Spain : Coronavirus : Colleagues Royal Mail update: Updated 30 July : CWU LTB

[POSTMAN]

2 questions that I contacted them about, they answered with an update today from the one I previously posted in the 'Holiday booked months ago' thread...

Further updates will be sent out via group comms tomorrow.

People out there already and now caught out:

Due to these exceptional circumstances, we support the need for colleagues to follow Government rules and quarantine for the required period, so our normal policy applies, i.e. the absence should be covered by taking additional annual holiday, unpaid other time off or where possible, working from home.

The Government now advises "against all but essential travel to mainland Spain" (excluding the Canary and Balearic Islands) and has announced they will not hesitate to do this again for any country.

Therefore, all future announcements for Spain or other countries will be treated in line with the current policy noted above.

If colleagues choose to travel, they should do so knowing that quarantine when they return is a possibility and they will need to work from home where possible, take annual leave or unpaid leave remains. Our current approach to annual leave continues to apply – all pre-booked leave must be taken.

Those who have pre booked and are due to go out in the next few weeks/months:

The Government has changed its travel advice, providing certain exemptions for travelling to certain countries and territories that no longer pose a high risk for British travelers.

We therefore continue to advise against non-essential international travel to any countries and territories that are not included in the exempted list (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus ... -corridors" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) of destinations and we should reaffirm and communicate this to employees.

Following the Government’s updated and changed travel advice, all employees who have travelled abroad to an exemption listed destination will no longer need to self-isolate on return to the UK.

All employees who have travelled abroad to countries not included in the exemption destination list must self-isolate for a full 14 days on return to the UK. The 14-day self-isolation period will start from the date they re-entered the UK.

The employee’s absence should be covered by taking additional annual holiday, unpaid other time off or where possible, working from home.

I have an employee who is intending to travel abroad. Do they need to self-isolate on return to the UK? How should this absence be recorded on PSP?

The Government has changed its travel advice, providing certain exemptions for travelling to certain countries and territories that no longer pose a high risk for British travelers.

We therefore continue to advise against non-essential international travel to any countries and territories that are not included in the exempted list of destinations and we should reaffirm and communicate this to employees.

Following the Government’s updated and changed travel advice, all employees who have travelled abroad to an exemption listed destination will no longer need to self-isolate on return to the UK.

All employees who have travelled abroad to countries not included in the exemption destination list must self-isolate for a full 14 days on return to the UK.

The 14-day self-isolation period will start from the date they re-entered the UK. The employee’s absence should be covered by taking additional annual holiday, unpaid other time off or where possible, working from home.

For those employees who had already travelled to Spain when the Government announced that all passengers arriving from Spain (including the Canary and Balearic Islands) from Sunday 26 July 2020 must quarantine for 14 days:

Due to these exceptional circumstances, we support the need for colleagues to follow Government rules and quarantine for the required period, so our normal policy applies, i.e. the absence should be covered by taking additional annual holiday, unpaid other time off or where possible, working from home.

The Government now advises "against all but essential travel to mainland Spain" (excluding the Canary and Balearic Islands) and has announced they will not hesitate to do this again for any country.

Therefore, all future announcements for Spain or other countries will be treated in line with the current policy noted above. If colleagues choose to travel, they should do so knowing that quarantine when they return is a possibility and they will need to work from home where possible, take annual leave or unpaid leave remains.

Our current approach to annual leave continues to apply – all pre-booked leave must be taken.
If they do not have any coronavirus symptoms after the 14 days, they can stop self-isolating and return to work.

Quote updated 28 July

https://www.myroyalmail.com/news/2020/0 ... e-measures

The Government has announced that quarantine measures apply to those returning from mainland Spain, including the Canary and Balearic Islands, such as Majorca and Ibiza.

We know that a number of colleagues were and are in Spain when this announcement was made.

We support the need for colleagues to follow Government rules and quarantine for the required period. Therefore, absence should be covered by taking additional annual holiday, unpaid other time off or, where possible, working from home.



The Government has also said that it may make similar decisions for other countries at short notice. If colleagues choose to travel, they should do so knowing that quarantine when they return is a possibility and they will need to work from home where possible, take annual leave or unpaid leave.

Our current approach to annual leave continues to apply – all pre-booked leave must be taken as previously agreed.

If you are concerned about the financial impact of your absence, the Rowland Hill Fund may be able to help. The Fund can be contacted at rhfhelpline@royalmail.com.

