Take the high road?

[Nords]

So do I take the high road and just let all those sick days go to waste (there is no incentive not to use them) when I leave?

Think ahead to the month after you've started your ER. (Go ahead, we'll wait here until you're ready to rejoin the discussion.) How would you feel during that month? "Gosh, I'm really glad I took the high road and donated all my extra sick leave to those folks" or "Crap, I can't believe I didn't use a few more of those sick days!"

That's the feeling you'll likely have for the rest of your ER, so choose accordingly.

 

[Chaos Abounds]

Opinion seems to be split pretty evenly.

I can't really see myself changing my values dramatically so I'll likely take a day here or there over the next six months but for the most part I see myself forfeiting all those sick days...sigh. But I will feel better about myself if I don't abuse the system...and who knows, it may actually sink in with one or two of the people who work here...nah...probably not.

On the bright side...I'm retiring!!!!!!

 

[mews]

But I will feel better about myself if I don't abuse the system...and who knows, it may actually sink in with one or two of the people who work here...nah...probably not.

On the bright side...I'm retiring!!!!!!

Hey, its a win-win situation! Enjoy

ta,
mew

 

[Rustward]

... I feel like it would be wrong to call in sick when not sick but then also feel like a chump for not using benefits I earned....

You are probably making the right choice. Nobody is going to call you a chump. Going forward you might consider being a little more liberal in taking days off; just stay well short of the guilt line.

Had a coworker once take a morning off because thunderstorms woke her up and she said she didn not get enough sleep. Can see where that might be a valid reason in some professions, but not in this case.

 

[Bestwifeever]

I worked with a young pretty single woman who would call in sick two or three days in a row several times a year because she had gas.

 

[REWahoo]

I worked with a young pretty single woman who would call in sick two or three days in a row several times a year because she had gas.

I retired for similar medical reasons.

 

[Martha]

This is why I prefer companies having PTO.

 

[FUEGO]

I worked with a young pretty single woman who would call in sick two or three days in a row several times a year because she had gas.

Waaaiit a second, can I get short term disability for this?

 

[FUEGO]

This is why I prefer companies having PTO.

Exactly. You get X number of days per year. If you are really bad off, take short term disability.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Waaaiit a second, can I get short term disability for this?

After what I heard about you guys and the bathrooms at your office, please, for the love of all that is good in the world...take time off when you have gas!

I think Chaos is making the right choice, just take enough to feel like you are using them for reasonable reasons and then revel in the fact that you won't have to worry about it in...just 6 SHORT MONTHS!

 

[Koolau]

Not to hijack the thread but it's interesting to hear the various sick-time policies represented here. My mega corp expected us to be at work unless we were truly sick. We got time off as needed for sickness/hospitalization Dr./Dentist, etc. However, the policy also included an expectation that one would not miss more than a given % of time within a year. Exceeding this % could cost a promotion or raise. Over time, the percentage shrunk from 4% to 2%. At one time, single absences due to significant (and documented) illness/injury were not treated as "harshly". However, toward the end of my c@reer, the company always pointed to its ever shrinking absents rate (about 1.5%) and expected folks to get with the program. So, during cold and flu season, my work group often sounded like a TB ward. Everyone got sick - just sick enough to make everyone else sick. But, by George, we didn't miss much work. Folks used vacation time for Dr. visits and even operations. So, once I knew that I wouldn't need to worry about a raise or promo for the next year, heh, heh, I have to admit to playing "hookey" a couple of days. 'Course, I also worked on my portfolio, check book and other personal stuff at my desk that last few months too. I almost hoped someone would say something about my attendance or work "ethic", but they never did.

 

[FUEGO]

After what I heard about you guys and the bathrooms at your office, please, for the love of all that is good in the world...take time off when you have gas!

This should gross you out. One guy here who is notorious for flatulence issues would run into a female coworker's office, drop a stink bomb, laugh, then run out. That, my friends, crosses a line. Jovial jesting a la Larry Curly Moe is ok, but farting in another's personal workspace repeatedly and with knowledge that the ventilation is poor is simply malicious.

 

[Rustward]

Not making this up. Years ago, at the headquarters of a national convenience store chain, the place used some modular offices that had columns of holes in the walls for hanging shelving. A couple of guys -- I dunno what they had for lunch -- but it must have been pretty bad. The lady in the adjoining office actually made a complaint to HR and the boss had to call them in and counsel them for the unacceptable level of flatulence.

I sat in the office next to the boss and knew something was "up" because he rarely closed his door, but he did for this conversation. The two guys said the boss could hardly keep a straight face. I can imagine. Wonder how this was written up by HR.

Appologies for going off topic.

 

[FUEGO]

Not making this up. Years ago, at the headquarters of a national convenience store chain, the place used some modular offices that had columns of holes in the walls for hanging shelving. A couple of guys -- I dunno what they had for lunch -- but it must have been pretty bad. The lady in the adjoining office actually made a complaint to HR and the boss had to call them in and counsel them for the unacceptable level of flatulence.

I sat in the office next to the boss and knew something was "up" because he rarely closed his door, but he did for this conversation. The two guys said the boss could hardly keep a straight face. I can imagine. Wonder how this was written up by HR.

That stinks!

 

[freebird5825]

Not making this up. Years ago, at the headquarters of a national convenience store chain, the place used some modular offices that had columns of holes in the walls for hanging shelving. A couple of guys -- I dunno what they had for lunch -- but it must have been pretty bad. The lady in the adjoining office actually made a complaint to HR and the boss had to call them in and counsel them for the unacceptable level of flatulence.

