Introducing the new Royal Mail Group Conduct Agreement - CWU

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Introducing the new Royal Mail Group Conduct Agreement - CWU
Introducing the new
Royal Mail Group
Conduct Agreement
Introducing the new Royal Mail Group Conduct Agreement - CWU
New Royal Mail Group Conduct Agreement

    Contents
    National Conduct Agreement between
    Royal Mail Group, CWU and Unite .......... 4

    Conduct Policy ......................................... 16

    Conduct Guides
       Informal Discussions ............................ 23
       Fact finding ........................................... 26
       Conduct Meetings ................................. 30
       Decision Making and Report Writing ... 36
       When to Consider
       Precautionary Suspension ................... 41
       Security of Customers’ Mail ................. 46
       Managing Employees
       who are on Precautionary
       Suspension due to a
       criminal investigation ........................... 48
       Late Attendance ................................... 49
       Right to an Appeal ............................... 51
       Approach for Union Representatives ... 53
       Absent Whilst on Formal Procedure .... 55

    Q&A ........................................................... 57

    Who to contact ........................................ 59

August 2015

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Introducing the new Royal Mail Group Conduct Agreement - CWU
New Royal Mail Group Conduct Agreement

Foreword
We are pleased to be jointly launching the new Conduct
Agreement across Royal Mail Group with Unite and CWU.

The agreement aims to help employees               managers need to deal with an issue formally.
achieve and maintain Royal Mail Group
                                                   A key change in the process is the different
standards of conduct and behaviour, while
                                                   approach to suspensions. In the past,
making sure employees are treated in the
                                                   employees were suspended too often, for
right way. It replaces the four previous           too long and sometimes for issues that
agreements to ensure that the Group’s              were not that serious. The new approach
approach to conduct is fully aligned to the way    asks managers to reflect on why suspension
we want managers, union representatives            is being considered; looking at the risks
and employees to work together.                    and consequences for the business.
The new approach and agreement are                 We have also clarified the definitions of
supported by the Conduct Policy and a              delay as there has been some confusion
number of guides which are included in             between wilful and unexcused delay.
this booklet. They have been developed             This has led to unnecessary action being
jointly to support a different approach –          taken. The new definitions will support
one that emphasises informal resolution            managers in making the right decisions.
and is less punitive and more corrective.
                                                   We hope you find this booklet useful in
We want to let employees know in an                helpling you to support us deploy the new
informal and timely manner if their conduct        approach to managing conduct. We believe
or behaviour is causing concern, whilst            the new approach will benefit the business,
recognising that there will be occasions when      our employees and union representatives.

Jon Millidge                       Brian Scott                    Ray Ellis
Group HR Director                  Unite /CMA Officer             Assistant Secretary CWU

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Introducing the new Royal Mail Group Conduct Agreement - CWU
New Royal Mail Group Conduct Agreement

National Conduct Agreement
between Royal Mail Group,
CWU and Unite
Purpose                                   Definition of mail
This Agreement is designed to help        For the purposes of the agreement,
and encourage all employees to            the term “mail” includes all items
achieve and maintain standards of         which employees are entrusted
conduct including behaviour. There        to collect, process, convey, deliver
are separate procedures to deal with      or otherwise handle or have
other issues like attendance and          access to. This includes letters,
inability to perform a job effectively.   parcels and unaddressed items.
Scope
This Agreement applies to all
employees working for Royal
Mail Group irrespective of grade.
This Agreement does not apply
to agency staff, contractors or
self-employed workers.
This Agreement supersedes the
former conduct code agreements
in Royal Mail Letters, Parcelforce,
Customer Management and Logistics.
In the event of any inconsistency
between this Agreement, the policy
and the supporting guides, the terms
of this Agreement take precedence.
Introducing the new Royal Mail Group Conduct Agreement - CWU
National Conduct Agreement between Royal Mail Group, CWU and Unite

                                                       • Notification of action in line with the Conduct
General points
                                                         Policy will only be made when sufficient
Specifically the Agreement aims to:
                                                         facts of the case have been determined
• Reflect best practice and be                         • At all stages of the formal procedure
  consistent with ACAS guidelines                        (i.e. excluding informal) the employee
• Provide an approach that is fair,                      will have the right to be represented
  consistent and will deal with employees                by their union representative or be
  in a non-discriminatory and timely way                 accompanied by a work colleague
• Operate in a way that is                               normally from the same work location
  supportive and corrective                            • An employee will be provided with
• Support business standards as detailed in              an explanation for any penalty given
  Our Code: Code of Business Standards                   and have the right to appeal against
                                                         any conduct penalty imposed
• Encourage and support employees
                                                       • When progressing a case and completely
  to meet these standards
                                                         new information regarding a different
• Set down employee rights and obligations               incident comes to light, then a further
Guiding principles                                       conduct notification will be made to the
                                                         employee, including the specific details
• The business will make employees
  aware of the expected standards                      • Where further evidence comes to light
  of conduct and behaviour                               regarding the original conduct case e.g. its
                                                         seriousness, the original case will continue
• Employees should make every effort
  to meet the business standards                       • Cases will be handled as speedily as possible
                                                         and where there is significant delay, the
  of conduct and behaviour
                                                         employee will be notified of the reason
• Resolving conduct issues informally                    and when a decision is to be made
  and with support and guidance will be
                                                       • Managers may seek advice and
  considered when appropriate to encourage
                                                         guidance from HR Services Advice
  employees to improve behaviour
                                                         & Support where appropriate
• Conduct and behaviour should be managed
  by providing constructive feedback and               Employee obligations
  by treating each other with dignity and              Royal Mail Group requires all employees to:
  respect. The employee will be made                   • Take a responsible approach to their
  fully aware of the evidence. Copies of all             work, customers and fellow employees
  documents will be provided in a timely               • Maintain standards of conduct
  manner in line with the procedure                      appropriate to their role
• No conduct action will be taken                      • Seek help as soon as they recognise
  against an employee until the case                     that they are in a situation which could
  has been fully investigated                            compromise their behaviour or if they
• No employee will be dismissed for a first              have any concerns regarding their job
  breach of conduct except in the case                 • Follow any reasonable instructions
  of gross misconduct when the penalty                   of their manager
  will normally be dismissal without                   Employees charged with a criminal offence must
  notice or payment in lieu of notice                  notify Royal Mail Group as soon as possible.

