Do you get sick days, if so how many? (1 Viewer)

[IC FBGCav]

Please state if you work for State or Feds.

 

[kutta]

New Obama rule. All federal contractors have to provide 56 hours of sick time, instead of 40. And, it has to be able to be rolled over year to year. Ridiculous. Now we have to redo our benefits packages because he thought this was a good idea.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

I just sent an email to my staff today telling them how to properly use sick leave as a federal employee.  We get 13 days a year and you can carry over every single hour from year to year until you retire. 

I average 28 sick hours per year, or about four days.  This includes dentist appointments, sick kids, my annual contraction of gonorrhea, etc.  I have an employee with 15 years as a fed who has 49 sick hours available, he has accrued 1500+ hours over his career.  That's a dirtbag, that's someone cutting corners.  I can look at an employee's sick hour status, how long they've been in service, and what they are using their sick hours for in the first 6 months I'm their boss and know what kind of employee they are.  If you have 15 years of service and never had cancer, you should have at least 10 weeks of saved sick leave (400 hours).  If you don't, you're a dirtbag. 

 

[OrtonToOlsen]

9 plus 2 personal days

sick days roll over

 

[kutta]

I just sent an email to my staff today telling them how to properly use sick leave as a federal employee.  We get 13 days a year and you can carry over every single hour from year to year until you retire. 

I average 28 sick hours per year, or about four days.  This includes dentist appointments, sick kids, my annual contraction of gonorrhea, etc.  I have an employee with 15 years as a fed who has 49 sick hours available, he has accrued 1500+ hours over his career.  That's a dirtbag, that's someone cutting corners.  I can look at an employee's sick hour status, how long they've been in service, and what they are using their sick hours for in the first 6 months I'm their boss and know what kind of employee they are.  If you have 15 years of service and never had cancer, you should have at least 10 weeks of saved sick leave (400 hours).  If you don't, you're a dirtbag. 

I don't understand. You think it's worse to roll over the sick days than use them? As an employer, I would WAY rather my employees use their comp time in the year it is accrued. It's a pain to keep rolling it over and it's going to cost  the employer a big chunk of change when the employee leaves if they have to get paid for a bunch of back sick pay.

I would think the exact opposite of you. If a guy has accrued a bunch of back sick days I would think he's gaming the system.

 

[belljr]

Zero but hoping to change that in a couple weeks

 

[bueno]

Self-employed people don't get to be sick.

 

[belljr]

I don't understand. You think it's worse to roll over the sick days than use them? As an employer, I would WAY rather my employees use their comp time in the year it is accrued. It's a pain to keep rolling it over and it's going to cost  the employer a big chunk of change when the employee leaves if they have to get paid for a bunch of back sick pay.

I would think the exact opposite of you. If a guy has accrued a bunch of back sick days I would think he's gaming the system.

Nope. Sick time is separated from vacation and is technically to be used for actual sick/dependent sick.  Plus no short term so cushion

 

[Doctor Detroit]

I just sent an email to my staff today telling them how to properly use sick leave as a federal employee.  We get 13 days a year and you can carry over every single hour from year to year until you retire. 

I average 28 sick hours per year, or about four days.  This includes dentist appointments, sick kids, my annual contraction of gonorrhea, etc.  I have an employee with 15 years as a fed who has 49 sick hours available, he has accrued 1500+ hours over his career.  That's a dirtbag, that's someone cutting corners.  I can look at an employee's sick hour status, how long they've been in service, and what they are using their sick hours for in the first 6 months I'm their boss and know what kind of employee they are.  If you have 15 years of service and never had cancer, you should have at least 10 weeks of saved sick leave (400 hours).  If you don't, you're a dirtbag. 

I don't understand. You think it's worse to roll over the sick days than use them? As an employer, I would WAY rather my employees use their comp time in the year it is accrued. It's a pain to keep rolling it over and it's going to cost  the employer a big chunk of change when the employee leaves if they have to get paid for a bunch of back sick pay.

I would think the exact opposite of you. If a guy has accrued a bunch of back sick days I would think he's gaming the system.

No you should roll over your sick days, that's my point.  How would accruing a bunch of sick days be gaming the system if it counts towards your retirement?  If you have 2087 sick hours at retirement you get 1% added to your annuity, how is that not genius?  If I'm sick I use regular vacation time usually, I only use sick hours for appointments and stuff. 

 

[kutta]

Nope. Sick time is separated from vacation and is technically to be used for actual sick/dependent sick.  Plus no short term so cushion

But they can roll it over, which usually means if they leave they get reimbursed for that. If that's the case, I'd rather have people take a sick day for a one-beer hangover than carry it over.

 

[Rustoleum]

11 plus 2 personal days. Annual contract is for 230 days. Sick days roll over. One unused personal day turns into a sick day.

