Sick Days

[ItsaDuc]

Ok, so my company makes me feel guilty as can be when I need to use a sick day, but give me 5 each year. They don't carry over and if not used, I lose them. Question is, what do you all do especially in this economic environment?

[lethe]

I use them if necessary but am too stupid to shut my phone off so I get bothered all day anyway.
Vacation days are another thing I need to learn to use more. Have a couple hundred hours at the moment. 

[Monster Dave]

They give them to you - don't let them make you feel guilty. Those are a 'benefit' to your job...cough cough....

[cokey]

We get 6.. they frown when you use all, was told once in my evaluation I wasn't getting a perfect cuz I used all of them..  but if you don't use them you get a check at the end of our year..  I use the hell out of then when I just don't feel like working.. why stay home when your sick?

[Randimus Maximus]

We get 5 sick day per year up to a max of 152 hours 

Anything unused becomes vacation at 1/2 rate (8 unused sick hours become 4 vacation hours).

Fortunately, I rarely am sick enough to use them.

[zooom]

I use them when I need them...I have worked here long enough, that my boss knows my work ethic, and knows that when I call in sick, he knows that he REALLY doesn't want me to be here...I don't call in sick for no reason...never have...

[Randimus Maximus]

I use them when I need them...I have worked here long enough, that my boss knows my work ethic, and knows that when I call in sick, he knows that he REALLY doesn't want me to be here...I don't call in sick for no reason...never have...

+1

[SacDuc]

I never call in sick. If things are great and sun is shining and the bike runs and there is beer in the fridge and the tourists are gone and my mood is good . . . I'll call in and say I'm too well to attend. I'm due for some of that this summer.

My favorite sick day taken of all time was by polpetta's friend Jerry. He had been on vacation for over a month and on the day he as supposed to return to work he calls in and has this conversation:

"Hey, I'm not going to be in today."

"why not?"

"I have a problem with my eyes."

"what's wrong with your eyes?

"I can't see myself working today."  *click*


sac

[akmnstr]

I'm a civilian federal employee so my situation is different.  We get 4 hours every two weeks.  They do accumulate.  I only take them when I'm truly ill.  So, it is like a second health insurance plan.  I have something like 1400 hours in the bank now.  I'm covered for a major illness or accident.  Saving them really payed off when my wife had cancer.  I was able to take her in for her treatments and spend all the time with her that she needed.   No one complains when I take one.  Everyone knows who those are that take advantage and those that don't.  

[Speedbag]

Where I work you just accrue paid time off at a fairly reasonable rate per week. However, this includes your sick time.

So, you can pile up a pile of PTO fairly quick, but if you get sick or injured guess what happens?

IMO, this type of plan just encourages you to come to work sick. 

[RAT900]

I don't get sick days

If I am between projects I just need to be reachable

I can do as I please which can go on for weeks

but when I get pinged I am expected to drop everything

If I am on a project I cannot be sick,

they prefer if I do not sleep

and I am not permitted to die until it is done

[happily everafter]

i'm usually not sick very often, but yes they are supposed to be a "benefit" so i always make sure they are used. what i do is i'll save them for most of the year just in case i am really sick & truly need them. then come october/november/december if i have time left i call in whether im truly sick or not.

[Stinky Wizzleteats]

I get 20 a year. 

But don't really use them (unless I am 'ill') and they do accumulate. Only don't use them because I work a 9 day fortnight, so I get a day off every 2 weeks anyway.

At the moment, I have 31 annual leave days and 200 Long Service leave days owing to me. 

[hbliam]

For some, including me, it's an integrity issue. My integrity isn't worth a sick day, or five sick days. If I'm sick, I burn a sick day. If I'm not sick I go to work. If I don't want to work I burn a vacation, holiday, or accumulated overtime day. I don't want to work much..by the end of May I will have taken 21 days (12 hour days) off and worked 56 days since January 1st.

[il d00d]

I used to lose a day or so every year, because I tended not to take many vacation days, or any sick days, and I would reach my maximum carryover days.  Now, the company that I work for does not allow you to carry over vacation, and you accrue it monthly.  You are allowed to go into vacation debt, but if you leave the company, they deduct your vacation hours owed. 
On the other hand, I seem to accrue sick days at a brisk rate.  It strikes me that the company is encouraging people to take vacation at the end of the year (Christmas) and use lots of sick days (presumably in lieu of vacation I don't have yet).  I don't like to play games with HR, but on this point I am happy to oblige them on their vacation incentive plan occasionally.
I have noticed a lot of companies going this direction recently - our Cisco sales rep was *forced* to take three days of vacation last holiday season. I don't like this direction...