Latest News Archive

BT Attendance and Medical Retirement Procedures

13 December 2007

The T&FSE has agreed to the final version of the BT Attendance Procedure.

There are a number of improvements to the wording in order to strengthen the supportive elements of the procedure and the CWU has been successful in gaining two very important changes to the wording under section 5 'Repeated Absence'. There is now a clear reference to the OHS and/or Managing Changing Capabilities Procedure together with an acknowledgement that an underlying health condition can be the reason for repeated absence.

Also, critically, there is wording that makes clear to managers that triggers 'should not be interpreted as the automatic initiator of a warning process'.

We have clarified that part day absences will not be aggregated for triggers and there is now a specific reference to retirement in the interests of efficiency as well. The consequent link from that is the Managing Changing Capabilities Procedure which is currently being reviewed with BT Group.

Although the procedure is agreed, the T&FSE remain concerned about the underlying practice and therefore we have agreed with BT Group that the implementation of the procedure should be monitored and that a joint review takes place following Conference 2008.

Members should let the branch officers know of any issues under the procedure in the meantime.

This has been a particularly long and difficult set of discussions and whilst there is still concern about the practice, the T&FSE are now satisfied that BT has encompassed all of our key amendments.

BT Attendance and Medical Retirement Procedures (26 January 2007)