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

[AAABatteries]

I'd rather get paid out   I don't really do vacations.  

Don't like vacations, can't afford them or banged a tranny by accident one time and decided it's best to avoid?

 

[DO4Harambe]

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.  

I have some friends who are feds and always wondered how their pension worked but didn't want to be too nosy. I just assumed if their highest average 3 years was $150k they would get $150k/yr until they died, this seems too good to be true. 

Based on your post, say they retired at 20 years with a 3 yr high avg $150k, would they be looking at $30k/yr (150000x.20) for their pension? 

Spinoff question: Say they retire at age 45 after a 20 year career (fed LEO), does their pension kick in at age 45 or do they have to wait until 55/65/etc to start receiving benefits?

TIA

 

[NutterButter]

Don't like vacations, can't afford them or banged a tranny by accident one time and decided it's best to avoid?

Mostly 1, but there was that one week in Thailand that's a little fuzzy.   Its not necessarily that I don't like them, but I just don't have enough fun to justify the cost.   I do them now b/c of the kids, but once they're gone, I doubt I'll do one unless its a family one where I can spend time with my grown up kids and the grandkids.  

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Dirtbag, eh? What do you call an employee with 80K+ posts on a message board?

I rarely post from work, sublamo..  

 

[jon_mx]

I have some friends who are feds and always wondered how their pension worked but didn't want to be too nosy. I just assumed if their highest average 3 years was $150k they would get $150k/yr until they died, this seems too good to be true. 

Based on your post, say they retired at 20 years with a 3 yr high avg $150k, would they be looking at $30k/yr (150000x.20) for their pension? 

Spinoff question: Say they retire at age 45 after a 20 year career (fed LEO), does their pension kick in at age 45 or do they have to wait until 55/65/etc to start receiving benefits?

TIA

There is a minimum retirement age which is like 52 or something.  Plus there is social security and some matching 401k type accounts. There was a previous retirement system for people who started before 1985 which they could get about 80 percent of their salary which was a really sweet deal unless you were a taxpayer. 

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Maybe, but the leave sharing is supposed to help with that.  I have no idea if it works, as right now I can't contribute even though I get the emails every few weeks. (stupid "Xgroup-all" emails)

Not maybe. I've seen two cases where people ran out of sick leave, ran out of donated leave, and spent weeks on unpaid leave. The volunteer leave program is designed to cover multiple people at a time and eventually that bank is gonna go broke. So those "gaming" the system and saving enough for the unexpected are not only cyoa but also covering the people who really need donations from that program.  

 

[Nick Vermeil]

Unlimited paid sick days.  But monitored by management for "abuse".  We won't put a number on the days because then everyone would just "use all their sick days" or we wouldn't be able to offer flexibility in extreme cases.  We are an employee owned company so maybe the atmosphere is different, but no one really abuses it.  I think I average maybe 1 sick day a year.  That being said, we have 100% short term disability and when I tore my knee up very bad I ended up missing 5 out of 6 months due to multiple surgeries, rehab, etc.  I was still paid at 100% for that time period.  That's pretty awesome and saved my family from experieincing any other financial difficulties during that time.  Our medical is still 100% paid by the company.  It's a pretty good company to work for.

No ####. Sounds like a great company. Unless you are a pesticide test subject or something. 

 

[RUSF18]

There is a minimum retirement age which is like 52 or something.  Plus there is social security and some matching 401k type accounts. There was a previous retirement system for people who started before 1985 which they could get about 80 percent of their salary which was a really sweet deal unless you were a taxpayer. 

Correct. Prior system was CSRS, which was the 80%ish of your high salary or whatever for many federal agencies. New system is FERS, which is the 1% of highest avg 3 years x number of years as the pension, plus the 401k and TSP matching. 

My old agency had a big need for people to work in the NYC area during the mid 2000s. Because there was a geographic pay differential in our salaries it was also included in your pension calculation. So these guys prior to retiring would take jobs in NYC for their final 3 years, see their geo pay go from like 3% above their base salary to the NYC figure of 33% add on to base. So if their highest salary in Texas was $150K for example, moving to NYC for 3 years would change their high 3 to $200K and they just cleared an additional $40K ($50K * 80%) a year for LIFE. 

A lot of them left their families back home and would just split apartments with each other. Probably the best 3 years of their lives. 