Percentage of unused sick days factors into retirement (for now at least - pretty sure I'll get screwed out of that by the time I get to retire, just like we lost healthcar coming out pretax this year.

edit: work for a public school system

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Nope. Sick time is separated from vacation and is technically to be used for actual sick/dependent sick.  Plus no short term so cushion

But they can roll it over, which usually means if they leave they get reimbursed for that. If that's the case, I'd rather have people take a sick day for a one-beer hangover than carry it over.

If you leave federal service without retiring, you don't take your sick time with you.  No cash out, you get nothing.  The only time this isn't the case is if you die and your spouse will get a payout of your sick time, that's about it.  It's not 100% but they get something. 

 

[belljr]

But they can roll it over, which usually means if they leave they get reimbursed for that. If that's the case, I'd rather have people take a sick day for a one-beer hangover than carry it over.

No short term disability.  So you should roll as much over in case

 

[Nugget]

Think we get 10 personal days a year. I have never claimed one. I home office so it is basically unlimited. 

 

[Doctor Detroit]

No short term disability.  So you should roll as much over in case

This.  My email today said that you should rollover as much sick leave as possible not only because it may bolster your retirement, but because you actually might get really ####### sick someday!  I have 800+ hours, I have it just in case I get some really serious gonorrhea more than anything else. 

 

[elguapo07]

New law passed now we get 40hrs a year - use them or lose them I believe - before the law was passed we were not alotted any but a few sick days a year would usually be fine.  I have to be one of the biggest saps as I've been with my company for 25+ yrs and have had about 4 or 5 sick days over my entire career.  Came in the next day and performed my duties after: being extremely hungover, bruised ribs, separated shoulder, torn ligaments in ankle a handful of times and after spending most of the night in the ER passing a kidney stone as well as showing up during numerous blizzards before work from home became available. Blind loyalty and working for self absorbed dooshes has gotten me nowhere at this company.  The greatest ability is availability...

 

[MikeIke]

6 sick days a year,  and you can carry up to 6 into the next year.  So I've taken 1 sick day this year,  I had 6 left over from 2015.  I'll have 12 sick days next year. The other 5 are lost. 

However,  if I come in to work and then go home sick,  or if I have a doctor appointment,  I don't have to use sick time for it.  If I'm there at least 1 hour it counts as a full day and sick time is not affected. 

I work in the private sector,  not government. Salaried,  non-union. 

 

[Capella]

I just sent an email to my staff today telling them how to properly use sick leave as a federal employee.  We get 13 days a year and you can carry over every single hour from year to year until you retire. 

I average 28 sick hours per year, or about four days.  This includes dentist appointments, sick kids, my annual contraction of gonorrhea, etc.  I have an employee with 15 years as a fed who has 49 sick hours available, he has accrued 1500+ hours over his career.  That's a dirtbag, that's someone cutting corners.  I can look at an employee's sick hour status, how long they've been in service, and what they are using their sick hours for in the first 6 months I'm their boss and know what kind of employee they are.  If you have 15 years of service and never had cancer, you should have at least 10 weeks of saved sick leave (400 hours).  If you don't, you're a dirtbag. 

I've seen way, way worse. People in the negatives. 

 

[Johnny Rock]

As many as I need. 

 

[TheAristocrat]

Accrued and capped at 200 hours, general PTO.  I've had better.

 

[Rooster]

10 sick days/yr and they roll over, been with the company a few months over 15 years and have 799.50 sick hours.   This made me curious, so I average ~27 hours of sick time per year and that average is skewed by a ~3 week recovery from ankle surgery one year, otherwise it'd be ~2 days per year.

 

[elguapo07]

I've seen way, way worse. People in the negatives. 

My girl works for the state and I think they accrue 8+ sick hrs and 12+ vacation hours a month so roughly 250 sick\vaca hrs a year.  Some of her finer co workers have been there for 20 or 30yrs and either have used up all their time or some are even negative.  She does the time for her unit and some even bang in the day after they accrue a full day.  

 

[NutterButter]

Not following, do you get paid out for the accrued sick days or not when you leave?

 

[Doctor Detroit]

I've seen way, way worse. People in the negatives. 

These are the people that will eventually want hours from the voluntary leave program.  That's why I won't donate to it, if you are calling out sick so much that you have a negative leave balance, you aren't getting my leave balance.

 

[Capella]

These are the people that will eventually want hours from the voluntary leave program.  That's why I won't donate to it, if you are calling out sick so much that you have a negative leave balance, you aren't getting my leave balance.

Yes, almost always. 

Earn and burn baby 

 

[Frostillicus]

I just had a co-worker tell me he's never used a sick day in 13 years.  No idea why that's something to be proud of.  We have sick days for a reason.  Stay home when you're sick so you don't infect everyone else, ####er.

