To: All Mandate Members – Brown Thomas Arnotts
Re: Vaccination Process
17 June 2021
Dear Member,
Further to correspondence sent by the undersigned to the company on the 8th June 2021 (see below) regarding the vaccination process, please be advised that Brown Thomas Arnotts has confirmed that they “will make every effort to facilitate team members’ attendance for vaccination”. They further stated the following:
“To clarify, if team members receive a text invite to attend their vaccination appointment within the current working week, rosters will be changed and alternative hours will be given. In my letter of 4th of June, ‘little or no notice’ referred to the notice of an appointment being received on the same day as appointment, meaning the team member leaving their department. Again we will endeavour to accommodate the team member to attend where possible. Unless the team member has an adverse reaction they will be expected to return to work on the same day. Absence following the vaccination will be treated in line with our absence and attendance
policy. Team members may be asked to provide an appointment card/text confirming the time and date of their vaccination”.
If you have any queries in relation to the vaccination process in your store, please do not hesitate to contact your local Mandate office.
Yours fraternally
For Mandate Trade Union
Jonathan Hogan
National Coordinator
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Ms Julie Sharp
People Director
Brown Thomas / Arnotts
88-95 Grafton Street
Dublin 2
JH/SB
8 June 2021
Re: Vaccination Process
Dear Ms Sharp
Thank you for your response of 4 June regarding the vaccination process. Firstly I wish to acknowledge the way in which our members were paid during the lockdown by the company and Mandate’s intention to work and support the traditional bricks and mortar retail sector, while always placing our members’ interests to the forefront of those objectives.
The rollout of the vaccination process by government is a public health response to the pandemic and Mandate’s aim is to ensure in so far as we can, that frontline workers are supported in whatever decision they make in relation to the Covid vaccination. To this end, we don’t believe any worker should be at a financial loss for choosing to be vaccinated. I understand from reading your correspondence that where notice is given, the adjustment to rosters will be prioritised, but not guaranteed, however where there is little or no notice given, time off will be granted to workers at their own expense.
Currently individuals receive a couple of days’ notice from the HSE/GP for vaccination appointments. The rollout of these times are circulated by SMS and are primarily unilateral in nature on the part of the service provider. For the purpose of clarification, if individuals receive a text invite to attend their vaccination appointment, albeit within their current working week, is the company suggesting that rosters can be changed and alternative hours will be given. It is unclear from the company’s letter as to what is deemed “little or no notice”.
Yours sincerely
For Mandate Trade Union
Jonathan Hogan
National Coordinator
cc Sarah Murray, Business Partner