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Introducing the new Royal Mail Group Conduct Agreement - CWU
New Royal Mail Group Conduct Agreement

Employees are not required to let                  Where the right word at the right time has
Royal Mail Group know about minor                  not resulted in an improvement in conduct or
offences e.g. minor traffic offences.              behaviour, the manager can arrange to meet
                                                   with the employee for an informal discussion.
Employee rights and considerations                 The purpose of an informal discussion is for
• Employees have the right to be treated           the manager and the employee to resolve
  with dignity and respect by all their            the issue without needing to use the formal
  colleagues, whatever the situation               process. If any documents are used in the
• Employees will be treated fairly, including      informal discussion they should be shared at
  having the right to make a case in               the start of the meeting. If the employee wishes
  response to any allegations or questions         they can meet with their union representative
  put, whether formal or informal                  before meeting with their manager.
• Employees will be treated in an                  The manager should make the employee
  impartial, non-discriminatory way                aware of the reason for the concern, the
• Employees may be accompanied at the              standards required and identify any steps
                                                   that the employee or company may take
  fact finding and formal meetings by their
                                                   to produce an immediate and sustained
  union representative or a work colleague
                                                   improvement. Before dealing with an issue
  normally from the same work location
                                                   informally the manager must decide that the
• An employee’s previous work record               matter can be dealt with informally assuming
  and conduct and any other mitigating             no further information comes to light.
  circumstances will be fully taken into account
                                                   Exceptionally, if during an informal discussion
Royal Mail Group Security: At the onset of an      it becomes clear that there are more serious
interview relating to a criminal investigation     issues, for example an employee admits to
led by Royal Mail Group Security, employees        a more serious incident, the manager must
will have explained to them the role of the        stop the informal discussion and arrange a
investigators, their legal rights and the          fact finding meeting. They must make it clear
procedures to be followed. This applies both       to the employee that they have the right to
when the employee is being interviewed either      be represented at the fact finding meeting.
as a suspect or a witness. At any interview        An informal discussion could include:
with Royal Mail Group investigators, an
                                                   • Highlighting the area(s) of concern
employee, unless they are under arrest, will
be entitled to be accompanied by their union       • Explaining to the employee why their
representative or work colleague normally from       conduct is a cause of concern
the same work location to act as an observer.      • A reminder of the required standards

Informal resolution                                • Listening to the employee’s point of
                                                     view and understanding the reasons
Informal resolution can help to resolve many
                                                     behind the poor conduct or behaviour
minor conduct or behaviour issues before they
become more serious. The right word, at the        • Identifying any initial actions that can be
right time and in the right way, may be all that     taken by the employee or the manager
is needed to resolve the situation. Sometimes      • A reminder of the services of the
the employee may not be aware that their             Occupational Health Services and
conduct or behaviour is unsatisfactory.              provision of contact numbers

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Introducing the new Royal Mail Group Conduct Agreement - CWU
National Conduct Agreement between Royal Mail Group, CWU and Unite

• A reminder of the potential implications if         Where an employee is on overtime or
  the conduct or behaviour is not improved            scheduled attendance working to another
The approach to the informal discussion               manager and commits an alleged offence,
should be sympathetic and supportive, and             the manager at the time of the incident
focused on the improvements required.                 would normally deal with the case.
Comments should be constructive and the               Where a Royal Mail Group Security criminal
emphasis should be on finding ways in which           investigation is taking place, the Security
the employee can improve their conduct or             executive summary will be sent to the
behaviour. The manager should factor in any           employee’s manager. The manager should
mitigating circumstances that may have caused         decide what conduct action, if any, is appropriate.
a temporary change in conduct or behaviours
                                                      Where conduct progresses through the formal
e.g. personal events or changes at work.
                                                      process, the executive summary will be included
Where an improvement is required, it is               in the documents for the fact finding meeting.
important that the employee understands what
needs to be done and the standards of behaviour       Where a bullying and harassment investigation
or conduct required. The employee should be           has taken place and the outcome is a
advised that if there is no improvement, the next     recommendation for action under the conduct
stage may be the formal conduct procedure.            procedure, the case will normally be handed
                                                      to the employee’s manager who will be
Formal conduct process                                responsible for dealing with the conduct case.
Before progressing a case formally, a manager,        The evidence gathered during the bullying
normally the first line manager should consider       and harassment investigation will be used
whether it is appropriate for them to handle the      to contribute to the fact finding stage.
case. For example, it would be inappropriate
if the manager concerned is a relative, close         All documents used in the fact finding
friend of the employee or is directly involved        meeting should be shared with the
in the incident or their evidence could cause         employee at the start of the meeting or
a conflict in their decision making process.          where there is more than one issue during
                                                      the meeting, before they are discussed.
Fact finding
                                                      Following the fact finding meeting, the
Most minor day to day problems if dealt
                                                      manager should consider the information
with early enough can be ‘nipped in the
bud’ by the right word, at the right time,            available and decide whether the case
in the right way. In more serious cases               can be dealt with informally, formally or
it will be necessary to proceed straight              closed if there is no case to answer.
away to the formal conduct process.                   Informal resolution
When it is considered that an employee’s conduct      Where the outcome of the fact finding
or behaviour has not met the required standard,       investigation does not warrant formal
the employee’s manager will make a prompt
                                                      conduct action, the manager will decide
and detailed investigation of the facts and may
                                                      whether there is a need to speak informally
seek a more detailed explanation from the
employee. It may include examination of relevant      to the employee to encourage them to
documents and a fact finding meeting where            improve and to correct their behaviour.
the employee has a right to be accompanied
by their union representative or by a work
colleague normally from the same work location.

