We have been made aware that some managers, when making occupational health referrals in relation to the absence management process, are asking people to also give permission for the manager’s manager to have sight of the report. Due to several queries, this is to advise our members that you do not have to give permission for anyone other than your line manager who is making the referral to see it, and there should be no consequences to this either. This is the advice we have been given today in relation to this:
They can just give consent for the line manager. It will be the line manager making the referral. The employee can state they only want the report seen by the referring manager and no other managers added to the referral. If no other names are on the referral then it will go just to the line manager.
The individual would need to specify before the referral is submitted that they just want the line manager to have sight so no further names are added as additional managers.
We would encourage all members to seek initial support from their local branch, if they are concerned about this. Further concerns can be raised with, or guidance sought from, myself (cdoherty@napo.org.uk) and Ranjit (rsingh@napo.org.uk)