turns out not to be coronavirus, you get punished anyway! Not condusive to allowing workers to act responsibly.
I

so the upshot of it all is workers who may be infected but on a stage, be it on a 1 or 2, are still comimg into work, and infecting co workers with whatever virus they do have. This leads to the possibility that they infect a co worker, who then goes home and infects their family members, who can infect others and so on. My co worker turned up looking like sh*t, temperature, coughing, feeling poorly etc but said they had no choice but to turn up as they were on a stage 1 already, which end in a few weeks, and so had no choice - YES they did, its called personal responsibility!

The manager just shrugged their shoulders and laughed.

I had to share a van with this person and our walk.

The current actions and policy by RM on corona virus is disgusting and far removed from government policy and the wider community interests. They are punishing people with stages for being honest and following government guidelines. DOMS and section managers are turning a blind eye to possibly infected workers. They don't care. My union rep is also allowing this to happen.

What a fuc*ing joke!

p.s we have no antiseptic wipes, no hand sanitiser, no gloves, absolutely nothing, and never have. Just get the mail out! Me suspects the managers are keeping any they may have, if indeed they ever had any, for themselves, prob in a locker in their cosy office.

Maybe a little leak to the press is needed..

i agree this needs leaking to the press rm are showing there true colors and how they really think about the workforce

And beyond that, what of the public? Can’t blame a worker with bills to pay and a house to keep over their family's head for coming in if the alternative is possible dismissal, can you? Yet what if such people, essentially forced to work, have to deliver to, say, sheltered housing or an old people's home?