The following details have been supplied by PCS HQ :
DWP has decided to impose an Attendance Management policy change, from 11 April 2011, so that managers will have a duty to increase Consideration Points only for disabled employees. This means that increased consideration points for any employees who are not disabled will be withdrawn.
This change is supported by an Equality Impact Assessment, Transitional Arrangements and Complex Case Advisory Service Advice but has been opposed by PCS which has not agreed the change.
PCS will continue to oppose this change in principle and in practice. This change is unfair, unethical and unacceptable and will inevitably bring DWP into disrepute.
It is fundamentally wrong that employees with a health condition will be expected to meet the same 8 day attendance standard as other employees.
Disabled people are exempt from this change.
Post-go live, outcomes will be monitored by DWP to ensure this and to detect any unintended, disproportionate impacts on other diversity groups.
Transitional Arrangements Apply
Non-disabled employees – including those who formerly had access to increased consideration points – will be informed by a general communication that they will be required to meet the 8-days standard from the point of change. A line will be drawn under illnesses formerly accrued against their previous separate consideration point and that consideration point will no longer apply.
Where an employee takes further sick leave, having already accrued sickness absence against the normal 8-days consideration point in the current rolling year, the manager will be required to contact the Complex Case Advisory Service (CCAS) for Advice before deciding an appropriate course of action. As regards warnings, CCAS will advise managers to be tolerant to a level not exceeding the number of days already accrued against the 8-days consideration point.
Openness and Transparency
DWP will publish the Equality Impact Assessment but not the CCAS Advice or Transitional Arrangements. In the interest of transparency PCS will publish all 3 documents.