 

[jon_mx]

Not following, do you get paid out for the accrued sick days or not when you leave?

No payout.   It just adds time to your retirement calculations.  So if you had 20 years of service and a year worth of leave, they would treat it like you had 21 years of service. 

 

[OrtonToOlsen]

I just had a co-worker tell me he's never used a sick day in 13 years.  No idea why that's something to be proud of.  We have sick days for a reason.  Stay home when you're sick so you don't infect everyone else, ####er.

And perfect attendance awards suck balls.

 

[NutterButter]

No payout.   It just adds time to your retirement calculations.  So if you had 20 years of service and a year worth of leave, they would treat it like you had 21 years of service. 

Is this a pension thing?  So if you get full pension after 20 years, you're at 19 but have a year worth of leave, then you could retire now and get full pension?  And/or is this a pay thing where you're paid based upon your years of service?

 

[jon_mx]

Is this a pension thing?  So if you get full pension after 20 years, you're at 19 but have a year worth of leave, then you could retire now and get full pension?  And/or is this a pay thing where you're paid based upon your years of service?

You get yearly pension based on length of service and average of high three year salary.  One percent for each year up to 20 than 1.1% thereafter.  

 

[dgreen]

These are the people that will eventually want hours from the voluntary leave program.  That's why I won't donate to it, if you are calling out sick so much that you have a negative leave balance, you aren't getting my leave balance.

I refuse to approve leave requests that will put someone in the negative. If you can't keep your leave balance well above zero, you should be talking to HR about FMLA. Do that and I will approve (not that I have a choice in that scenario). And if your situation is really bad, HR will talk to you about disability retirement. 

 

[Doctor Detroit]

These are the people that will eventually want hours from the voluntary leave program.  That's why I won't donate to it, if you are calling out sick so much that you have a negative leave balance, you aren't getting my leave balance.

I refuse to approve leave requests that will put someone in the negative. If you can't keep your leave balance well above zero, you should be talking to HR about FMLA. Do that and I will approve (not that I have a choice in that scenario). And if your situation is really bad, HR will talk to you about disability retirement. 

I would have liked this twice if the board allowed. 

 

[dgreen]

I would have liked this twice if the board allowed. 

Then I will post again so you can add another like (even if you don't like this post). 

I have an employee I was very hesitant to hire because I knew she had low leave balances. I'm friends with her previous supervisor and he raved about her production but says she has an attendance problem. Prior to offering her the position, I told her where I stand on use of leave. She thought about it for a couple days then accepted the position knowing what I will approve and deny. A couple months in, her leave balance starts to shrink closer and closer to zero. We talk about again and I refer her to EAP (Employee Assistance Program - free onsite counseling). She eventually decides to meet with them. That led to her seeing doctors on her own outside work, being diagnosed with something, receiving medication, applying for and being approved for FMLA, her leave balance is slowly increasing, and for the first time in her life getting real help with her issues. And, selfishly, my ### is now covered. 

 

[Mr. Know-It-All]

All employees get 80 hours of sick time use or lose.  Vacation standard is 80 hours for first 2 years, then 120 until year 5, then 160 at 10, then 200 at 20.  We also get 3 floating holidays per year plus New Years, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, two days at Thanksgiving, and Christmas.  I have used 4 sick days in 10 years, but less scrupulous people use every hour of sick time available for actual sick days or mental health days.  Those people are slackers.

 

[Sand]

Accrued and capped at 200 hours, general PTO.  I've had better.

Exactly what I get.   I manage to take half of it.  As managements says I don't lose it if I hit the cap, I just don't accrue any more.     (Small niggle - other policies are pretty good).

 but less scrupulous people use every hour of sick time available for actual sick days or mental health days.  Those people are slackers.

We let people go for managing sick time (before we went to PTO).  In my experience these folks tend to be the least productive when they are there, as well.

 

[skol asylum]

Work for a not for profit health care system. We get one bucket of PTO that covers holidays, vacation, and sick days. The longer you are with the company the more you accrue until 10 years where you max out. I've been here 18 years and earn 10.77 hours per 2 week pay period. That's 35 days a year. There are usually about 7 paid holidays a year that come out of that bucket. AZ recently passed a minimum wage increase which also guaranteed some sick leave to companies that have over X amount of employees. Not sure how that will affect our PTO in 2017.

 

[spOOfy]

10 days per year and they roll over.  once i hit 10 years at company, up to 27 days vacation per year as well.  (work for a non-profit - lower pay, but sweet bennys)

 

[RUSF18]

Unlimited. Policy is if you need it, take it. I actually haven't used a true sick day in the year I've been here. Not trying to be a hero, have just been lucky this year. But I've missed a couple hours here and there to go to all of my pregnant wife's appointments, and technically that time goes towards that but it isn't tracked or anything.