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Introducing the new Royal Mail Group Conduct Agreement - CWU
New Royal Mail Group Conduct Agreement

In the majority of cases the matter will end with     Following the formal meeting the manager
the informal discussion Where the issue is dealt      should consider the information available
with informally, this concludes the matter and        and decide what approach to take; informal,
the case is closed.                                   formal or closed if there is no case to answer.
Progressing a case formally                           If the manager decides the case can be dealt
                                                      with informally, the matter will end with an
If the manager who conducts the fact finding
                                                      informal discussion.
feels there is a case to answer, they must
decide whether, if the allegation is proven,          If the manager decides to deal with the
the penalty appropriate would be likely to be         case formally, they should consider the
within or outside their authority. If they feel       appropriate penalty.
a major penalty is a possible outcome, they           At the earliest opportunity, the manager
must, at that stage, pass it on to another            dealing with the case will tell the employee the
manager, normally the second line manager.            decision, normally face to face where practical.
The manager progressing the case will write           The manager should also follow this up with a
to the employee to ask them to attend a               formal letter setting out their thought process in
formal conduct meeting giving at least two            arriving at their decision and why they consider
working days’ notice of the meeting and               the penalty given is the most appropriate.
setting out details of the alleged misconduct.        Where a union representative or colleague
The manager must also enclose copies of               attends a conduct or appeal meeting in their
any notes or evidence that would be referred          working time, they will be given sufficient
to during the meeting. At the meeting the             paid release from duty to prepare, attend
employee is entitled to be accompanied by their       and travel if necessary. Travel and other
union representative or by a work colleague           expenses for union reps will not be met.
normally from the same work location.
                                                      Access to documents
If the manager is considering dismissal, the letter
                                                      All information and documents that a manager
inviting the employee to the conduct meeting
                                                      may consider in reaching their decision must
will make this clear. The meeting will be with
                                                      be made available at least two working days
the manager taking the decision. At the meeting
                                                      in advance of conduct meetings. Documents
the union representative or work colleague can
                                                      will be reviewed to ensure that personal details
act as an observer, help in putting the case, or
                                                      such as phone numbers are removed. In
present the case itself. The employee should
                                                      most cases anonymity cannot be preserved
respond personally to any relevant questions
                                                      in conduct cases. Anonymisation should only
raised by the manager conducting the meeting.
                                                      be considered where there is a real fear
Some delay may be necessary if the                    of intimidation or reprisal where a specific
issues raised need further checking or                legitimate request for anonymity has been made.
investigation or where complex issues
                                                      In cases where the anonymity of witnesses
requiring detailed consideration have arisen.
                                                      has been preserved, information released will
In this event the meeting may be adjourned.
                                                      be presented in such a way as to achieve that
The employee will be provided with any
                                                      objective in accordance with employment law.
new evidence and have sufficient time to
respond to it with their representative.              Access to papers will only be denied
                                                      in exceptional circumstances, e.g. if
                                                      solicitors recommend. Legal advice to
                                                      Royal Mail Group will not be disclosed.
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Introducing the new Royal Mail Group Conduct Agreement - CWU
National Conduct Agreement between Royal Mail Group, CWU and Unite

Authority levels                                      Precautionary suspension
The authority to give warnings and serious            When it may be necessary to
warnings lies with the immediate manager.             consider precautionary suspension
Major penalties will normally be given by an          Precautionary suspension should only be
employee’s second line manager of at least            considered when a serious incident occurs
Royal Mail Executive Manager Level 2 grade,           or is reported to a manager. It is important
Operations Manager in Parcelforce or equivalent       that all cases of precautionary suspension
who is in the direct reporting line and has had       only last as long as necessary. The main
the appropriate training. Managers in an acting       circumstances when it may be appropriate
or temporary promoted capacity have the               to consider precautionary suspension are:
authority of that grade. CWU graded employees
                                                      • Alleged inappropriate behaviour; for
whilst on acting duties will not have the authority
                                                        example, refusal to carry out a reasonable
to deal with conduct cases for managers under
                                                        instruction, violent or threatening behaviour
their control or to deal with major penalties
                                                      • Alleged serious breach of conduct, for example
cases. These minimum authority levels cannot
                                                        suspected or admitted theft or fraud, where
be altered without further national negotiations.
                                                        there is a reasonable belief that the alleged
In cases where a major penalty may be an                serious breach might be repeated and/
outcome, the fact finding must be carried               or there is a risk to people, property, mail
out by a manager other than the manager                 or the good image of Royal Mail Group
who will make the decision in the case.
                                                      • There is a reasonable belief that the
Training                                                investigation may be hampered if
Before undertaking a conduct investigation,             the employee remains at work
all managers, including acting and                    In the first instance, the manager should meet
temporary managers, must be trained                   with the employee to seek an explanation of the
in the application of the Conduct Policy              facts of the case. If the manager believes that
relevant to their level of authority.                 the incident is serious and there is a reasonable
                                                      belief that the serious breach might be repeated
Grievances                                            and/or there is a risk to people, property, mail
Complaints can be made through the Grievance          or the good image of Royal Mail Group, then
Policy where an employee has a problem                the manager should send the employee home.
or complaint about their work e.g. unhappy            Where an employee has been sent home the
about an instruction or where an employee             manager must contact HR Services Advice
is concerned about their employment. As               and Support to discuss the facts of the case.
the Conduct process has as inbuilt appeal,            The manager then decides what appropriate
employees are not able to raise a grievance           action to take given the circumstances.
regarding the decision of their conduct case.         Where the employee has refused to carry out
Employees who believe there have been                 a reasonable instruction they should be given
procedure errors should raise this during             10 minutes “cooling off” time to reconsider
the formal conduct meeting or appeal                  their actions. The employee should be
hearing. In exceptional circumstances, the            encouraged to see their union representative
employee can raise a grievance where                  during this period where possible.
they feel procedural errors have not been
addressed through the conduct process.
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Introducing the new Royal Mail Group Conduct Agreement - CWU
New Royal Mail Group Conduct Agreement