Please be aware of the risks associated with travel for the foreseeable future. Travel and quarantine advice can change quickly. This could mean:

Travel to your planned holiday destination is prevented before you travel.
You need to quarantine/self-isolate on return at short notice.
Hotels or towns are put into lockdown, impacting your ability to return to the UK on your scheduled date.
We will continue to monitor the Government and public health advice and communicate where required.

Quote updated 29 July


2nd post PDF in the Global Announcement...
https://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communi ... 71&t=94715" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[POSTMAN]

Regarding what you said though, it is not ‘normal policy’ for those who have to self isolate that it is unpaid/holiday which for ease of reference is here...
https://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communi ... 71&t=94753" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I would expect a lot to change of the next few days with CWU involvement.

[Woody Guthrie]

While I've always argued that those with symptoms, living with people with symptoms or told to shield by the NHS should receive sick pay to be honest you can understand their position here.

This was always a risk when travelling abroad during a pandemic and while I won't condemn those who made the decision to go it's probably right that the consequences are not placed on the business any more than necessary, they will after all have to find cover for these people.

Basically you pays your money and takes your chance.

[Cucumber]

While I've always argued that those with symptoms, living with people with symptoms or told to shield by the NHS should receive sick pay to be honest you can understand their position here.

This was always a risk when travelling abroad during a pandemic and while I won't condemn those who made the decision to go it's probably right that the consequences are not placed on the business any more than necessary, they will after all have to find cover for these people.

Basically you pays your money and takes your chance.

The way I look at it is that you should factor in 2 weeks wages on top of the cost of going away on holiday.

[theotherone]

They make me laugh they quote support workers but won't pay them if they quarantine when they come back.At what point are they supporting them beyond what the government say.Clowns.

[postpersondorset]

go sick for a week ?

get doctors note to say your unfit to work ?

[POSTMAN]

I have an employee who is intending to travel abroad. Do they need to self-isolate on return to the UK? How should this absence be recorded on PSP?

The Government has changed its travel advice, providing certain exemptions for travelling to certain countries and territories that no longer pose a high risk for British travelers.

We therefore continue to advise against non-essential international travel to any countries and territories that are not included in the exempted list of destinations and we should reaffirm and communicate this to employees.

Following the Government’s updated and changed travel advice, all employees who have travelled abroad to an exemption listed destination will no longer need to self-isolate on return to the UK.

All employees who have travelled abroad to countries not included in the exemption destination list must self-isolate for a full 14 days on return to the UK.

The 14-day self-isolation period will start from the date they re-entered the UK. The employee’s absence should be covered by taking additional annual holiday, unpaid other time off or where possible, working from home.

For those employees who had already travelled to Spain when the Government announced that all passengers arriving from Spain (including the Canary and Balearic Islands) from Sunday 26 July 2020 must quarantine for 14 days:

Due to these exceptional circumstances, we support the need for colleagues to follow Government rules and quarantine for the required period, so our normal policy applies, i.e. the absence should be covered by taking additional annual holiday, unpaid other time off or where possible, working from home.

The Government now advises "against all but essential travel to mainland Spain" (excluding the Canary and Balearic Islands) and has announced they will not hesitate to do this again for any country.

Therefore, all future announcements for Spain or other countries will be treated in line with the current policy noted above. If colleagues choose to travel, they should do so knowing that quarantine when they return is a possibility and they will need to work from home where possible, take annual leave or unpaid leave remains.

Our current approach to annual leave continues to apply – all pre-booked leave must be taken.
If they do not have any coronavirus symptoms after the 14 days, they can stop self-isolating and return to work.

Updated 1st post 28 July

[mitzi]

Should I stay or should I go

[POSTMAN]

https://www.myroyalmail.com/news/2020/0 ... e-measures" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Government has announced that quarantine measures apply to those returning from mainland Spain, including the Canary and Balearic Islands, such as Majorca and Ibiza.

We know that a number of colleagues were and are in Spain when this announcement was made.

We support the need for colleagues to follow Government rules and quarantine for the required period. Therefore, absence should be covered by taking additional annual holiday, unpaid other time off or, where possible, working from home.



The Government has also said that it may make similar decisions for other countries at short notice. If colleagues choose to travel, they should do so knowing that quarantine when they return is a possibility and they will need to work from home where possible, take annual leave or unpaid leave.

Our current approach to annual leave continues to apply – all pre-booked leave must be taken as previously agreed.

If you are concerned about the financial impact of your absence, the Rowland Hill Fund may be able to help. The Fund can be contacted at rhfhelpline@royalmail.com.