I was in federal government for 9+ years previously. Think I accrued 4 hours/PP which all rolled and probably left with about 800 hours banked. I definitely found myself taking a "sick day" maybe every/every other quarter or so.

 

[Judge Smails]

I can't recall ever taking a formal sick day....

 

[Judge Smails]

Unlimited. Policy is if you need it, take it. I actually haven't used a true sick day in the year I've been here. Not trying to be a hero, have just been lucky this year. But I've missed a couple hours here and there to go to all of my pregnant wife's appointments, and technically that time goes towards that but it isn't tracked or anything.

I was in federal government for 9+ years previously. Think I accrued 4 hours/PP which all rolled and probably left with about 800 hours banked. I definitely found myself taking a "sick day" maybe every/every other quarter or so.

"Unlimited" sick time/PTO is the new thing.  Companies don't have to carry the accrued liability on their books.

 

[RUSF18]

"Unlimited" sick time/PTO is the new thing.  Companies don't have to carry the accrued liability on their books.

Right. And believe the numbers reflect that people tend to use less sick time when they don't feel like they are earning/handed a block of time for the year so the employer wins on both ends. Definitely works on me. 

 

[Kevrunner]

As a postal service employee I get 13 days per year, have over 2500 hours banked.  Rarely get sick, but I have used over 800 hours in 33 years of service.

 

[Mr. Know-It-All]

Timely topic.  Just last night got a company-wide  e-mail stating that we are going to unlimited vacation.  Reading between the lines, I think it is a way for them to actually save money because now people won't feel compelled to burn unused vacation at the end of the year so many may simply not use their earned vacation.  But, guaranteed we will have a lot of people attempt to abuse the policy and the managers will have their work to do to prevent abuse.  Realistically I think most employees will realize how much vacation they should use based on previous standards and use that amount accordingly, but their is potential for people to take way more or way less than they otherwise would have earned in previous policy.  

 

[RUSF18]

Timely topic.  Just last night got a company-wide  e-mail stating that we are going to unlimited vacation.  Reading between the lines, I think it is a way for them to actually save money because now people won't feel compelled to burn unused vacation at the end of the year so many may simply not use their earned vacation.  But, guaranteed we will have a lot of people attempt to abuse the policy and the managers will have their work to do to prevent abuse.  Realistically I think most employees will realize how much vacation they should use based on previous standards and use that amount accordingly, but their is potential for people to take way more or way less than they otherwise would have earned in previous policy.  

See Smails post above. It's also a way to avoid paying out unused vacation time when people leave the company/get laid off. A company I was at tried to do this in advance of laying off a lot of people (which was expected to the place) and quickly reversed course, I believe after realizing how they were likely going to get sued to hell.

 

[snogger]

No sick days.. But really don't need them.

1st reason, I get 5 weeks of vacation a year..

Don't have the money to take 5 vacations, so end up being "forced" to take a day off here and there so I don't Max out.

2nd reason .. I work from home

so unless I'm in the hospital what else am I going to do when I'm sick but sit on the computer any ways.

 

[fantasycurse42]

Tech companies are the smartest companies - majority of them offer 'unlimited' time off.

Here is the caveat - studies show employees take less time off in this situation and employees don't acrue time either.

 

[Dan Lambskin]

Not even sure we have a formal policy at my new place but my boss is the "just do what you need to do and dont let vacation days hinder you" type of guy 

Previous place used to give 6 PTO that got paid out if unused but then did away with that.  Also instituted a time clock for salary workers...anything over 40 hrs a month was banked for stuff like sick days, appointment,  etc (max 20 hrs a month carryover) 

Rarely sick though... think I've maybe taken 5 sick days in 15 years of professional work

 

[AAABatteries]

Unlimited here also - so. no rollover.  Because I can work from home I usually still do some work on those days.  If I'm on vacation I only work if an emergency comes up.

I know it's a source of pride for some people to never take sick days, but if you really are sick stay the #### home and don't contaminate the rest of us.  

 

[AAABatteries]

Tech companies are the smartest companies - majority of them offer 'unlimited' time off.

Here is the caveat - studies show employees take less time off in this situation and employees don't acrue time either.

I have not doubt my company will implement this at some point and I will hate it.  People won't take as much vacation on that plan and people will be scrutinized more for taking time off.  If they do implement it I plan to pretend like they didn't and take what I was already getting.  

 

[Ned]

Technically it's unlimited, but with the caveat that managers are supposed to handle it on their own/watch for abuse.  Ironically, I rarely ever see anyone calling out in our group.  I may take 1 day per year.