If an employee is suspended then that             When managers become aware of criminal
suspension must be kept under review; initially   actions involving an employee which may make
after 48 hours and then on a weekly basis. The    the employee unsuitable for their type of work,
review should take into account the seriousness   cause serious problems with other employees
and the continued risk to the business. It is     or unacceptable to the business, consideration
important that all cases of precautionary         should be given as to whether precautionary
suspension only last as long as necessary.        action is appropriate. Managers must contact
                                                  HR Services Advice and Support when they are
In most cases suspensions will be carried
                                                  made aware of an employee being involved in a
out by a unit manager, such as a Delivery
                                                  criminal action outside work before taking action.
Office Manager or an Operations Manager,
in larger units by the Shift Manager or an        Loss of or damage to property
appropriate manager. Royal Mail Group             All losses of property (including cash or
Security can suspend employees on the             valuables) or damage to property must be
authority of an appropriate manager.              reported to a manager. Where loss or damage
In all cases, whether the employee                is deliberate or attributable to negligence or
is suspended or not, the outcome of               carelessness, conduct action may be taken.
the case will not be affected.                    Gross misconduct
In cases where an employee is either              Some types of behaviour are so serious and
precautionary suspended or other precautionary    so unacceptable, if proved, as to warrant
action taken, the employee will be made           dismissal without notice (summary dismissal)
aware that it is not a formal penalty and         or pay in lieu of notice. It is not possible to
it does not suggest any prejudgment.              construct a definitive list of what constitutes
If a Royal Mail Group Security criminal           gross misconduct and in any event all cases
investigation is also taking place relating to    will be dealt with on their merits. However,
the case, managers must liaise with Security      the following examples show some types of
before making their decision on whether to        behaviour which, in certain circumstances,
suspend or allow an employee to return to         could be judged to be gross misconduct:
work following a suspension. This ensures         • Theft
that the incident is handled appropriately and    • Violence
that all relevant factors are considered.
                                                  • Abusive behaviour to customers or colleagues
Precautionary suspension will be with pay.
                                                  • Criminal acts against Royal Mail
Criminal actions outside                            Group or its employees
employment                                        • Intentional delay of mail
Criminal actions outside employment               • Deliberate disregard of health, safety and
should not be treated as automatic reasons          security procedures or instructions
for formal notification under the Conduct
                                                  • Unauthorised entry to computer records
Policy or contemplation of dismissal.
                                                  • A serious or persistent breach of the
Employees should not be dismissed solely            Continuous Disclosure and Communications
because a criminal charge against them is           Policy or the Share Dealing Policy
pending or because they are absent through
having been remanded in custody.

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National Conduct Agreement between Royal Mail Group, CWU and Unite

Conduct penalties                                      where there are reasons why the employee
Formal action in line with the Conduct Policy          cannot continue working in their current role.
will always be notified in writing. Each case will     Where compulsory transfer is being considered
be treated on its merits with conduct action           the manager should seek to minimise any
being taken as appropriate to the seriousness          potential financial loss e.g. increased travelling
of the issue. The penalties are outlined below.        expenses to the new office, loss of earnings and
                                                       pension entitlement, or personal hardship.
Warning
A record will be kept for a period of 12 months.       Dismissal with notice
                                                       Except in the case of proven gross
Serious warning                                        misconduct, dismissal will always be with
The period should be clearly specified                 notice. Where deemed appropriate, the
in the range of 12 to 24 months (up to                 requirement to work notice may be waived.
36 months in cases of dishonesty).
                                                       Dismissal without statutory notice
Serious warning with transfer                          Summary dismissal.
A serious warning can be accompanied by a              Where someone remains in employment
transfer to another job within the manager’s           following a major penalty, a record will be kept
area of authority. This should be reserved             for 24 months (up to 36 months if dishonesty
for cases where there are reasons why                  is involved).
the employee cannot continue to work in
their current role. Serious consideration
                                                       Review of compulsory transfer
must be given to the impact on earnings                Once the penalty has expired the employee
level and/ or pension entitlement.                     may ask to return to their previous office.
                                                       Where there are no barriers for this, the
Major penalties                                        employee can transfer back in line with
Suspended dismissal                                    normal Royal Mail Group policies.
The period should be clearly specified in the          Implementation of penalties
range of 12 to 24 months (up to 36 months              Normally, from the date the decision is
in cases of dishonesty); with it clearly set           announced, or on completion of an appeal if
out that any further serious breach of the             one is made. However, dismissals will take effect
Conduct Policy during that time could result in        from the date specified in the dismissal letter,
dismissal. The normal procedures would apply           which will normally include a period of notice.
in establishing whether any further breach had         It is not possible to provide a tariff of penalties.
occurred, and the employee would be given              Each case has to be judged on its own merits
clear notice in the subsequent invitation to a         and in the light of all the circumstances
conduct meeting that dismissal was a possibility.      including the employee’s record and service
                                                       and any mitigation with the aim of being
Suspended dismissal with
                                                       corrective. Penalties may be more serious
a compulsory transfer
                                                       where frequent breaches have occurred.
This means compulsory transfer both within
and outside the manager’s area of responsibility.      Repeated breaches of Conduct
This should be reserved for the most serious           Where an employee has a number of
cases where dismissal is being considered or           misconduct cases upheld it may be necessary

                                                                                                          11
New Royal Mail Group Conduct Agreement

to take more severe action than a particular        their union representative or a colleague
breach of conduct calls for by itself. For          normally from the same work location, who
example, someone who has a number of                may assist them to present their case.
current serious warnings may face dismissal.        The appeal is a hearing at which the appropriate
In such cases, when the person is invited to        appeal manager will rehear the case in its
the conduct meeting to deal with the latest         entirety. It is the employee’s opportunity to state
breach, the invitation letter will make it clear    their case why the penalty should be set aside
what conduct penalty is being considered            or reduced. The result could be revoking or
and that this is because of the number of           confirming the decision, or reducing the penalty.
previous penalties. However, this is not an
                                                    For appeals against warnings or serious
automatic reason for more severe action.
                                                    warnings the appeal will normally be held
Mutually agreed outcome                             out of line (or for geographical reasons
- downgrading                                       at an adjacent unit) at the next level of
This should be reserved for the most serious        authority to where the decision was made.
cases where dismissal is being considered.          Appeals against major penalties (action
It may also lead to loss of earnings and            short of dismissal or dismissal) will normally
pension entitlement and full account should         be held by an appeals manager.
be taken of any personal hardship before it is      In some cases, further investigation will be
agreed with an employee and takes effect.           required in which case the hearing may
Downgrading may only be used where the              be adjourned by the appeals manager.
employee agrees to the new role at a lower          The employee will be made fully aware
level, and managers must contact HR                 of any relevant new evidence, copies of
Services Advice and Support when they               which will be provided, and they will be
are considering downgrading.                        given sufficient and reasonable time to
                                                    consider it with their representative.
This is not a conduct penalty. It is a mutually
agreed outcome.                                     The employee will normally be told the
                                                    outcome of the appeal face to face as soon as
Appeal Procedure                                    is reasonably practical. Timescales for appeals
Every employee has the right to appeal against      will depend on the level of investigation required
a conduct penalty. If the employee wishes           and availability of key personnel. The employee
to appeal, they should tell the manager who         should be kept informed of when their appeal
imposed the penalty within three working days       will be concluded. The appeals manager
of them having received a written explanation       may extend the notice period if more time is
of the penalty. Employees will be encouraged        required by them to conclude the appeal.
to state their grounds for appeal. A hearing will   In all cases the employee will receive
then be arranged and held as soon as possible       a written notification of the decision,
and within two weeks (up to serious warning)        with the reasons for it.
or within four weeks (for major penalties).         In the event of a successful appeal and
The employee will be notified in writing of         consequential reinstatement, continuity
the time, place and manager dealing with the        of employment will be preserved.
appeal at least five working days beforehand.
If the employee appeals against a conduct
penalty, they can be accompanied by

