Health, Safety and Environment

What You Need To Know About Sick Leave (for BT Members)

The CWU has an agreement which gives all permanent BT employees a maximum of:

1. In any twelve month period - "Full Rate" sick pay (183 days)
2. When the allowance in "a" is exhausted - "Half Rate" sick pay
3. When absences amount to more than twelve months in any four year period - "Pension Rate"
4. An extra six months sick leave at full pay where the employee has been involved in an industrial accident in BT. (This paid leave does not count towards normal sick pay limits).

Although the sick pay agreement is good, the company is still entitled to demand a high level of attendance from employees and from time to time members are warned about their sick leave through an initial warning under the "Poor Performance and Attendance Procedure". This procedure is serious, as it could ultimately lead to dismissal. If you have a warning from your manager, go to see your branch officer immediately and seek their advice. Your branch will be able to help you if you seek their advice at an early stage. Don't feel ashamed or intimidated, many members receive warnings after a period of poor health and your branch will have helped many other members.

The "Poor Performance and Attendance Procedure" is initiated when an employee has had a number of short absences for which there is no underlying health reason. There are, however, certain types of absences which should not be counted for such warnings. These are:-

• All sick leave which is pregnancy related, including medical appointments.
• All sick leave which is related to a disability or to attendance at hospital for treatment related to a disability. (For advice on whether a medical condition is regarded as a disability under the Disability Discrimination Act, please contact your branch. Many conditions such as asthma, cancer and diabetes may be a disability under the Act).

Contact by Management During Period of Sick Leave

Management are entitled to contact you in a sympathetic and helpful way during any prolonged period of ill health absence. The procedures actually set out the duty of the manager to make regular contact. Managers should not, of course, use this contact to bully or pressure you to return to work before you are fully fit. In the case of ill health, you should follow the advice of your doctor and ensure that you are fully recovered before returning to work. It is always advisable to return to work as soon as you are able and there are a number of ways you can be helped to do this, for example:-

• A graduated return to work (part-time work, gradually building up to full-time hours).
• Light duties (transferring some aspects of your work to another person to help you cope with the job).
• A permanent or temporary transfer to another job.

Once again, your branch officers are the best people to help you and they will be happy to contact management on your behalf. If you are disabled you may have a legally enforceable right to such adjustment, even if management are reluctant to assist.

Long Term Ill Health

If you are permanently unfit to do the work involved in your particular job and your are a member of the BT Pension Scheme, you may be offered medical retirement. If you are happy to be retired fine, but if you want to go on working and feel you could do different work, seek help from your union as soon as possible. Under the Long Term Illness Procedure, BT are supposed to seek alternative work for you whether or not you are disabled. If you are disabled, the union will help you to enforce your legal right to reasonable adjustment should this be necessary.

Finally

Do not be intimidated or afraid to ask for help. Most managers will be sympathetic to members who are ill but if you feel you are being bullied or harassed as a result of being ill, consult your branch immediately. Your branch officers will speak to the manager and try to ensure that any undue pressure stops. Sometimes managers may not be aware of all the circumstances and it will be possible to sort out the problem amicably. If the branch cannot persuade your manager to behave in accordance with the agreements, they will raise the matter with a more senior manager on your behalf. If necessary, they will advise you on the use of the Harassment or Grievance Procedure.

Always seek help as soon as a problem arises, the union is there to help you and the right advice at an early stage can prevent serious problems later on.