Re: You thoughts on sick days (could be career-related, but also political)

We don't have sick days, my company calls them occasional days for us to use as need be.
We also have personal days and vacation days, and short and long term disability policies.
I have 23 days total per year. Not a whole lot, but enough.

I rarely get sick, so mostly my time off is for other things.

Re: You thoughts on sick days (could be career-related, but also political)

i get 15 days for sick/personal.... that is it... nothing more!

All thanks to a lovely co-worker who doesnt even work here anymore!

Re: You thoughts on sick days (could be career-related, but also political)

A bit off topic, but how does your company handle sick days where you call in sick but do work from home that day? For me, I still charge it as a sick day, but it's starting to get on my nerves since I probably accomplish at least a half of a regular day's work when I'm sick and at home (unless I'm totally laid out, fever, etc.)

Re: You thoughts on sick days (could be career-related, but also political)

Re: You thoughts on sick days (could be career-related, but also political)

We have a set number of allowed days, but its a small company so we're legitimately sick they will cover it. I don't even know how many days we techinically get.

I have the kind of job where I'm only hurting myself if I need to take off because I'm sick. It just means double the work the next day. So if it's busy, I'm less likely to take a sick day. If it's slow and I get sick I'd be more inclined to use a day.

But there are plenty of people who would abuse an unlimited system. I have worked with such people in the past and they could easily take of a week at a time off for what amounts to a cold.

Re: You thoughts on sick days (could be career-related, but also political)

It's an interesting question. I think no matter how your company handles sick days (limited number or unlimited) it can be abused by people.

I work on the corporate side of my company and I have unlimited sick time. However, I never have time to call out sick because I do corporate training and I am always training classes with nobody to back me up. Ironically, I called out sick today for the first time in I don't know how long because I have had an on and off fever, chills, body aches since Tuesday. I had to cancel my class for today and hope I can make up what I didn't cover tomorrow.

Just like anything else, I think there are people out there who use sick days the way they were intended and others who are going to abuse them.

On the retail side of my company, the employees only get 5 days for the year. If they call in sick after they have used their 5 days, they can have consequences to that.

I can see limiting sick days in a retail environment where there are schedules made up and when people call out it really throws off the balance of how customers get taken care of.

I guess I don't really have an answer. Looks like for the US, each company seems to handle sick days differently. But for me, with unlimited sick days, I think today is the first one I have used in years.

Re: You thoughts on sick days (could be career-related, but also political)

Ahh the good old question of this.

well, for me, i only take sick days when i am actually sick.

at my current job, we have unlimited..i believe? we really dont have a set time for it either.

BUT...there is a girl who works here who has taken more sick days than anyone ive ever heard about. and thats when it gets fkn unfair!!!!!!!!

Re: You thoughts on sick days (could be career-related, but also political)

i get a lot of sick days per year but i dont use them all. i think it looks bad if i call out sick 10 times a year (unless i get really sick which i have not been so far -knock on wood). i probably use about 4 per year.

Re: You thoughts on sick days (could be career-related, but also political)

We get 5 at my company. Personally I think its ridiculous to COUNT someones sick days. People end up coming in sick all the time here since we only get 5.

The first year I was here, I got strep & a resp infection and I was out a week just with that. It was July. And I had no days left for the rest of the year. Then what?

Last year I had the SWINE FLU and they wanted me to come in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hahahahhaha, I told them to dock me the pay if they wanted to and that there was no way in HELL I was coming in.

Re: You thoughts on sick days (could be career-related, but also political)

Posted by Palebride

I have unlimited sick time, so I take off when I'm sick. But I also don't take advantage of the system.
I like unlimited.

Re: You thoughts on sick days (could be career-related, but also political)

I like the way the PD does it - unlimited sick days but you HAVE to be sick, and they call/come to your house to check on you.

Re: You thoughts on sick days (could be career-related, but also political)

Wow we only get 3 sick/personal for the whole year.. and don't even get that much vacation time. I'm surprised how many people get elsewhere!

Re: You thoughts on sick days (could be career-related, but also political)

Re: You thoughts on sick days (could be career-related, but also political)

we have unlimited sick days but in the 10 years that I have been with my company, I have probably used a handfull and only when I have been really sick.

I can tell you as a manager, that while they are unlimited, the people that abuse the system, it bites them on the behind come review time since thats one of the things that we are rated on- I mean frankly if you're not here, how can you be good at your job-- we have no way to log on at home- its not done at my co

Re: You thoughts on sick days (could be career-related, but also political)

I have unlimited in my company. Like many others have said, I only use them when I am VERY sick....like contagious. When I have a head cold & etc I let everyone know, my company only has 7 ppl in it, and I keep my office door closed. I love the unlimited days & feel very secure b/c no one in the company abuses it. Having worked for both small & large companies throughout my career, I feel it only works in the very small companies.

Re: You thoughts on sick days (could be career-related, but also political)

We get 5 sick days, I feel like they are part of my salary so I use them when I am sick but if at the end of the year I have not used all I make sure I do

Re: You thoughts on sick days (could be career-related, but also political)

Re: You thoughts on sick days (could be career-related, but also political)

in my case i get 1.25 sick and 1.25 personal every month and you can carry them over. I use sick for personal time only if i had a surplus of them. So lets say i need a week off and i have 15 sick and 3 vacation, i would tack on some sick time. I do not abuse my time, 95% of time i take off is scheduled months in advance because i didn't have paid time at all for 4 years.

As far as abuse it would never work here, too many people pull the sick child card and stay home. I would say on average during the fall/winter/spring at least one person out of the crew is home with a sick child so when i use a sick day to stay home (when i am not sick but need a day off scheduled) i don't feel so bad.

Re: You thoughts on sick days (could be career-related, but also political)

Re: You thoughts on sick days (could be career-related, but also political)

I get 5 sick days per year.

And I use them.

Why?

Because I need them when I'm actually sick. Sometimse I might use one to go on doctor's appointments and take care of personal things that I can't take care of at work or on a weekend. I get my work done and I am often available outside of regular work hours.

It's no one's business how I use my sick days.

Message edited 9/30/2010 4:26:28 PM.

Re: You thoughts on sick days (could be career-related, but also political)

I had unlimited sick days at my last job and loved it. I personally never abused it - but if I was sick I stayed home - we had more people staying home sick so fewer illnesses were going around which was great. Other offices I worked at they had limited sick days and people were afraid to use them so they would always come in sick and then spread it around. Although the days were unlimited at my last office they did request if you were out 3 or more days you brought in a doctors note which I think was fair (they provided free health insurance so everyone was covered).

There were a few who did take advantage of it though.

Re: You thoughts on sick days (could be career-related, but also political)

Re: You thoughts on sick days (could be career-related, but also political)

Re: You thoughts on sick days (could be career-related, but also political)

Message edited 10/1/2010 4:38:33 AM.

Re: You thoughts on sick days (could be career-related, but also political)