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National Conduct Agreement between Royal Mail Group, CWU and Unite

Safeguarding customers’ mail                          Intentional delay
Delay to customers’ mail                              Intentional delay of mail is classed as
Our customers trust us to collect process             gross misconduct which, if proven, could
and deliver their mail securely.                      lead to dismissal. The test to determine
                                                      whether actions may be considered as
The responsibility for avoiding delay to
                                                      intentional delay, is whether the action
the mail and giving it prompt and correct
                                                      taken by the employee was knowingly
treatment is one of the most important
                                                      deliberate, with an intention to delay mail.
duties of all Royal Mail Group employees.
                                                      Where proven, such breaches of conduct
Training                                              can lead to dismissal, even for a first offence;
It is essential that all Royal Mail Group employees   indeed intentional delay is a criminal
receive the correct training and support to           offence and can result in prosecution.
enable them to provide an excellent service to
our customers and complete their work entirely        Precautionary suspension
in accordance with the requirements of the job.       Precautionary suspension for delay to the mail
                                                      should not be automatic. The decision to
Managers are responsible for ensuring
                                                      suspend should only be taken after careful
appropriate training is delivered to all
                                                      consideration and an investigation of
employees. Employees who feel they need
coaching or training may discuss this with            the delay has been carried out.
their manager or workplace coach.                     Security of the mail
Delay to mail                                         Royal Mail Group has an obligation to minimise
Delay to mail can be treated as:                      the risk of loss, theft, damage and interference
                                                      to mail.
• Unintentional delay
                                                      Deliberate breach of security procedures,
• Unexcused delay
                                                      intentional delay and theft may all be classified
• Intentional delay                                   as gross misconduct and can result in dismissal
Unintentional delay                                   without notice, even for a first offence.
Royal Mail Group recognises that genuine              Royal Mail Group expects high standards from
mistakes and misunderstandings do occur and           employees when dealing with the protection
it is not our intention that such cases should        of mail in its possession and everyone in the
be dealt with under the Conduct Policy beyond         business has a responsibility and part to play in
informal discussions for the isolated instance.       maintaining the appropriate level of protection.

Unexcused delay                                       When mail is put at risk and when any
                                                      Security Standards or related Standard
Various actions can cause mail to be delayed,
                                                      Operating Procedures are broken, the matter
for example carelessness or negligence
leading to loss or delay of customers’ mail, or       must be fully investigated and action may
breach or disregard of a standard or guideline.       be taken in line with the Conduct Policy.
Such instances are to be distinguished from           Royal Mail Group is responsible for
intentional delay (see below), although they          protecting the security of the mail by
may also be treated as misconduct and dealt           making all employees aware of and have
with under the Conduct Policy, outcomes may           access to the security standards and related
range from an informal discussion to dismissal.       procedures required in their role.

                                                                                                         13
New Royal Mail Group Conduct Agreement

Employees have the responsibility to                Information on the approach to Unite/CMA
comply with the standards and have the              representatives can be found in Appendix 4
responsibility of reporting when these are not      of the CMA IR Framework.
met. For example, reporting any instances
of loss, theft, damage or interference.
                                                    Review
                                                    This agreement will be reviewed at
Deliberate breach of security procedures
                                                    national level after three months and then
and theft may be classified as gross
                                                    subsequently every six months, to monitor
misconduct and can result in dismissal
                                                    the outputs of its use and application.
without notice, even for a first offence.
                                                    In addition, this will specifically look to
Trade union representatives                         understand the number of precautionary
The standards contained within the Conduct          suspensions and cases progressed under the
Agreement apply to all employees. However, it       procedure, how many were resolved informally,
is accepted that conduct action against a trade     how many resolved at the fact finding stage,
union official/representative can be misconstrued   how many resolved at the formal conduct stage
as a potential way of harming the union. The        and how many were subject to the appeal
long term aim will be to avoid such a perception.   process. The review will also cover the outcome
Information on the approach to                      of each of these stages so that going forward,
CWU representatives can be found in                 a robust monitoring system can be put in place.
the Conduct Policy – Approach for
Union Representatives Guide.

     Annex 1: Royal
                                                    reason, Royal Mail employees should
                                                    attempt to correct the problem efficiently
     Mail Delivery –                                and effectively as soon as possible.

     Avoiding delay                                 General rules
                                                    • Employees must be made aware
     Local work plan                                  that mail must never be taken home
     Delay to mail is a serious matter and could      at the end of a delivery. Correct
     potentially be unlawful. All employees           endorsement procedures and correct
     have a responsibility to ensure all items        use of the pouching off wallet,
     are processed in accordance with the             where appropriate, will avoid this
     local workplan. All employees will be          • Under normal circumstances, if
     made aware of the local workplan                 procedures have been followed, no
     and the specific requirements of the             conduct action will be taken against
     particular job roles they will perform.          individuals if it is not possible to deliver
     Any time mail is delayed, for whatever           all mail within their scheduled time

