travdis

The company that I work for did an analysis of sick leave usage by employees. We determined that 80% of the sick days used were either on a Friday or Monday. Considering that these two days are 40% of the work week- something is fishy.

I notice that many of the people who called in sick sick on Friday and Monday come back to work on Tuesday with a nice tan.

So, would you ever call in sick at work so you could travel somewhere on vacation?

Patrick

Are you kidding? Are you suggesting that some people would be dishonest?
Hard to imagine.

gail

That is why some companies have switched to an "earned time" or "paid time off" situation where sick days, vacation days, personal days are all combined into one pool. My husband is able to take 6 weeks off/year by doing this (or he could - he never takes it all).

I am self employed and so the only one Ihave to answer to on sick days is myself - but if I don't work, I don't get paid.

Surfergirl

If your company has that much time on their hands to conduct an analysis of sick leave, they need more work or the employees need more work or paid sick or personal days off. Alternatively, find a better work environment with employers that aren't so suspicious.

Also, your math is wrong.

suzanne

No way! I wouldn't do it because someone from the office always calls me at home when I'm sick.

I WISH my office combined vacation and sick days. I get 5 sick days a year, and usually only need 2. Right now I have more sick time built up than vacation time. That just kills me.

nytraveler

My company owes me so much unused vacation and uncomped comp time (for working weekends) that they're very lucky if I take only an occssionl Friday or Monday "sick day". And I agree that all companies should go for "personal time" - vacation, sick and personal days all together - that you use for whatever you want - vs all this silly game playing.

Patrick

What math is wrong, surfergirl?

KVR

Yes, I would and yes, I have and yes, I would do it again.

ronkala

Bunchargum strikes again.

salleynev1

agrees with KVR-me too!

MelissaHI

I rarely get sick, so sick leave is wasted on me. At one of my previous jobs, I had a cool boss who allowed us to (secretly) use a sick day here and there attached to our vacation, as long as we didn't take advantage or go overboard. Then all we had to do was just be up front with him on what day we were going to be "sick."

iamq

Ughhhhhhh!

mikemo

My last sick days were 2 and 3 January 1972 when I had influenza and a temp of 104.5 F.
I was comatose for those two days and returned to work on the 4th with a temp of 102.5 F knowing I was going to survive and, fortunately, I avoided the
2nd phase pneumonia.
Pretty irrational, but my brain was baked, and I had scores of hospitalized (US military) patients.
M

KathrynT

I had a co-worker do this one time which was highly out of character. He was persuaded to accompany friends on a hot-air balloon ride for a birthday celebration. Wouldn't you know, the balloon crashed, he broke his leg, and they landed on local TV? Luckily, his work record was impeccable and our boss was quite forgiving.

JohnD

Interesting account mikemo, a few years ago I went to work with a similar "flu-like" undiagnosed illness with 105 fever and was outraged that the nurse at work summoned an $)ambulance to stop me from walking on my own across the street to check in to a hospital.

bamakelly

I guess I'm the only one who will unabashedly 'fess up. I've claimed a sick day MANY times for an extra day of vacation! I call this a "mental health" day...keeps me in a healthy frame of mind to keep on doing the same job, day in, day out. (*cough* *cough*)

I do have to say, though, that whenever I do this, I plan well ahead (not just "call in") and make sure I am not taking off on a day that will leave everyone else hanging (like a Friday). I also make sure my work is complete before leaving. And lastly, I am rarely sick, and my sick days do not accrue from year to year, so if I don't take them I lose them.

uhoh_busted

Long ago my enlightened company combined all into Personal Days Off. People who had built up sick leave would get to keep in in reserve, to use if something serious happened and they wanted to use their old sick leave before going on Short Term Disability (usually at 70% of salary vs. "banked" sick leave at 100% of salary.) Anyway, the PDO system works GREAT. You can take it if you are sick (or your kids are sick, or your hubby is sick, etc.) or you can use it for vacation if you are lucky enough to rarely get sick enough to stay home. People are encouraged to USE their PDO as there are too many people who DON'T take off to recharge as we all should. (Somehow, I suspect most Fodorites do not fall into that category).

travdis

The "personal day" system hurts those of us who call in sick alot to travel. Personal days are usually paid off when you leave a company, sick days are not.

So if you had 10 vacation days and ten sick days and used all your sick days before taking vacation--- when you left that terible employer you can get back your vacation days!

With "personal days" you have to watch them like money in the bank!

GoTravel

What I cannot stand or understand is the truly sick person who shows up for work and infects everyone else in the office.

Please stay home, we don't want your disease.

My sister worked at J.Crew while she was in college and they got written up if they called in sick more than 4 Mondays in a calendar year.

No, I've never called in sick to travel.

rb_travelerxATyahoo

I never used sick days to travel, but I always had so many uncomped "comp days" that I was able to cash in on that. But I do take a sick day to sleep late & lounge around, since my luck would dictate something like the balloon disaster above.

GoTravel brings up a good point about sick workers who shot up anyway, and since this should be about travel, it happens the most where travelers would expect to be: in restaurants.

Very few service-workers get benefits of any type. Just last week I was waited on by s waitress sniffling endlessly, and even acknowledged she probably shouldn't be working, but couldn't afford being out with no pay. Whille I have empathy for her plight, I wonder how many of us get sick each year because of someone who came in sick. I asked her if she thought she could win a claim for sick pay if her employer sent her home (probably not)

This is one more reason to treat service-workers like other workers, even if it does result in higher prices. I like my eggs "snotty", but "with snot" -- gross but too damn true.