I sat in the office next to the boss and knew something was "up" because he rarely closed his door, but he did for this conversation. The two guys said the boss could hardly keep a straight face. I can imagine. Wonder how this was written up by HR.

Appologies for going off topic.

I'm following in your wake...
Back when we were allowed to have fun at w*rk, I was President of an approved Social Activities Committee that would host an Annual Chili Cookoff during the lunch period. We would get volunteers (employees) to make chili for judging by the attendees and awarded prizes. We sold hot dogs (yes with onions) and soda and beer to finance the next event.
I would get the Committee members ROFL about the thought of what the w*rkplace would be like that afternoon.

 

[Chaos Abounds]

Most of the people in my office think that if you "earned it" that you should use every bit of your sick leave. If you allowed them to earn 20 days a year they would use every day of it and not think twice about it. Seems like they don't understand that it is supposed to be there as a safety net in case of some sort of medical necessity - injury, severe illness, surgery, etc.

I think this goes hand-in-hand with spenders vs. savers. I bet most "savers" keep some sick time "just in case" and most spenders use it almost as quickly as they earn it.

 

[FUEGO]

I think this goes hand-in-hand with spenders vs. savers. I bet most "savers" keep some sick time "just in case" and most spenders use it almost as quickly as they earn it.

I have noticed that trend as well at my company with vacation days. Those who are perpetually broke are also perpetually running out of vacation time, so that when a true emergency comes up, they are scrambling to figure out how to take time off from work. In contrast, I let mine build up to the max, knowing that if/when I leave, I can cash it all out. This way, I could always take off with pay if a family emergency or illness happened unexpectedly. Or take a long vacation if I wanted to.

 

[DangerMouse]

I fall in the camp that sick days are for when you are sick and no other reason. However, that does include essential medical appointments as I do not believe employees should be forced to take personal time to go to the dentist or the Dr. I don't see that we have earnt this sick leave, to me it is more of a insurance policy in case something does go wrong rather than being an entitlement.

Last company I worked at changed their sick leave policy due to the abuse by a certain group of employees. We had a generous policy, 12 days a year accrued with no cap on how much you could accrue. We had employees who had been there for 5 years but had managed to burn thru all their sick leave. In 2007 it was changed to 5 days sick leave accrued a year with a maximum allowable of 96 hours. The strangest thing was one of the chief offenders who had abused the sick leave in previous years got pneumonia and due to his previous actions had to go on unpaid leave as he had burnt thru all his leave. Management did not feel the need to go out on a limb and pay him as we all knew he had been abusing the system.

A previous place of employment, I had someone in my section who had breast cancer. A lot of us donated our sick leave time to this employee as obviously she quickly exhausted her entitlement.

 

[FUEGO]

I have had a few ant/grasshopper debates with some here who use every day of vacation as soon as they receive it. Occasionally something will come up where they decide they have a legitimate need to take more time off than they have in vacation time (giving birth, visiting family for xmas, etc). Then they look to me and say "don't you have a bunch of weeks of vacation saved up? Isn't it only fair to give me 4 hrs or 8 hrs so I can be with my baby or family?". My polite response is "I have plans to use that vacation time so I can't really spare any at this point". Factually accurate and effectively evasive as well.

 

[Leonidas]

My employer never could figure out a consistent policy on accumulating sick leave. One administration would want a change and negotiate something that made them feel good, a few years later another administration would be outraged by the old policy and demand a change, and that game continued over the years. At the time I left, the policy was to either give us a check for the value of the time when we retired, or allow a small percentage of people to "burn" the time prior to retirement. I opted for the latter and got a 2 1/2 year paid vacation before my retirement was finalized.

Nobody was left holding the bag because the day I started burning time they declared my position vacant and filled by promotion.

I did leave without using some "use or lose" training days, but I made the decision to leave quickly and was still in the process of implementing some policy and tactics changes that I wanted to see completed.

...host an Annual Chili Cookoff during the lunch period. We would get volunteers (employees) to make chili for judging by the attendees and awarded prizes...
I would get the Committee members ROFL about the thought of what the w*rkplace would be like that afternoon.

So, are you saying there was some gastric distress? Why would chili cause....oh, no. Please tell me you guys didn't allow beans in your chili!

Chili Appreciation Society International Rule I A 2: NO FILLERS IN CHILI - Beans, macaroni, rice, hominy, or other similar ingredients are not permitted.

 

[freebird5825]

...got a 2 1/2 year paid vacation before my retirement was finalized.

...So, are you saying there was some gastric distress? Why would chili cause....oh, no. Please tell me you guys didn't allow beans in your chili!

Chili Appreciation Society International Rule I A 2: NO FILLERS IN CHILI - Beans, macaroni, rice, hominy, or other similar ingredients are not permitted.

Nice deal on the sick leave. A well played hand.

And yes, even though we had some folks from different parts of the country participating, there were beans in most of the chili concoctions.
I personally didn't know about beanless chili until I went to San Antonio for travel and had some really great chili at Dick's Last Resort on the Riverwalk. The waitress explained it all to me. She was a hoot.

 

[REWahoo]

.
I personally didn't know about beanless chili until I went to San Antonio for travel and had some really great chili at Dick's Last Resort on the Riverwalk. The waitress explained it all to me. She was a hoot.

Real chili with a side order of insults. Welcome to Texas...

 

[ronin]

Similar situation recently in my part time Adult School job. Got the pink slip and had use it or lose it days accumulated. I just let them go and didn't think twice about it until now. Couldn't see depriving my students of the pleasure of my instruction just to stay home a couple of nights a week.