BT Employees Health At Risk - Company Refuses Liability

Workers in BT Retail have joined the CWU campaign to boycott a trial that involves removing a person's own GP from certifying sick absence, forcing staff to report to the company's occupational health service (OHS) contractors instead.

Support for the union's stance indicates how concerned employees are about the likelihood of being told they are fit for work by someone who may not even be a health professional, fearing for their jobs if they don't comply.

Employees are normally expected to go to their doctor and if they are not fit for work, their doctor provides them with a certificate. That process would stop under this trial, which was imposed without consulting the CWU at Warrington, Norwich, Lancaster and Shrewsbury. BT are directing staff at those centres to ring Capita - who provide BT's OHS - on their eighth day of sick absence, so that they can be told whether or not OHS believe they are fit to return to work. There is no face-to-face consultation.

CWU Assistant Secretary Grace Mitchell said: "We are asking members not to co-operate with the trial. We are most concerned that if someone rings the OHS and is told they are fit to return to work, they will not go to their GP as they should, and as a result may not receive treatment that is necessary. BT has refused to admit liability for any damage to health that may be caused as a result of this new procedure and we think they are taking too big a risk with our members' health."

Blasting BT for unnecessary heavy- handedness, Grace added: "There has been no proper consultation. BT has one of the lowest sick absence rates in the country. There is no problem with them managing their sick absence if it's done in a way that shows compassion and sensitivity, but this is a crude attempt to intimidate people back to work when they are at their most vulnerable."

Branches are running successful local campaigns to encourage members at the four sites not to co-operate with the trial.

At Warrington alone, Liverpool Clerical branch members collected hundreds of names in just a few hours for a petition opposing the scheme.

Assistant Branch Secretary James Samuels said: "We will continue to run the campaign. We need to show BT that this trial is not going to work. The OHS person will just call someone back and they won't be a doctor, which is worrying. A medical problem is between an individual and their GP. Currently, we can view the OHS as an honest broker, advising BT. This trial would put the OHS in the wrong position."

CWU Liverpool Branch Website

Source: CWU Voice Magazine

Designed, Hosted and Maintained by Union Safety Services