POL00104809
POL00104809
ROYAL MAIL GROUP SECURITY - PROCEDURES & STANDARDS
SUSPENSION FROM DUTY P&S Doc. 6-X
1. PURPOSE.
The aim of this document is to provide Investigators within the Royal Mail
Group, with clear guidance concerning the required Procedures & Standards in
relation to the above subject.
2. GENERAL
2.1 Suspension is viewed as a precautionary measure whilst further inquiries
are made and such action is almost invariably taken when the suspected
offence is facilitated by the nature of the employee’s duties, e.g. a
Postman stealing a postal packet or a counter officer dealing dishonestly
2.2 with cash or stock.
Investigators should seek authority to suspend a member of staff in line
with individual business policy. Official passes, badges and keys should
be recovered before the employee is escorted from official premises and
2.3 he/she should be informed that access to official premises is denied
until further notice. Personnel/Human Resources should be notified of the
suspension without delay.
The decision to suspend one of our employees or agents from duty lies
solely with their business unit. Under no circumstances can Investigators
advise suspension or suspend an employee themselves. The only exception
to this concerns Agency Branch Office cases and is explained in detail at
8.1 below.
3. CHECKS OF OFFICIAL STOCK
3.1 Whenever a member of our staff is about to be suspended from duty
his/her counter stock or other official property held by him/her (or for
which he/she is directly responsible) should be checked, this has not
already been done during the course of the inquiry. The local manager
who usually performs such checks should normally carry out this check.
The check should be carried out in the presence of the suspected
offender but, if this is not practicable, it should be done in the
presence of a union representative but may be carried out the
3.2 presence of an independent witness, should a union representative not be
available.
There will be cases when such a check is not possible prior to
suspension. In such cases the necessary reconciliation should take place
as soon as possible and the results notified to all interested parties.
4. YOUNG EMPLOYEES
4.1 All employees suspected of criminal offences who have not reached the age
of 17 years must be questioned in the presence of a parent, guardian or
appropriate adult. If the decision is taken by the suspects’ business
unit to suspend them from duty, they should not be allowed to go home
alone. Normally, the Investigator conducting the inquiry should inform
the young persons’ parent, guardian or appropriate adult of the
cixcumstances surrounding the suspension and request that the young
person is taken home immediately. If the Investigator cannot do this
Document Title: Suspension fromDuty
P&S Doc. Ref.: No.6-X Version 1
Date: November 2005
Owner: Policy & Standards Manager (Investigations )
POL00104809
POL00104809
ROYAL MAIL GROUP SECURITY - PROCEDURES & STANDARDS
4.2 personally a responsible local supervisor should be carefully instructed
on how to carry out this task in a discrete and tactful manner.
Guidance as regards giving young offenders into custody is given in the
P&S document - Arrest Procedures.
5. OFFENDER’S ADDRESS
5.1 Whenever a member of staff or an agent is suspended from duty the
ator in the case must ensure that the offender’s address is
quoted in the papers at the head of the report in order to facilitate
any application that may be made for a summons - if that is found
necessary.
6. DISCIPLINARY OFFENCES
6.1 It is possible that in the course of an inquiry, a breach of discipline
not amounting to a criminal ence may be observed, or may come to
ght, the nature of which is sufficiently serious to raise the question
whether or not some employees should be suspended from duty. In these
cases the Investigator should report the facts orally to the offender’s
@ manager and leave him/her to decide whether or not the individual
should be suspended from duty.
7. PAY
7.1 When one of our employees is suspended from duty, suspension is always
with pay.
8. AGENCY BRANCH OFFICE CASES
8.1 In dealing with the question of suspension from duty of an individual
working at an agency office it has to be borne in mind that such staff
are not our employees. Sub-Postmasters and franchisees are regarded as
agents who are contracted to provide services to our Business and their
assistants are employees of the Sub Postmaster or franchisee. When
therefore, it is essential that a Sub Postmaster’s/Franchisee’s contract
for services is suspended the reasons must be communicated to the Retail
Line Manager (RLM) who is responsible for making this decision. The RLM
will then decide whether the suspension from duty should be covered by
placing the office (or equivalent) in the charge of a temporary Sub-
Postmaster or by closing it temporarily. Normally it will be possible to
effect the suspension from duty of an Assistant suspected of a criminal
offence by discussing the matter with the Sub Postmaster/franchisee. The
RLM or Contracts Manager must be made aware of all investigations carried
out at an Agency Post Office Branch.
Document Title: Suspension fromDuty
P&S Doc. Ref.: No.6-X Version 1
Date: November 2005
Owner: Policy & Standards Manager (Investigations )