Public and Commercial Services Union

PCS groups, bargaining units and national branches each have systems in place to deal with all personal cases that are notified to the union.

It may be that a request for assistance is received in PCS HQ which needs to be forwarded to a relevant representative.

Similarly, a local PCS representative may require assistance from PCS officers or a PCS department.

Personal case systems are designed to ensure that members receive the assistance they need promptly and that inexperienced reps are not left on their own to deal with complicated cases.

Typically they will include:

• the roles and responsibilities of representatives and officers within the group, bargaining unit or national branch
• officers with access to telephone legal advice
• the role of regional or head office staff
• contact details for all officers
• systems for escalation of cases, with possible flow chart

You may wish to refer to group specific guidance on policies and procedures appropriate to your workplace.

The procedures themselves can also be found on intranet sites.

Many of these policies have been subject to consultation with PCS. When dealing with personal cases it is also worth checking for local agreements and working practices.

Management should circulate policies regularly so that staff are aware of them. Check to see what the arrangements are for circulating information around your office.

Many PCS groups, bargaining units and national branches have their own guides to help representatives handle personal cases.

These are particularly important as there may be specific policies and procedures relevant to your workplace. These may include:

• sickness/absence procedures and advice
• discipline/inefficiency
• grievance
• harassment and bullying
• stress at work
• complaints procedures.

Groups and bargaining units are responsible for producing these guides. Please contact your group or bargaining unit for further information.