Australia Post management are again attempting to override medical certificates to avoid paying sick leave and are employing bully boy tactics to get there way.

This time the worker concerned was told 6 months down the track that the 2 days sick leave she applied for in November 2007 had not been approved and that the days would be deducted from her pay, even though she had provided a medical certificate for both days.

Upon returning to work after 2 days sick leave in November 2007 the CEPU member was asked to sign a Medical Release Authority (MRA). The MRA enables Australia Post to have authority speak to an employee’s treating doctor.

Who knows what was said during the conversation with her doctor, or if it even took place. It wouldn’t be the first time that Australia Post had misconstrued conversations or tried to bully an employee’s treating doctor for their own convenience. 

Prior to taking the 2 days sick leave, the facility manager allegedly berated the poor worker in his office about ‘bunging on an act with her work related injury and to just get on with things’. ‘Everybody suffers pain at times’ he said, and he was ‘sick of her bawling’. 

As it happens the women concerned suffers from Spondylolisthesis – an extremely painful spine condition.  The facility manager also allegedly informed the CEPU member that he wouldn’t accept her medical certificate, long before contacting her treating doctor for further information!

Of course the whole sorry story is outrageous and the CEPU has taken the matter up with NSW Management.  But how is it, that some Australia Post managers can get away with treating people so disrespectfully? 

How is it, that they can behave in the workplace as if they are a law unto themselves?

Clearly employees need better protections to ensure a more humane approach to sick leave and workers compensation.

The CEPU strongly urges any member caught up in similar situations to contact the CEPU state office immediately on (02) 9893 7822 to seek further advice of their rights and entitlements.