sick days - Page 2

DeltAlum · #16 12-10-2002, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ladybug1116
I know that sick days often do not "roll over" from year to year which means at that end of that year the employee will "lose" the sick days if they go unused. The employee will often feel that this is a benefit owed to them.

Ladybug,

In a company of any size, a certain amount of overtime, or additional "summer vacation" help is budgeted for. If sick days were meant to be used, a company would budget to cover that amount of time for every employee -- and sick days might as well be billed as additional vacation.

What they are really meant to be is a benefit like health insurance. You hope you don't need it, but a good company will provide it because they value their employees and their families. And, like insurance, that benefit shouldn't be used unless it's necessary. It drives the cost of doing business up, which, in the end, drives up prices, and we all end up paying for it.

And, in reality, the company doesn't "owe" any sick days to anyone. It could just as easily be "no work/no pay." If your company is good enough to allow time off for illness, etc., and particularly if you can accrue it for more serious illness, injury or pregnancy -- be thankful.

Also, if you misuse your sick time, remember that one of your fellow employees will probably have to do both of your work -- or in the case of 24/7 kinds of business (like TV, where I've spent most of my career), someone will be forced to come in on his/her day off.

ADPi~Ally · #17 12-10-2002, 06:04 PM

I don't get sick days. I'm a student assistant. We are paid hourly abd have no benefits. So if I'm not there, I don't get paid. It sucks.

DeltAlum · #18 12-10-2002, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ADPi~Ally
I don't get sick days. I'm a student assistant. We are paid hourly abd have no benefits. So if I'm not there, I don't get paid. It sucks.

Which underscores the point I was trying to make above:

"And, in reality, the company doesn't "owe" any sick days to anyone. It could just as easily be "no work/no pay." If your company is good enough to allow time off for illness, etc., and particularly if you can accrue it for more serious illness, injury or pregnancy -- be thankful."

This situation is not unusual. It's also not unusual for part time people to have no company benefits whatsoever.

aephi alum · #19 12-10-2002, 07:51 PM

I'm working on a contract basis, so I don't get sick time, or vacation time, or holiday pay, or anything

At my last permanent job, we got 3 weeks vacation, 3 floating holidays, and I think 9 fixed holidays. If you were sick, you called in and stayed home for the day - there wasn't a bank of sick time that you earned and then spent - but if you abused it, you would be subject to disciplinary action.

Feel better, alphachiohmy

Optimist Prime · #20 12-11-2002, 05:42 AM

Actors get no sick days. What's up with that cough? I don't know. I'll try not to do it stage. It turned out to be pnemonia. I'm the most hardcore person alive.

Even in my performance class cannot miss it. I'm the only one who can do what I do. Its like that for everyone. If one person misses then the whole thing gets behind and is not as good. I think that's why its required to give money to AEA health care fund if you hire a union actor.

ladybug1116 · #21 12-11-2002, 12:16 PM

DeltAlum---

I'm not speaking from personal perspective on the sick day issue. I was playing devil's advocate as to why people abuse the system. It seems that there is no instant penalty for abuse...and many times those that have abused the system are long gone by the time new/stricter policies have taken affect. I think this is part of the reason why my company has gone to a "one bank" system. If people want to take vacation they'll know not to call in sick when it's not really needed.

NavaneUK · #22 12-11-2002, 03:11 PM

Here in the United Kingdom they take a much more employee-friendly approach to vacation time.

On average, employees get 23 days for vacation in addition to the 9 days for public holidays. As a university employee, I would also get 6 extra days for university holidays. Apparently sick leave is not tabluated - that is, if you're sick, you don't come in to work. You still get paid, but if your boss gets suspicious you could get busted. My boyfriend works for a bank and he gets 30 vacation days per year plus the 9 public holidays!

.....Kelly

#23 12-11-2002, 04:55 PM

We receive 5 days of "personal time" and two weeks of vacation per year. Our personal time is for any sort of last minute time off - doctor's appointments, sick days, "mental health" days, etc. We are actually encouraged to use all of them, because if we don't, we get paid for any unused time at the end of the year, and that means the company pays us twice (and they sure don't want to do that!)

