Use of Sick Leave

[minniecarousel]

I will be asking at work whether I can use sick leave to care for my mother. She currently can't be left alone (I can run out quick to a store, but not for very long). We have hired someone to come in and stay with her while I'm at work (half time). To keep costs down, I'm wondering if I can use my sick leave to stay home with her a few times a month. This would be pre-planned and staff would be notified that I wouldn't be there.

Sure, different workplaces have different rules, but does this sound like a reasonable request? I have tons of sick leave available to me. I also have excess vacation time available that I could dip into.

 

[quentina]

I will be asking at work whether I can use sick leave to care for my mother. She currently can't be left alone (I can run out quick to a store, but not for very long). We have hired someone to come in and stay with her while I'm at work (half time). To keep costs down, I'm wondering if I can use my sick leave to stay home with her a few times a month. This would be pre-planned and staff would be notified that I wouldn't be there.

Sure, different workplaces have different rules, but does this sound like a reasonable request? I have tons of sick leave available to me. I also have excess vacation time available that I could dip into.

Yes, that is reasonable. That is what sick leave/time is for. I would have no problem if one of my employees asked for this.

Also, check FMLA requirements. In PA, it is one year of service and 1250 hours. THis would make you eligible for 12 weeks w/o pay.

 

[LaraK]

If you are her caregiver, you qualify for FMLA (Family Medical Leave) as long as you've been at your job for a year and it has over 50 employees. There is also something called intermittent FMLA where you can take a day here and a day there. I'd talk to your HR department about what time you'd have to burn first, but you get up to three months a year and you can take the intermittent FMLA in small increments if it helps.

Sorry about your mom.

 

[aprilgail2]

Yes, that is reasonable. That is what sick leave/time is for. I would have no problem if one of my employees asked for this.

.

I guess that would depend on your place of business then because at my job your sick leave is for YOURSELF, not your kids and not your parents...if you use your sick leave for that purpose you can be suspended without pay.
FMLA is for caring for sick kids and parents--I have had it for both at one point.
OP be sure to check with your employer so you are not in for any surprises!
Also we get paid sick pay for our own illnesses but if you get FMLA for your child or parent it is unpaid.

 

[Keli]

To do this with my employer I would need to file for fmla and be approved. Then I could use my sick time for those days. After my sick time was gone I'd have to use vacation time. I'd I still needed more days off (up to 12 weeks) I would be unpaid for the days I missed.

 

[DebbieB]

It depends on your company rules. I work for an insurance company and we used to have sick days and 3 family care days per year. You had to use the 3 family care and then vacation for sick family members. We now have PTO, you would have to use PTO (the 3 family care were rolled into the PTO total days). FMLA can get tricky - they can force you to use earned vacation time first, even if you have vacation plans for later.

 

[cocodog]

I work for the state. Of the 15 sick leave days available to me each year, 10 can be used for family sick leave. Sick leave days can be carried over at the end of the year, up to a max of ___ (maybe 45?). But, the max of family sick days per year is 10. Hope that makes sense.

 

[M5ward]

OP - your location says California. That is one of the states that has passed a Paid Family Leave Act. You should check into the requirements to qualify for that. Using your sick leave to care for your mom could put you in a bind if YOU should get sick.

 

[bicker]

It really will come down to whether your specific circumstance qualifies vis a vis the law, and both how big and how profitable and generous your company is. My current employer is small but generous, so I suspect they would offer me work-from-there privileges (not sure if that's a possibility for your job). They absolutely wouldn't grant paid family medical leave unless the law required them to do so -- they just couldn't afford to take that kind of hit, and the owners of the company would start heads rolling when it came to their attention. (We're small enough, less than 35 employees in the US, for them to notice.) They might give me unpaid leave, but probably not for very long. For various reasons, if I'm gone too much time contiguously, bad things start happening... they might actually be more amenable to a two day a week thing for many months, than even a three or four week thing. And for the next guy in the next cube, everything will be different. It is definitely going to be considered case-by-case here, but the money absolutely won't flow (paid leave) unless the government forces it.

Best of luck.

 

[minniecarousel]

I work half-time for a large school district. I learned today that I can use up to 6 days of my sick leave for "family care". I plan on taking 2 Fridays in February and 2 Fridays in March. We'll see after that. I can also use some of my vacation time.

It's interesting what's allowed state-to-state and within individual companies.

I need my little half-time job for my sanity!

 

[GeorgeG]

You should check with your Human Resources department at work. They can tell you all the specifics.

I used to have a woman working for me who had a similar situation and the family leave (unpaid) only kicked in after all vacation and personal time was exhausted. I don't remember if sick time was allowed, but I don't think it was and that could vary from company to company. I do know she had to submit and application and have a doctor vouch for her in writing. I also remember she had to apply for a specific length of time, but could come back to work sooner if the circumstances allowed.