Please be aware of the risks associated with travel for the foreseeable future. Travel and quarantine advice can change quickly. This could mean:

Travel to your planned holiday destination is prevented before you travel.
You need to quarantine/self-isolate on return at short notice.
Hotels or towns are put into lockdown, impacting your ability to return to the UK on your scheduled date.
We will continue to monitor the Government and public health advice and communicate where required.

[POSTMAN]

https://www.cwu.org/ltb/ltb-398-coronav ... ent-spain/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

LTB 398/20 – CORONAVIRUS – COVID-19 GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENT – SPAIN
No. 398/2020

28th July 2020

TO: ALL BRANCHES WITH ROYAL MAIL GROUP MEMBERS

Dear Colleagues

RE: CORONAVIRUS – COVID-19 GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENT – SPAIN

Branches will be aware the Government abruptly announced a 14 day self-isolation
period for anyone returning from Spain, the Canary Islands or the Balearic Islands over
the weekend.

We contacted Royal Mail yesterday morning and have since seen the communication
published by Royal Mail yesterday which can be seen in Appendix A.

I have formally written to Royal Mail last night requesting a meeting to discuss the
Government announcement and their policy.

Whilst I acknowledge the announcement will have caught everyone by surprise and the
Government have a lot to answer for in the way this has been handled, I do not believe
Royal Mail’s response is taking into account the circumstances some of our members
have found themselves in.

The policy of taking annual leave or unpaid leave is actually against the Government
advice. The Government have stated they are relying on the goodwill of employers.

When making the announcement, quotes from the Government include:

“No worker following quarantine guidance should be penalised by employers.”

“If someone is following the law in relation to quarantine and self-isolating the way they
should, they can’t have penalties taken against them.”

“No employee should be penalised for following the rules and self-isolating.”

The irony will not be lost on our members if Royal Mail attempt to invoke the
Government guidance on self-isolation and then do not follow the rest of the advice
where employees should not be penalised.

We have also made Royal Mail aware in previous discussions and correspondence, some
of our members cannot afford to take time off unpaid and will be forced to go to work,
when they should be self-isolating.

There is a huge risk to other members if an employee feels they cannot afford to take
unpaid leave and have to take the chance of coming to work, even if that means
potentially spreading the virus and infecting other members within their office. Should
this happen, Royal Mail will end up paying them and all of their colleagues sick pay,
plus there will obviously be a disruption to the service.

Throughout the pandemic Royal Mail have continually told employees to follow
Government advice. Their latest policy will be telling you to follow Government advice
on self-isolation, however, Royal Mail will not be following the same advice and will end
up penalising members who had no notice of the Government decision which requires
members to self-isolate for 14 days on returning from Spain.

I have requested a meeting with the aim of discussing a mutually beneficial resolution.

We will keep members updated on any developments.

All enquiries regarding the content of this LTB should be addressed to the PTCS
Department, quoting reference 420. Email address: khay@cwu.org.

Yours sincerely

Carl Maden
Assistant Secretary (Acting)
PTCS Department

http://www.cwu.org/wp-content/uploads/2 ... ix-A-1.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[k979aaa]

This is now not just Spain is it the government crapping it's pants once again if they really want people to self quarantine for 14 days pay them or people will ignore this and distribute the virus called covid 19. If this was about public safety and it's impact on the nation why did they not ban flights from abroad from March the 11th when they were told to do so by the WHO. Filghts were happening all the way into July from the USA it seams if you have money you can do as you want for what is a £1000 pound fine if your a tourist one you will not pay it two if you are a millionaire it is a piffling fine. lets just face it 188 territories in the world they don't report from North Korea as they don't have it as China or Belarus or Washington DC but we cannot eradicate it we must live with it just as the for mentioned nations of the world!

[PostmanBitesDog]

And now Switzerland has been added to the UK's list of countries where returning vacationers need to self-quarantine for two weeks.

Meanwhile the UK itself is seriously spiking again.

[SpacePhoenix]

And now Switzerland has been added to the UK's list of countries where returning vacationers need to self-quarantine for two weeks.

Meanwhile the UK itself is seriously spiking again.

It's starting to look more and more like the UK and Europe is heading into a second wave

[aiden01]

And now Switzerland has been added to the UK's list of countries where returning vacationers need to self-quarantine for two weeks.

Meanwhile the UK itself is seriously spiking again.

It's starting to look more and more like the UK and Europe is heading into a second wave

When did the first wave end??

[k979aaa]

And now Switzerland has been added to the UK's list of countries where returning vacationers need to self-quarantine for two weeks.

Meanwhile the UK itself is seriously spiking again.

It's starting to look more and more like the UK and Europe is heading into a second wave

When did the first wave end??

Click through this site https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; And make your own mind up.