I'm complaining, and yes I know I was wrong....

[DawnCt1]

My employer has the same policy but it is 12 days.
at 3 you get a verbal
5 written warning
7 Corrective Action
9 Immediate Action
12 - fired.

The worse policy ever in my opinion. Last year I took 4 sick days and I was told on my review it was "excessive." Well gee if you would like to take my migraines from me I would be more then happy!

~Amanda

Amanda, apply for FML for your migraines. Have your physician document them well along with any treatment that may prevent you from driving, etc. Have the leaves specified as intermittant, undetermined with onset as unexpected. That should improve your attendance record for the future.

 

[bajanswife]

Wow, it would be weird to work somewhere that was so strict! Sorry you lost some of your raise!

At my job I don't have a limit to sick days, except that I am required to collect national insurance if I'm sick for more than 2 days in a row and reimburse the company the money I get from NI. To collect NI you need a doctor's certificate, so it's a pain if I have the flu, know it's the flu, know a doc isn't going to be able to help me (since it's just a virus), but still have to go see one just to get the cert. Luckily it hasn't hapened to me in years and years! Oh, and "sick days" are for when you're sick - not just for goofing off.

I'm management though, in a specialized subsidiary - I know that regular employees of our parent company have sick day limits supposedly. But my boss and I kind of do things our way.

 

[phamton]

so you want us to believe that you could work only 35 days per year and get paid for a full year...???

This reminds me of this joke from years back:

So, you want the day off. Let's take a look at what you are asking for...

* There are 365 days per year available for work.
* There are 52 weeks per year in which you already have 2 days off per week, leaving 261 days available for work.
* Since you spend 16 hours each day away from work, you have used up 170 days, leaving 91 days available.
* You spend 30 minutes each day on coffee break that accounts for 23 days each year, leaving only 68 days available.
* With a one hour lunch period each day, you have used up another 48 days leaving only 22 days available for work.
* You normally spend 2 days per year on sick leave.
* This leaves you only 20 days available for work.
* We offer 5 statutory holidays per year, so your available working time is down to 15 days.
* We so generously give you 14 days vacation per year which leaves you only 1 day available for work and I'll be darned if you're going to take that day off!

 

[delilah]

You have 7, but you aren't supposed to use them.
I work at a hospital, but not in a clinical position.

This must really be common in the healthcare industry. I have so many PTO days per year, but, there are so many restrictions on when I am allowed to have time off, that I have each year nearly the maximum amount that can be rolled over. They would be hurting bad if I actually took off all that time in a chunk.

 

[aprilgail2]

my job goes by points...you get 5 points for an occurance..but if you take one day its 5 points but if you take 8 days in a row its still ONE occurance and only 5 points...30 points in 12 months and you get a warning, do it again and you get another warning, the next time 10 days i nthe street unpaid, then 30 days, then 90 days, then 6 months...then fired...so you can drag it on for years LOL...
What I did was apply for open family medical leave...my daughter had strep over and over and anytime I needed to take her to the Dr or she was sick I would just call up and take a day or 2 FML...you get 12 weeks so broken up into days is 60 days...I take a couple days here or a couple days there when I need them and they do not give you points for FML so its like a free day off...just don't get paid for it unless its for yourself...

 

[NeverlandClub23]

I'm a supervisor at a credit union and it drives me crazy that all 6 people that work under me have called in sick this month (always on a Monday or Friday). How come none of them call in on a Wednesday or when it's crappy weather outside? Hmmmmm.....We get two weeks of sick time a year. Your company is very strict, why in the world would leaving early be the same as an absence? That's crazy, people do have to leave early sometimes. Life happens.


I also think when you can tell someone is faking it and they call in is hilarious. Some people should get an Oscar for their performance. (This is a joke, I do realize that some people are actually sick when they call in.)

 

[chyam]

Well, that's just silly. I'm sorry that they're like that. It's a hospital for goodness sake, you'd think they'd understand that people get sick.

This person works in a hospital and I work for a pharmaceutical company that is probably just as bad, we have 40 hours of sick time (which in our case is a little over 3 days since we work 12 hour days) If you do call in it is counted against you and it progresses up to 4 (written) 5 (suspension) and 6 ( out the door) add to that if for some major medical condition that you are out on disability you have 3 months and then your job is filled but you will be given some position if you return within 6 months you are history! I know several people (breast cancer etc that no longer have jobs) We do have paid time off but it has to be requested at least 7 days in advance if not it goes against that 40 hours that they give you! And if you do take the time they give you (40 hours or any part of it, even though it is yours, you lose your perfect attendence bonus) I cannot for the life of me figure out why any health care company would treat it's employees so poorly! I have always said if they have chronically absent people then deal with them, don't penalize us..........Those same chronically absent people now get FMLAs and they are not penalized, they find excuses, kids with asthma etc etc. It makes my blood boil. I have been there for 23 years, never hospitalized and only used 2 days of FMLA when my mother was dying but God forbid if I ever got cancer or something else I would have it on my mind that I could lose my job! Companies in the US do not care one iota for their people anymore.

 

[LukenDC]

Regarding the FMLA, it is the EMPLOYER'S responsibility to recognize that an employee's absences qualify for FMLA. If your employer was aware of the reason for your absence, then the burden was on them to count it as a FMLA qualifying event if indeed it was. They may not hold FMLA qualifying absences against you in the assessment of your performance or awarding of raises and bonuses. The Department of Labor is very specific about this and there are significant penalties for non-compliance.