 

[sublimeone]

I rarely post from work, sublamo..  

Damn... you've compiled 80K posts on your own time? Good for you?

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Damn... you've compiled 80K posts on your own time? Good for you?

14 years of really hard work. Tim did it in less than half the time and he doesnt post much in game threads which probably account for a third of my posts. Guy is a machine. 

 

[FUBAR]

Correct. Prior system was CSRS, which was the 80%ish of your high salary or whatever for many federal agencies. New system is FERS, which is the 1% of highest avg 3 years x number of years as the pension, plus the 401k and TSP matching.

My old agency had a big need for people to work in the NYC area during the mid 2000s. Because there was a geographic pay differential in our salaries it was also included in your pension calculation. So these guys prior to retiring would take jobs in NYC for their final 3 years, see their geo pay go from like 3% above their base salary to the NYC figure of 33% add on to base. So if their highest salary in Texas was $150K for example, moving to NYC for 3 years would change their high 3 to $200K and they just cleared an additional $40K ($50K * 80%) a year for LIFE. 

A lot of them left their families back home and would just split apartments with each other. Probably the best 3 years of their lives. 

What 401k?  TSP is 401k-like, but do you mean a separate 401k?

 

[IC FBGCav]

So when work is slow do you just twiddle your thumbs or make busy work?   I found a lot of times people logging the most hours are among the most inefficient.  

 

[FUBAR]

Not maybe. I've seen two cases where people ran out of sick leave, ran out of donated leave, and spent weeks on unpaid leave. The volunteer leave program is designed to cover multiple people at a time and eventually that bank is gonna go broke. So those "gaming" the system and saving enough for the unexpected are not only cyoa but also covering the people who really need donations from that program.  

Understood that it happens, it's a risk.  We had one employee in a similar situation.  I think I'll do it similar to your plan but with 5 kids I might have to take more sick leave at first.  It's funny though, I've managed federal service civilians for a few years and worked with them longer, none take vacation days when they're sick - but it makes sense. 

 

[FUBAR]

So when work is slow do you just twiddle your thumbs or make busy work?   I found a lot of times people logging the most hours are among the most inefficient.  

Busy work?  I read professional articles and sites (and here), walk around and talk to colleagues.  Getting to know teammates is part of the fun even if it is inefficient. 

 

[top dog]

No ####. Sounds like a great company. Unless you are a pesticide test subject or something. 

Nope.  we make and distribute nuts and bolts. I'm in an office. Have 5 weeks vacation and get 15% of our pay in company stock.  Everyone employee is salary .  Even the production folks. There is a reason I've stayed with the same company since 1996. #veryLucky

 

[Brownsfan]

We earn 80 hours a year. Once you get to 120 they cut you back to 80. Short term disability also and 2 personal days. Two weeks vacation after one year and 3 weeks after 5.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

So when work is slow do you just twiddle your thumbs or make busy work?   I found a lot of times people logging the most hours are among the most inefficient.  

I'll go take a walk if it's warm and look at all the DC broads. I always have something to do though and I always try to stay ahead of things. 

 

[comfortably numb]

:shortbus:

3 sick days per year

Can carry over up to 10

I'm in upper management for a private manufacturer. 

 

[lod001]

No idea. I think I have about 800 sick hours built up. Cash payout at retirement so I'll just keep banking them.

 

[ghostguy123]

I just accrue PTO (paid time off) that I can use for whatever I want so long as I request time off or get someone to work for me.  As far as "sick days", we have a points system for calling off and/or being late, which really just boils down to maybe 5 call-offs per rolling 12 month period before someone would get put into step 1 corrective action (there are like 4 steps before termination). 

If I work 80 hours in two weeks I rack up a little over 10 hours of PTO, so, something like 270 hours per year.  I believe I can carry over up to 250 hours at the start of the new year.  Anything over 250 would be forfeited. 

In a couple months I am about to change my schedule around.  I am contracted for 40 hours per work, but am going to start working three 12 hours shifts per week instead and substituting 8 hours of PTO into my paycheck each pay period.  I won't rack up much PTO each pay (maybe 1 or 2 hours), but I will be working less, only have to work 3 days a week, and still make the same money.  When you only work 3 days a week you don't really need to take time off, so I should still be able to maintain a decent bank of PTO for emergencies or whatever. 