Our vacation time is pretty much that... they prefer if you sign up for it ahead of time, but if you're out of personal days and you are sick, it's not a problem to call up and use a vacation day. Those we don't get paid for those if we don't use them.

BabyBlue91 · #24 12-11-2002, 04:57 PM

I work at a community college. We get 15 sick days a year. Of course, the college will need to see documentation if you are close to exhausting them all. (I've only taken two this year.)

Depending on your union, you get a minimum of 10 up to a maximum of 22 vacation days a year. (That doesn't count Fridays during the summer, when we are also off.)

I have reviewed HR files here, and if a manager knows/suspects you've called out for a bogus reason, they will not hesitate to add a memo to your file. Example: a manager informed her staff in advance that everyone needed to be in on a particular day. The receptionist called out that day. The manager found out that the rest of the staff already knew she would be out, and she had scheduled a student temp to cover for her! This chick's lucky all she got was a letter in her file.

DeltAlum · #25 12-11-2002, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ladybug1116
DeltAlum---

I'm not speaking from personal perspective on the sick day issue. I was playing devil's advocate as to why people abuse the system. It seems that there is no instant penalty for abuse...and many times those that have abused the system are long gone by the time new/stricter policies have taken affect. I think this is part of the reason why my company has gone to a "one bank" system. If people want to take vacation they'll know not to call in sick when it's not really needed.

That's true sometimes.

Another thing to consider, though, is that sooner or later the abuser is going to need a recommendation, or for a former employer to confirm his/her employment. Would you, as a manager, hire someone who took every possible second off every year.

Actions sometimes speak louder than words.

Optimist Prime · #26 12-11-2002, 05:46 PM

I think calling in sick is a cop out. Especially if you hate your job. That way you can infect your coworkers. "you okay to be here? *coughs in face* yeah i'm fine"

ladybug1116 · #27 12-11-2002, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DeltAlum
Would you, as a manager, hire someone who took every possible second off every year.

That is a very valid point. One that I think a lot of people should (but don't) take into consideration. Although the type of individual who takes every second off is usually the one who is in the door right at 8:00 and out right at 4:30....what about the ones who bust their butts working late consistently and taking on extra work...who then also take all the vacation time offered to them because they need it for their morale/sanity/whatever. These are the ones who abide by the "work hard, play hard" philosophy...

justamom · #28 12-11-2002, 07:06 PM

I wrote the following yesterday, but GC wouldn't let me post. I KNOW none of US would abuse the system, so I'm NOT pointing any fingers.
>>>May I join your band wagon Delt Alum?

We are a VERY small business-3 including me (I pretty much leave around 10:00). We are open 4-41/2 days per week. We pay for you NOT to take a sick day. That's right-at the end of the year, if you didn't take a sick day, you get a weeks bonus on top of a friendly Christmas bonus. We hired a new assistant last year and honestly I loved her...as a person. She missed the equivalent of 4 work weeks!!! ALWAYS a problem. We were getting ready to have the old "heart to heart" when her father took ill. This is a terminal situation. She had to leave that day. Of COURSE that was different, but she had to quit because she knew she would be even more sporadic than usual. So we hired another...out of desperation. She was late to the interview, late the first day, late coming back from lunch and late this morning. I placed an ad in the paper a few hours ago. We used to be all soft and understanding, but in today's work climate the employee is going to have to prove they WANT the damn job! Be very careful out there, because if I can become a little ruthless (I can't even ask for payments or sell a raffle ticket for that matter) , a more seasoned employer will replace you in a heartbeat.
As a PS, I will acknowledge that some work situations don't fret like we do over missed days because they have a large enough staff to cover. To this I say reread Delt Alum's post.

DeltAlum · #29 12-11-2002, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Optimist Prime
I think calling in sick is a cop out. Especially if you hate your job. That way you can infect your coworkers. "you okay to be here? *coughs in face* yeah i'm fine"

Something to be said for that, too!

Optimist Prime · #30 12-11-2002, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DeltAlum

Something to be said for that, too!

I think I feel that way because my mom would never let me miss school unless I had a fever or threw up. In either case they send you home. I've only called in sick ONCE in my entire life. I'd much rather be sent home.

So why can't I get hired???