LTB 591/16 – BT Consumer Transformation Agreement: Attendance Patterns in Sales & Retention

EMBARGOED UNTIL 2.30pm ON 5 OCTOBER 2016

No. 591/2016

5th October 2016

Dear Colleagues,

BT Consumer Transformation Agreement: Attendance Patterns in Sales & Retention

A key part of the BT Transformation Agreement is the changes to attendance arrangements across Consumer. Attendances will be shared across the workforce while at the same time providing protections for those that need them. Under the Agreement the new attendances will be based on the preferences of Advisors.

Following discussions with the NT BT is commencing the preference process for attendance patterns across all Sales and Retention sites with new attendances due to be implemented from April 2017.

The Approach in Sales and Retention

The standard attendance requirement for most areas will be the same as in Service – with 2.5 lates per week, 3 in 5 Saturdays and 1 in 5 Sundays. Some specialist areas will have different evening and weekend attendances due to operational requirements.

BT advisors will be able to express a preference for a 5 day, 4 day week, or a 9 day fortnight. In addition, part time staff can also indicate a preference for a 3 day week or a 7 day fortnight.

There will be some changes in the overall approach when compared to the Service areas. This is due to the different call patterns in Sales which are driven to a large degree by TV and sport.

The main points to note are as follows.

  1. Number of Weekly Lates for Full Time Staff

For full time staff the average number of lates will continue to be 2.5 per week except for those on a 4 day week – see below.

However, rather than measuring this over a 10 week cycle this will be measured seasonally over the year. This is because during the football season there greater level of demand which will result in 3 lates. However, in other parts of the year, mainly in the summer, the number of lates will fall to two.

BT will provide data detailing the number of late attendances on a quarterly basis to individual advisors and the CWU nationally.

  1. Four Day Weeks for Full Time Staff

We have been able to develop with BT an option which will mean any full timer who wishes to choose a 4 day week will receive one.

All 4 day weeks will contain at least one attendance Monday to Thursday which will end at 8pm. Advisors can still select their preferences for two early duties (in a full time 4 day week an early would be an 8pm finish). At least one of these will be an 8pm finish but they both could be depending on demand.

Fridays will always be the full span of 8am to 9pm and Saturday 8am to 8pm, and so the alternating early Friday late Saturday will not apply to 4 day weeks. However, overall those working a 4 day weeks will see similar levels of early duties on a Friday when compared to their full time 9 day and 5 day colleagues. BT has agreed to will keep this issue under review with the CWU.

  1. Week of Earlies/ Week of Lates

The ability of BT to offer this option maybe limited as it could result in service issues during the football season. However, advisors can still request this option and BT will review the situation with the CWU once the preferences are known.

  1. Late Attendance

While a late attendance is normally anything past 6pm, this may vary by 15 minutes for some 4 day weeks and 9 day fortnightsfor full time staff, and 3 day week 25 & 30 hour day attendances.

All of these require a long working day. As a result the late for a duty which is more than 9 paid hours for those working 37.5 hours full time, or 25 & 30 hours part time may be between 6.15pm and closing time on any day of the week.

This approach means that BT will be able to maximize the numbers of 4 day weeks, 9 day fortnights and 3 day weeks.

  1. Rest Breaks

The arrangements already agreed and set out in LTB 211/2016 continue to apply. The table contained in the BT communication is only a summary of the full Agreement.

All those entitled to paid breaks will continue to get them. All existing paid breaks are protected.

The full options on breaks will be available to advisors at the one to one sessions.

  1. Guidance

The guidance on notice periods, annual leave bookings, and those with reasonable adjustments contained in LTB 394/2016 continue to apply.

The Process

As it is nearly a year since the Agreement was reached BT is arranging for onsite briefings to take place for all Advisors to re brief the key features of the Agreement.

Once that is complete the first phase is the collection of individual attendance preferences.

The process will involve all Advisors completing an attendance questionnaire in work time. This will be followed immediately by a 1-2-1 discussion with their Line Manager which will give the Advisor the ability to add any necessary additional information. At the end of the 1-2-1 process the Manager will submit the Advisor’s form which will include three preferences.

Individual ECOH or Flexible Working arrangements in place, or other personal and domestic issues that affect attendance, will be documented as part of the portal process. In line with the Agreement current ECOH or Flexible Working arrangements current in place will be honoured unless an advisor wants to me make a voluntary change. Any ECOH arrangements in place will be reviewed in line with agreed timescales.

Advisors will be given 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete the portal and have the 1-2-1.

Once the preferences have been collected BT will then look to match as many first preferences as possible and will discuss the overall outcome with the CWU before a second 1-2-1 process with Advisors. This second phase will take place from January 2017.

At the second 1-2-1 it is intended that the new individual attendance pattern will be confirmed and normally the notice period for change will start from that point.

The normal notice period is 12 weeks but for those not currently working after six and/or any weekend days there will be an additional four months transition period. The additional transition details will be worked out on an individual basis but evening and weekend day attendances will increase by 20% a month so that the new attendance is worked in full from the beginning of the fifth month.

It is anticipated that most advisors will move onto the new attendances in April 2017.

Attached is a copy of the BT communications and the portal guide for Advisors.

Yours sincerely,


Nigel Cotgrove

Assistant Secretary