Royal Mail Group: Hybrid Working Policy – Decision to Impose Four Day Working in the Workplace – Exceptions Process and Appeals
Further to LTB 200/26 dated 13th July. Branches will be aware that Royal Mail, at the highest level of the company, recently introduced a policy to increase the number of office days from three to four for hybrid workers, with a targeted date of 1st August.
As Branches and members would expect, we robustly challenged management and in doing so strongly objected to the changes, which we consider to be unnecessary, and also disruptive for our members. Indeed, we have received reports that some members have additional costs to travel to work, which is putting more burden on them during the ongoing cost of living crisis.
Royal Mail management have now formally advised us that they have initiated a centrally managed exceptions process. In this regard, attached to this LTB is a detailed guidance document produced by management. This process should be followed in all cases where members wish to make an application for either a long-term or short-term exception. Crucially, the process will be taken out of the hands of line managers with a central review team to assess applications and “ensure fairness and consistency”.
In essence, the following descriptions (in no particular order) are when exceptions can be applied for and will warrant serious consideration by the central team:
- Where a reasonable adjustment has previously been agreed for an employee related to a disability.
- Where there are carer or childcare responsibilities, a flexible working request needs to be formally submitted.
- Field based roles, where the job can’t be performed in an office four days per week.
- An employee’s contract specifically outlines different working arrangements such as an employee having an agreement in writing that they can work in a different way when they took on the role.
- Where there is an agreed flexible working approach already in place.
- Where there are limitations due to office capacity levels or because the office building is deemed unsuitable or in need of significant repair.
- Unavailability or unsuitability of office equipment or DSE such as desks, screens, ergonomic screens.
Temporary Exemptions (up to Four Months) – Applications can also be made for temporary exceptions for childcare or carer responsibilities where the 1st Augustdate cannot be met, but a later date can be, enabling the employee to put in place adequate measures in time. If the employee needs longer than four months they can complete a formal flexible working request.
We can now report that at the close of the application process for exceptions, around 230 requests had been formally lodged by CWU represented grades, and the largest categories were temporary and role-type exceptions. This was followed by formal statutory requests for flexible working and workplace adjustments relating to disabilities and caring responsibilities.
As Branches and Reps will understand, the applications in the main will be based upon sensitive personal information and have been submitted in confidence, due to health, disability and caring circumstances. This means the union in not directly involved in the assessment of applications for exceptions, as this sits within an HR Steering group, in accordance with the attachment. There is, however, the ability for individuals to challenge an outcome via formal appeals route and where this occurs, members are full entitled to guidance and support from Reps in these circumstances.
The exceptions progress appears to be comprehensive, and provides members with the ability to submit applications for both short-term (up to four months) and long-term arrangements. If any member has missed the deadline for making an application for an exception, they need to, as a matter of urgency, submit a late claim. If any problems are encountered in this regard, please email snicholas@cwu.orgwith details.
Exception Outcomes – Management have undertaken to share with me an aggregate picture with anonymised data covering numbers, categories, distribution of function and site, and completion and outcome rates. Also, management have committed to an ongoing engagement process whereby information relating to the temporary exceptions process will also be provided.
Summary – The union fully appreciates the upheaval associated with the move from three days to four days in the office which is challenging and potentially distressing for some members, who have worked in this fashion for many years now, since the pandemic. Branches are urged to bring this LTB to the attention of all admin members that currently work part of their hours from home, so that they are aware of the terms of the exceptions process and the right to lodge an appeal, where an application has been refused by the central team.
Yours sincerely
Andy Furey
Assistant Secretary
LTB209.26 – RM Group – Hybrid Working Policy – Four Day Working in the WorkplaceCentral Managing Exceptions Process v6
CWU Eastern No5 Branch 
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