 

[Cold Dead Hands]

I earn 144 hours a year of vacation. Maximum bank of 288 hours. I am maxed. Next year I move up to 168 hours per year with double bank.

80 hours of sick per year that resets on January 10. No carry over.

64 hours family personal. Like sick leave but can be used ahead of time or to call out. No carry over.

16 hours community service leave.

I accumulate comp time for working more than 40 hours per week. No max. 

13 holidays per year.

Minus holidays I get 38 days per year leave. Next year a little more. Oh, and I telecommute one day a week.

 

[The General]

Get 12 days a year, caps at 200 hours.

No problem with people taking personal days as long as they pick their spots and don't #### other people with work.

 

[Atomic Punk]

Canadian government - 15 sick days, 5 family days, 1 personal day and 1 volunteer day.

Sick days carry over year to year (I have about 200 days) but they do not factor into retirement or get cashed out at retirement.

Yes, we have it good.

 

[RUSF18]

What 401k?  TSP is 401k-like, but do you mean a separate 401k?

When I was with the Treasury Dept through 2014, I got something like an automatic 2% contribution into my TSP, another 3% matched, and then another 3 or 4% match into a separate 401k account managed by Schwab. Numbers are approximate. 

 

[tonydead]

6 weeks worth of personal days a year (includes sick, vacation, whatever).  Stops accruing at 12 weeks.

 

[the moops]

13 sick days, 13 vacation, 2 personal days, and all the federal holidays off.

max balance for vacation is 260 hours. no max on sick

work at a public university

 

[Mjolnirs]

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. 

Fed here and I have just over 200 SL right now.  When I first got hired, within a couple of months I came down with chicken pox.  Yes, chicken pox.  I worked in a hospital and was sent home for a solid two weeks.  My boss somehow arranged for me to go negative in SL hours.  It took a while to finally break above zero.   But, when my kids were younger, my wife worked and did not earn leave.  Therefore I took SL to take them to their appointments.

I also use my SL if I am actually sick.  Over the years I have had so many coworkers come to work sick because they didn't want to burn their SL.  That's also a reason I'm not a fan of perfect attendance awards in schools, parents sending their kids to school sick for that award.

 

[Sand]

I accumulate comp time for working more than 40 hours per week. No max. 

Man, this would be awesome.  My work can be very cyclical - there are times when I could work a month and take a month.  

 

[bentley]

20 vacation days, 20 sick days, 2 personal days accumulated per year.

30 vacation day, 20 sick day cap. And, we get to convert sick leave to vacation every year at 0.5:1 with a max of 6 converted days.

I don marketing stuff for an insurance company.

 

[Zegras11]

Never worked for anyone that had sick days.

 

[Judge Smails]

20 vacation days, 20 sick days, 2 personal days accumulated per year.

30 vacation day, 20 sick day cap. And, we get to convert sick leave to vacation every year at 0.5:1 with a max of 6 converted days.

I don marketing stuff for an insurance company.

Man, some of these sick day policies are are built around the days of leprosy and malaria.  Seriously.  We have drugs and stuff now.  20 days of sick leave?

 

[FUBAR]

Man, some of these sick day policies are are built around the days of leprosy and malaria.  Seriously.  We have drugs and stuff now.  20 days of sick leave?

If you've worked with an aging population, including people who have gotten cancer, you'll appreciate having a larger cap. 20 days per year might be a lot but the cap should be much higher imo.  

But then, most of my colleagues in our larger office are over 50.  Over half are 60+. 

 

[VA703]

260 hours a year

I usually try and bank the sick leave and save the annual for vacation and when kids are ill

 

[Fat Nick]

No limit on "sick days," for my company.  I imagine once you get to a point, you've got to go on short-term disability or something.  There are people who call in sick pretty frequently, but in general, we're just expected to get our work done like mature adults.  I was "sick" Friday and Monday of this week, and the work didn't really stop.  The only difference for me was I was home working in my sweat pants, and between calls, I took naps.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

If you’re leaving vacation days on the table this year, you’re not alone.

More than half of people who get paid vacation time won’t use all their days off this year, and it’s often not just one or two wasted days. A report from New York-based Bankrate.com found the average amount of leftover days is 19, and the median is seven.

Millennials are the biggest hoarders. One in four workers in the 18-25 age group say when the calendar flips to 2017, they will not have used a single day from 2016. That’s compared with fewer than one in 10 employees overall.