14
National Conduct Agreement between Royal Mail Group, CWU and Unite

• The main aim will be to avoid the             record. The employee can have access
  circumstances that may pose operational       to this record and may ask to see it prior
  difficulties to an employee and to find       to commencement of their delivery.
  ways of overcoming any potential
  problem at an early stage. It is also         The employee should be encouraged to
  important that all employees are made         see their union representative if agreement
  fully aware of the implications of delaying   cannot be reached. Instances where
  mail and the possible consequences            there is a difference of opinion between
                                                the employee and the manager about
• Measures must be put in place to
                                                what is possible during the shift will be
  advise employees on the course of
                                                looked at individually within the unit
  action to be taken when difficulties
                                                on the basis of factual evidence. Such
  arise when managers are unavailable
                                                differences will be addressed prior to the
Prior to commencement                           employee leaving the office for delivery.
of delivery
                                                The employee and manager should
On completion of their preparation, where
                                                agree a specified time to phone if full
an employee believes that they may
                                                completion of delivery workload within the
experience difficulty in completing their
                                                allocated time proves not to be possible. If
delivery within the authorised time allotted,
they should approach their manager              it becomes obvious that the delivery may
as soon as possible before setting out          be a problem, the employee can contact
on delivery. It will be for the manager         the manager before the arranged time.
to discuss any problem and advise the
employee what particular action should          After commencement
be taken, including the consideration of        of delivery
collection on delivery around associated        Where an employee is prevented from
postboxes to enable USO compliance.             completing their delivery for any reason,
                                                it is essential that this is reported
When an employee has requested                  immediately, either by returning to the
assistance on delivery, but the manager         office or by phone. A written record
believes that assistance is not required,       will be kept.
the decision, along with the advice given
to the employee, should be recorded and         All employees should be informed of the
associated with the daily traffic volume        local authorised arrangements in writing.

                                                                                               15
New Royal Mail Group Conduct Agreement

Conduct Policy

The Policy                                Agreement
The Conduct Policy outlines the           In the event of any inconsistency
approach that will be taken if an         between this policy; the conduct
employee does not meet the expected       guides and the Conduct Agreement,
standards of conduct and behaviour.       the terms of the Conduct Agreement
Resolving issues informally with          takes precedence.
support and guidance will be used
where appropriate to encourage
improvement. Only where the issue
is potentially more serious will formal
conduct action be considered as
outlined below.
Scope
This policy applies to all employees
working for Royal Mail Group. This
policy does not apply to agency staff,
contractors or self-employed workers.
This policy does not form part of
contracts of employment. Royal Mail
Group reserves the right to amend
this policy from time to time.

16
Conduct Policy

                                                    • An employee will be given an explanation
Guiding principles
                                                      for any penalty given and have the right to
• The business will make employees
                                                      appeal against any conduct penalty imposed
  aware of the expected standards
  of conduct and behaviour                          • When progressing a case and completely
                                                      new information regarding a different
• Employees should make every effort
                                                      incident comes to light, then a further
  to meet the business standards
                                                      conduct notification will be made to the
  of conduct and behaviour
                                                      employee including the specific details
• Resolving conduct issues informally
                                                    • Where further evidence comes to light
  and with support and guidance will be
                                                      regarding the original conduct case e.g. its
  considered when appropriate to encourage
                                                      seriousness, the original case will continue
  employees to improve behaviour
                                                    • Cases will be handled as speedily as possible
• Conduct and behaviour should be managed
                                                      and where there is significant delay, the
  by providing constructive feedback. All
                                                      employee will be notified of the reason
  conversations will be consistent with the
                                                      and when a decision is to be made
  general requirement that we all treat each
  other with dignity and respect. At every          • Managers may seek advice and
  stage in the procedure the employee will be         guidance from HR Services Advice
  advised of the full nature of the allegation        & Support where appropriate
  and the action that might be taken against        Employee obligations
  them and will be given the opportunity to         Royal Mail Group requires all employees to:
  state their case before any decision is made
                                                    • Take a responsible approach to their
• The employee will be made fully                     work, customers and fellow employees
  aware of the evidence. Copies of all
  documents will be provided in a timely            • Maintain standards of conduct
  manner in line with the procedure                   appropriate to their role

• No conduct action will be taken                   • Seek help as soon as they recognise
  against an employee until the case                  that they are in a situation which could
  has been fully investigated                         compromise their behaviour or if they
                                                      have any concerns regarding their job
• No employee will be dismissed for a first
  breach of conduct except in the case              • Follow any reasonable instructions
  of gross misconduct when the penalty                of their manager
  will normally be dismissal without                Employees charged with a criminal offence
  notice or payment in lieu of notice               must notify Royal Mail Group as soon as
• Notification of action in line with the Conduct   possible. Employees are not required to
  Policy will only be made when sufficient          let Royal Mail Group know about minor
  facts of the case have been determined            offences, e.g. minor traffic offences.

• At all stages of the formal procedure             Conduct approach
  (i.e. excluding informal) the employee            All conduct cases will be dealt with promptly.
  will have the right to be represented             Issues can be dealt with informally or formally
  by their union representative or be               depending on the nature of the issue.
  accompanied by a work colleague
  normally from the same work location

                                                                                                      17
New Royal Mail Group Conduct Agreement

                                                   the penalty appropriate would be likely to
Informal resolution
                                                   be within or outside their authority. If they
Informal resolution can help to resolve many
                                                   feel a major penalty is a possible outcome,
minor conduct or behaviour issues before they
                                                   they must at that stage pass it to another
become more serious. The right word, at the
                                                   manager, normally the second line manager.
right time and in the right way may be all that
is needed to resolve the situation. Sometimes      The manager progressing the case will invite
the employee may not be aware that their           the employee to attend a formal conduct
conduct or behaviour is unsatisfactory.            meeting. The manager must also include
                                                   copies of any notes or evidence that will be
Where the right word at the right time has
                                                   referred to during the meeting. The employee
not resulted in an improvement in conduct or
                                                   has the right to be accompanied by their
behaviour, the manager can arrange to meet
                                                   union representative or a work colleague
with the employee for an informal discussion.
                                                   normally from the same work location.
The purpose of an informal discussion is for the
manager and the employee to resolve the issue      Following the formal meeting the manager
without needing to use the formal process. If      makes the decision whether the allegation is
the employee wishes they can meet with their       upheld and what penalty should apply. The
union rep before meeting with their manager.       manager should let the employee know their
                                                   decision as soon as possible, normally face to
Formal conduct process                             face where practical. They should also notify
In more serious cases it will be necessary         the employee of their decision in writing.
to proceed straight away to the formal
conduct process.
                                                   Authority levels
                                                   The authority to give warnings and serious
Fact finding                                       warnings lies with the immediate manager.
When it is considered that an employee’s conduct   Major penalties will normally be given by
or behaviour has not met the required standard,    an employee’s second line manager of at
the employee’s manager will make a prompt          least Royal Mail Executive Manager Level 2
and detailed investigation of the facts and may    grade, Operations Manager in Parcelforce
seek a more detailed explanation from the          or equivalent who is in the direct reporting
employee. It may include examination of relevant   line. Managers in an acting or temporary
documents and a fact finding meeting where         promoted capacity have the authority of that
the employee has a right to be accompanied         grade. CWU graded employees whilst on
by their union representative or by a work         acting duties will not have the authority to deal
colleague normally from the same work location.    with conduct cases for managers under their
Following the fact finding meeting the             control or to deal with major penalties cases.
manager should consider the information
available and decide whether the case
                                                   Precautionary suspension
can be dealt with informally, formally or          Precautionary suspension should only be
closed if there is no case to answer.              considered when a serious incident occurs
                                                   or is reported to a manager. It is important
Progressing a case formally                        that all cases of precautionary suspension
If the manager who conducts the fact finding       only last as long as necessary. The main
feels there is a case to answer, they must         circumstances when it may be appropriate
decide whether, if the allegation is proven,       to consider precautionary suspension are:

