LTB 664/18 – Post Office Ltd (POL) – Free Flu Jab Vaccination Scheme
No. 664/2018
23 November 2018
Our Ref: PO10/18
Post Office Ltd (POL) – Free Flu Jab Vaccination Scheme
To: All Branches
Dear Colleagues,
This is to inform all CWU Branches with Post Office Ltd (POL) members that the provision of ‘Free Flu Jabs’ has been discussed at the POL/CWU National Joint Health and Safety Committee and a communication has now been sent to all POL Branch Offices confirming that the Post Office will offer all Directly Managed Branch employees an opportunity to have a ‘Free Flu Vaccination.’
POL OH Assist have confirmed that ‘Free Flu Vouchers’ will be available for distribution to all staff towards the end of next week, allowing members to use these at participating pharmacies during December. The scheme will run until 31st December.
The final details have only been confirmed by POL’s National Health and Safety Manager last night and the final list of those members wishing to take up the offer will be required by close of play on Monday to ensure the vouchers are issued ahead of December. An e-mail has been issued to all Branch Office Managers calling for prompt action in collecting names of those employees wishing to accept the offer of a ‘Free Flu Jab’. All responses, including nil returns are to be sent to: Stephanie.c.mulholland@postoffice.co.uk
The ‘Flu Vouchers’ are valid until 31st December and members will need to check where their local participating pharmacy is.
Members taking up the opportunity of a ‘Free Flub Jab’ will be expected to attend for their Flu Jab in their own time during December and can use the ‘Free Flu Jab Voucher’ at either Lloyds, Superdrug, Asda, Tesco, Morrisons and other local pharmacy groups BUT NOT BOOTS who are not participating in this scheme as they run their own separate scheme.
The ‘Flu Jab Vouchers’ that will be issued to staff by the end of next week are ‘Prepaid’ and therefore it is important that those requesting a voucher, have every intention of using it by visiting a participating pharmacy and receiving the ‘Flu Jab Vaccination’ in December. The Vouchers will expire on 31st December 2018.
Those members taking up the ‘Flu Voucher’ offer can check participating pharmacy locations through the website www.fluvouchers.co.uk. They can also check that their local or chosen pharmacy has a sufficient supply of ‘Flu Jab Vaccines’ available during December. There is no need to book an appointment but they should also check which days the ‘Flu Jabs’ are administered. In most cases, it will be daily.
This welcomed scheme has been finalised and CWU/HQ notified at extremely short and inadequate notice for effective dissemination of information of this nature and this point has been made to POL. However POL have responded regarding the timescales that this has been a logistical challenge and a late decision was made to introduced the Flu Jab offer and those staff who really want the vaccination will now have the opportunity and should be able to find time between now and the closure date at the end of December as they can simply walk in to a participating Pharmacy and we would encourage members to take up the offer and encourage others who are possibly unsure. Additionally POL have stressed that this is the final part of the Flu Jab programme, for DMB members colleagues. CWU has requested a different and more timely programme next year but the main thing is that the offer matches other bigger employers such as Royal Mail and is therefore welcomed.
CWU Branches and POL Reps may wish to reinforce the message to CWU POL members today to ensure they have the opportunity to accept the offer and let their manager know if they would like a voucher for a ‘Free Flu Jab.’
Any POL managers requiring further advice or information should call Martin Hopcroft Post Office Head of Health & Safety on 07889 045810 or e-mail: martin.hopcroft@postoffice.co.uk.
Yours sincerely
Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer
18LTB664 Post Office Ltd (POL) – Free Flu Jab Vaccination Scheme