“Younger millennials in general feel that they’re laying the foundations of their career,” said Sarah Berger, personal finance expert at Bankrate.com. “They feel like they have something to prove and that’s really why they’re not taking as many days off.

Banking the days to be used the following year is the most popular reason for not using vacation days, but other reasons reflect today’s worries in the workplace.

Twenty-three percent said they feared the mountain of work that would await them upon their return from time off. Other reasons for eating the days included enjoying work, not being able to afford a trip and worries about their jobs being at risk if they spend too much time away.

So what’s the problem with staying in your cubicle, diligently working away? Vacation is good for you, and good for your employer. It helps workers recharge, mentally and physically, and prevents burnout, said Lotte Bailyn, a retired professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management who has studied managerial practices and their effect on people’s lives for years.

“People need to replenish their energy, they need to do different kinds of things,” she said in an email. “Creativity comes more easily when people are not focused completely on what they’re doing, but have a chance to reflect.”

Besides benefiting from that creativity, employers benefit by saving on health care costs, she said.

Vacation days have become a casualty of a technology-driven work world, said Katie Denis, senior director and lead researcher of Project: Time Off, a campaign funded by the U.S. Travel Association to encourage people to take off the time due them.

“We’ve given people phones to use for work, we’ve given them the ability to work from home,” she said. “All of these things are great, but we don’t give them the ability to manage it.”

American workers left 658 million vacation days unused in 2015, according to Project: Time Off’s State of American Vacation 2016 report, released in June. About 222 million of those days were lost because they could not be rolled over or paid out.

That’s a lot of wasted benefits, Denis said. “That’s saying, ‘I’m going to work for free,’ and that’s to the tune of $61 billion,” she said.

America trails much of the world when it comes to using vacation time, according to Expedia’s Vacation Deprivation report, released last month.

American workers were given an average of 15 paid vacation days this year and used only 12, the report found. In contrast, Finnish, French and Spanish workers were given 30 and used all 30. Italian and German workers were given 30 days and took 25 and 28 days off, respectively.

How can U.S. workers get back on track? Plan better, Denis advised.

“You just need to make sure you’re blocking your calendar,” she said. “You’re not going to find time anymore, you have to make it.”

 

[IC FBGCav]

This is for all you sick day warriors.  Monday last week,  a coworker sat down for our Monday meeting.   I asked him how his weekend went, he said his wife gave him his nasty cold.  After an hour long meeting of him coughing and blowing his nose we finished.  Yes me and the 8 other employees in the meeting had the cold by Wednesday, Merry Fn Xmas you freaking idiot.   SIGH, rant over.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

This is for all you sick day warriors.  Monday last week,  a coworker sat down for our Monday meeting.   I asked him how his weekend went, he said his wife gave him his nasty cold.  After an hour long meeting of him coughing and blowing his nose we finished.  Yes me and the 8 other employees in the meeting had the cold by Wednesday, Merry Fn Xmas you freaking idiot.   SIGH, rant over.

On the flipside the dirtbag I mentioned earlier told me last week that he had to leave early because his dog escaped the yard.

The next day he called in sick because I he was with his wife in the ER all night.

I said, "oh no, did she get hurt chasing the dog?"

 

[Christo]

0.0

 

[parasaurolophus]

This is for all you sick day warriors.  Monday last week,  a coworker sat down for our Monday meeting.   I asked him how his weekend went, he said his wife gave him his nasty cold.  After an hour long meeting of him coughing and blowing his nose we finished.  Yes me and the 8 other employees in the meeting had the cold by Wednesday, Merry Fn Xmas you freaking idiot.   SIGH, rant over.

You guys work at an HIV clinic?

 

[IC FBGCav]

You guys work at an HIV clinic?

Yeah, good notebook, what about it?

 

[joey]

10 sick days, but they don't roll over year to year (but vacation days do) so for the last 2 years I now take my sick days FIRST when the new year begins whenever I can (i.e. If I take a 3 day weekend, I take a sick day). They're technically called "Sick/Care Days" so I also take them if my kids are off from school and I take a day off to have some family time. So, yeah, I spend those 10 sick days by mid-year, easily, and then use vacation days for everything I need after that (I get 5 weeks off since I've been with the same company for 20+ years).