18
Conduct Policy

• Alleged inappropriate behaviour; for             the case, managers must liaise with Security
  example refusal to carry out a reasonable        before making their decision on whether to
  instruction, violent or threatening behaviour    suspend or allow an employee to return to
• Alleged serious breach of conduct for example    work following a suspension. This ensures
  suspected or admitted theft or fraud, where      that the incident is handled appropriately and
  there is a reasonable belief that the alleged    that all relevant factors are considered.
  serious breach might be repeated and/            Precautionary suspension will be with pay.
  or there is a risk to people, property, mail
  or the good image of Royal Mail Group            Criminal actions outside
                                                   employment
• There is a reasonable belief that the
  investigation may be hampered if                 Criminal actions outside employment
  the employee remains at work                     should not be treated as automatic
                                                   reasons for formal notification under this
The manager should meet with the employee
                                                   policy or contemplation of dismissal.
to seek an explanation of the facts of the case.
If the manager believes that the incident is       Employees should not be dismissed solely
serious and there is a reasonable belief that      because a criminal charge against them is
the serious breach might be repeated and/          pending or because they are absent through
or there is a risk to people, property, mail or    having been remanded in custody.
the good image of Royal Mail Group then the        Gross misconduct
manager should send the employee home.
                                                   Some types of behaviour are so serious and
Where an employee has been sent home the
                                                   so unacceptable, if proved, as to warrant
manager must contact HR Services Advice
                                                   dismissal without notice (summary dismissal)
and Support to discuss the facts of the case.
                                                   or pay in lieu of notice. It is not possible to
The manager then decides what appropriate
                                                   construct a definitive list of what constitutes
action to take given the circumstances.
                                                   gross misconduct and in any event all cases
Where the employee has refused to carry out        will be dealt with on their merits. However,
a reasonable instruction they should be given      the following examples show some types of
10 minutes “cooling off” time to reconsider        behaviour which in certain circumstances
their actions. The employee should be
                                                   could be judged to be gross misconduct:
encouraged to see their union representative
during this period where possible.                 • Theft
If an employee is suspended then that              • Violence
suspension must be kept under review; initially    • Abusive behaviour to customers or colleagues
after 48 hours and then on a weekly basis. The     • Criminal acts against Royal Mail
review should take into account the seriousness      Group or its employees
and the continued risk to the business. It is
                                                   • Intentional delay of mail
important that all cases of precautionary
suspension only last as long as necessary.         • Deliberate disregard of health, safety and
In all cases, whether the employee is suspended      security procedures or instructions
or not, the outcome of the case will not           • Unauthorised entry to computer records
be affected.                                       • A serious or persistent breach of the
If a Royal Mail Group Security criminal              Continuous Disclosure and Communications
investigation is also taking place relating to       Policy or the Share Dealing Policy

                                                                                                     19
New Royal Mail Group Conduct Agreement

Conduct penalties
Formal action in line with the Conduct Policy will always be notified in writing. Each
case will be treated on its merits with conduct action being taken as appropriate
to the seriousness of the issue. The penalties are outlined below:

 Authority level                        Penalty                            Timescale

 First and second line level            Warning                            12 months
                                        Serious warning
                                        Serious warning with transfer
                                        within area
                                                                           12 to 24 months (up to
 Second line level                      Suspended dismissal                36 months for dishonesty)
                                        Suspended dismissal with
                                        compulsory transfer within
                                        or outside area
                                        Dismissal with notice
                                        Dismissal without statutory
                                        notice (summary dismissal)

Implementation of penalties                               Repeated breaches of the policy
Normally, from the date the decision is                   Where an employee has a number of
announced, or on completion of an appeal if               misconduct cases upheld, it may be necessary
one is made. However, dismissals will take effect         to take more severe action than a particular
from the date specified in the dismissal letter,          breach of conduct calls for by itself. For
which will normally include a period of notice.           example, someone who has a number of
                                                          current serious warnings may face dismissal.
It is not possible to provide a tariff of penalties.      In such cases, when the person is invited to
Each case has to be judged on its own merits              the conduct meeting to deal with the latest
and in the light of all the circumstances                 breach, the invitation letter will make it clear
including the employee’s record and service               what conduct penalty is being considered
and any mitigation with the aim of being                  and that this is because of the number of
corrective. Penalties may be more serious                 previous penalties. However, this is not an
where frequent breaches have occurred.                    automatic reason for more severe action.

