To: Branches with Members in BT

Dear Colleague,

BT Sick Absence, Medical Retirement & Poor Performance


BT has now formally advised the CWU of its intention to replace the PPA and L.T.I policies with separate sick absence, medical retirement and performance policies and procedures, with links to Managing Changing Capabilities.

The first versions of these policies have been rejected by the CWU, not least because they not only seek to roll out the worst practices that we see in some parts of BT to the whole of the Group. 

The company are currently seeking to:

  • delete any reference to "underlying health issues"

  • separate absence into "Extended absence" and "Repeated absence"

  • build in "local" variations

  • incorporate part day absences which remain undefined

  • institutionalise existing unagreed "triggers"

  • introduce a procedure with no time scales for warnings

  • remove the consideration of medical retirement prior to termination of the contract

  • exclude retirement in the interests of efficiency for those over 50

The sick absence procedure also lacks any real indication of support for the individual.  Whilst we are advised that there will be management guidance to underpin the policy, we have insisted that this support should be clearly within the policy and that we must be able to agree the management guidelines as well.

In addition to the above issues, no account has been taken of our letter to BT Group following Conference last year, highlighting the many problems that are present with the existing policies and their application, and seeking improvements to the procedures.

A first meeting has taken place and we are hopeful that the points on medical retirement and retirement in the interests of efficiency will be taken on board.

However, we have made clear at the meeting and in writing that there is no prospect of the CWU agreeing the new policies in their current form.  Indeed, in order to reach agreement BT will have to reconsider its whole approach to sick absence and the bad practice that currently exists in some parts of the business.

BT has agreed to reflect on our comments and we are awaiting a further draft and / or meeting.

A meeting has also taken place concerning the new "managing under performance" policy, splitting the issue of performance away from attendance.  There is no principled objection to separate policies on performance and attendance, but again the difficulty lies with a policy that does not take a supportive approach but instead is wholly punitive.  We have also written to BT with our extensive comments on the shortcomings of this new policy, and a redraft is awaited.

In the meantime branches should note that there is no agreement to exclude underlying health issues nor to vary the existing policies.

Yours sincerely

Grace Mitchell

Assistant Secretary (National)