You should consult with your HR representative and ask about this. I'm an HR Manager and I make sure that my line managers know when to come to me regarding employee absences.

 

[WatchinCaptKangaroo]

10 vacation days for years 1-5. After 5 years you get 15 vacation days.
Sick days are 5 days per year, no increase, cannot carry over.
2 personal days per year, they don't carry over.

They used to make you come in and be sent home figuring once you were there you wouldn't leave but the genius who decided that started getting sick so now if you're sick stay home. Depending on your position you can work from home and depending on your boss if you run out of sick days you can make up the time or use vacation time.

My boss also gives us comp time. He expects us to work weekends and long hours when needed but he will give us time off during down times. He also gives extra vacation time as bonuses when the big-wigs won't give us financial bonuses (which has been quite a bit recently).

 

[Trish Bessette]

I'm absolutely sickened that people here as gone as far as to PM me saying I'm posting BS by stating I have 200 Paid Sick Leave days. And other posting "Does Trish Bessette have any reason to lie"

HELLO FOLKS, I don't lie. I can't believe I get smashed for simply stating what my company gives us.

Here is the grid straight from my company benefits:


PSL Schedule

Less than 1 year 10 8 to 9 115
1 to 2 20 9 to 10 125
2 to 3 40 10 to 11 140
3 to 4 50 11 to 12 150
4 to 5 65 12 to 13 165
5 to 6 75 13 to 14 175
6 to 7 90 14 to 15 190
7 to 8 100 15 to 20 200
20 and above 215

THERE!

 

[Blondy876]

I'm absolutely sickened that people here as gone as far as to PM me saying I'm posting BS by stating I have 200 Paid Sick Leave days. And other posting "Does Trish Bessette have any reason to lie"
THERE!

Oh, honey, I can, you should see some that I get.

I believe you. My Dad is a chemist, he has been working in the same company for 28 years. He gets 6 weeks of vacation and somewhere in the vicinity of 9 months worth of sick time. He has had to use that much time only once, when he had a bleeding ulcer and almost died. It took 2 months to get out of the hospital and 6 to be healthy enough to go back to work.

The vacation/sick time policy has changed since he started working there. New people don't get such great benefits. That's just the way it works.

I teach so I am off during the summer. I get 5 days of vacation time, that we are encouraged to take. I also get 10 sick/personal days that they don't want us to take. I usually take 1 or 2 personal days and I only take my sick time if I really need too.

 

[Trish Bessette]

Thanks Jennifer....you made my day

 

[MidNite]

Just for the record, I believed you too. What would be the point in lying?

 

[Ava83]

I know what is out there in terms of vacations/sick time..I believe you.

At my job no sick days given, they are unlimited, but like other posters you need DR stuff after about a week and then get on short-term disabilty. I really don't take sick days (knock on wood) I really don't get sick.

I get about 5 weeks vacation (with personal holidays being included,but not given holidays)

I think this all depends on the company you work for. Our new employees now start at 3 weeks vacation right of the bat and with their personal holidays its takes them to 4 weeks.

OP Its unfortunate that your raise was effected by your use of sick time, it is a very strict policy.

But different company's have different policies

 

[Pooh_Friend#1]

Give me a break, someone actually wrote you and said you were lying over how many sick days you get. That is just ridiculous, they must have been jealous!!!

I work for the government and we get holidays off plus 8 hours of annual leave and 4 hours of sick leave every pay period.

 

[Sarah'sMomfrom PA]

I also work at a hospital and we have a policy of three occurrences....even if you have to go to the doctor for an appointment and leave one hour earlier, that is considered an occurrence. We actually get 12 sick days a year and can accumulate up to 200 sick days (after 120 days accumulated, you can sell back any excess over the 120 days....you sell them 12 days and they give you pay for 3 days which is a good deal for them) I have well over 100 days accumulated so can't sell them back yet. Supposedly this policy was put into effect to stop the sick time abusers who used to take 1 day a month....ha...now they just take 3 sick days (which counts as one occurrence) so instead of using 12 days a year, they are just using 9...however, everyone including long term employees who don't abuse sick time are being punished by this policy....after three occurrences, you can be fired and people have been so it is being enforced. The firing part though, depends on your department head and if he feels that you have abused the priviledge.

 

[Lessa of Pern]

My sister works for a municipality. she can bank her sick days if she doesn't use them. she probably has over 200 banked...if she doesn't use them, she gets them in the form of cash when she leaves the job.

she could technically use them all without ever providing a shred of documentation as to meidcal need.

my dad retired from the same municipality. he used a whole bunch of banked sick days when he had a heart attack and needed time off to recover. got the rest in cash when he retired.

there' s a big difference between annual sick leave and bankable sick leave.

 

[swea_pea1]

Check your employee handbook.....you may get 7 occurrences each year which is much different than 7 days. Our policy is the same as yours except days off in a row count as one occurrence.

Also, Dawn and others are right about the FMLA time. Your mom's illness definitely qualifies and you can't be penalized for that. I do think though that FMLA time will be unpaid unless used in conjunction with PTO or short/long term disability. I didn't know about it being the employer's responsibility though, but as a Manager I've always suggested it to my employees anyway because I think that's part of what a Manager does.

It's probably too late to make it right in regards to your raise, but you should check it out anyway just in case.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

wow that is strict
well at least you got some raise and you have a job that i hope pays somewhat well

so many people i know have gone back to work but they make nothing compared to what they used to