20
Conduct Policy

Mutually agreed outcome -                           The appeal is a hearing at which the appropriate
downgrading                                         appeal manager will rehear the case. It is the
This should be reserved for the most serious        employee’s opportunity to state their case why
cases where dismissal is being considered.          the penalty should be set aside or reduced.
It may also lead to loss of earnings and            The result could be revoking or confirming
pension entitlement and full account should         the decision, or reducing the penalty.
be taken of any personal hardship before it is      For appeals against warnings or serious
agreed with an employee and takes effect.           warnings the appeal will normally be held
Downgrading may only be used where                  out of line (or for geographical reasons
the employee agrees to the new role at a            at an adjacent unit) at the next level of
lower level, and managers must contact              authority to where the decision was made.
HR Services Advice and Support when                 Appeals against major penalties (action
they are considering downgrading.                   short of dismissal or dismissal) will normally
This is not a conduct penalty. It is a              be held by an appeals manager.
mutually agreed alternative outcome.                In the event of a successful appeal and
                                                    consequential reinstatement, continuity
Appeal process                                      of employment will be preserved.
Every employee has the right to appeal against
a conduct penalty. If the employee wishes           Trade union representatives
to appeal, they should tell the manager who         The standards contained within the Conduct
imposed the penalty within three working days       Agreement apply to all employees. The
of them having received a written explanation       business and unions have agreed a different
of the penalty. Employees will be encouraged        approach to dealing with union representatives
to state their grounds for appeal. A hearing will   through the Conduct Policy. Information on
then be arranged and held as soon as possible       the approach to CWU representatives can be
and within two weeks (up to serious warning)        found in the Conduct Policy – Approach for
or within four weeks (for major penalties).         Union Representatives Guide. For Unite/CMA
The employee will be notified in writing of         representatives, information can be found
the time, place and manager dealing with the        in Appendix 4 of the CMA IR Framework.
appeal at least five working days beforehand.
If the employee appeals against a conduct
penalty, they can be accompanied by their
relevant union representative or a colleague
normally from the same work location, that
who may assist them to present their case.

                                                                                                     21
New Royal
Conduct Guides
          Mail Group Conduct Agreement

Conduct Guides

Informal Discussions .................... 23
Fact finding ................................... 26
Conduct Meetings ......................... 30
Decision Making
and Report Writing ....................... 36
When to Consider
Precautionary Suspension ........... 41
Security of Customers’ Mail ......... 46
Managing Employees
who are on Precautionary
Suspension Due to a
Criminal Investigation .................. 48
Late Attendance ........................... 49
Right to an Appeal ........................ 51
Approach for Union
Representatives ............................ 53
Absent Whilst on
Formal Procedure ......................... 55

22
Informal Discussions

Informal Discussions
Overview
This guide sets out how to manage and
support employees to improve their conduct
or behaviour using an informal approach.
This should be read in conjunction with the
Conduct Policy, as well as the related guidance
documents listed in the ‘related forms and
documents’ section later in the guide.

Purpose
Royal Mail Group expects its employees to
maintain high standards of conduct and to
adhere to our business standards. There
may however be times when an employee’s
conduct or behaviour falls short of the expected
standards. Managers should consider if the
issue can be dealt with informally in the first
instance, as often the right word at the right     Formal conduct outcomes
time can make a difference. An informal            Following a formal conduct meeting and
discussion may be held following a formal          investigation, the manager can decide that the
conduct investigation. There may also be           case can be dealt with informally and the case
occasions where the employee wants to talk         will be closed with an informal discussion.
to their manager on an informal basis. This
guide deals with how a manager can deal            Informal discussion
with issues through informal discussions.          Where an employee’s conduct or behaviour
                                                   has been or becomes a cause of concern,
Informal resolution                                an informal discussion should normally take
Where an employee’s conduct or behaviour           place to identify and address any issues.
is unsatisfactory, a manager, normally the
                                                   The purpose of an informal discussion is to:
employee’s manager, should decide if the
issue could be dealt with informally. Once the     • Make the employee aware of the
manager has decided that the issue can be            reason why the manager has concerns
dealt with informally, they would not move to        about their conduct or behaviour
the formal process unless there are exceptional    • Provide an opportunity for the manager to
circumstances. Informal discussions can help         discuss their concerns with the employee
to resolve the minor conduct or behavioural          and for the employee to provide an
issue before it becomes more serious.                explanation for their conduct or behaviour

                                                                                                    23
New Royal Mail Group Conduct Agreement

• Provide an opportunity for the manager           • Nature of work, shift system, recent
  to understand the employee’s reasons               changes to the demands of the job
  behind their conduct or behaviour                • Actions required by the employee to
  and to take these into account                     improve their conduct or behaviour
• Ensure that the employee understands             • A review of the support that may be
  what conduct or behavioural standards are          required by the employee including any
  expected and that they are reminded of             additional coaching, training or information
  the consequences of failing to meet them
                                                   • A reminder of the support that
• Identify any steps that can be taken by either     Royal Mail Group can offer, including, if
  the employee or Royal Mail Group to assist and     appropriate, the Feeling First Class Support
  support the employee to meet the standards         helpline and Occupational Health
• Provide the opportunity for the employee         • A reminder of standards and potential
  to ask to meet with their manager to               consequences of not meeting them
  discuss any concerns that they may
                                                   The approach should be both sympathetic
  have about the standards of conduct
                                                   and supportive. It should be clearly focused
  or behaviour expected of them
                                                   on achieving improvement and maintaining
The manager would normally meet with               standards. The manager and the employee
the employee for an informal discussion on         will jointly identify any support measures that
the day of the incident or when behaviour is       may need to be considered. The manager
becoming a cause of concern. The manager           should take time to ensure that the employee
should advise the employee that they will need     understands why they have a concern. The
to attend an informal discussion and make          manager should factor in any mitigating
it clear that the meeting is not part of the       circumstances that may have caused a
formal process. If the employee wishes, they       temporary change in conduct or behaviour
can consult with their union representative        e.g. personal events or changes at work.
before the meeting. If any documents are
used in the informal discussion these should       Where improvement is required, it is important
be shared at the start of the meeting.             that the employee understands what needs to
                                                   be done and how their behaviour or conduct
The employee can also ask their                    will be reviewed. The employee should be
manager for an informal discussion if              informed that if there is no improvement, the
they have any concerns or questions.               next stage may be the formal conduct process.
An informal discussion is an opportunity           Where the employee’s conduct or behaviour does
for the employee and manager to discuss            not improve following an informal discussion,
the issues and may cover such areas as:            consideration should be given to moving to the
• Explaining how the standards of conduct          formal conduct process. For further information,
  or behaviour have not been met                   please refer to the Fact Finding Guide.
• Evidence and feedback on the cause of concern
• The reasons behind the conduct or behaviour
• Other problems either in or outside of work

24
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