Community Chat

[NYC Susan]

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@havefun2day wrote:

No, but she said she might if people call in sick, they better answer the door and be sick. 

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This sounds like just a threat to me. She's probably just trying to make the point that no one had better have any ideas about pretending to be sick. 

From what you've said, I'm really not liking her management style - whether this is legal or not.

(I'm also not sure how she would determine if people were truly sick. That really doesn't make sense since even doctors can't tell if someone is truly having pain, etc.)

[SydneyH]

It's illegal in my state, he can require a doctor's note though.........

[VaBelle35]

I had an evening PT job as a legal secretary.  I was a FT legal secretary during the day and did extra hours at another firm 3 nights a week.  

I had tonsilitis and couldn't talk (couldn't even make breath sounds), so my sister called in sick to both of my companies for me and cancelled my dentist appointment (we lived together at the time).

I was terminated from the PT evening job for not calling myself. ???

A funny one was that I was invited to a special tour that the National Park Service was putting on (I was an NPS volunteer at the time).  So I thought about calling in sick and then at the last minute just told my boss the truth.  It was a good thing because his wife was a tv news reporter and she was there covering the tour with other local media.  LOL

[Cumbercookie13]

The school system I work for last year implemented AMP, or Absence Monitoring Program. If you take 3 or more sick days a quarter, you have to go to a meeting where they pretty much tell you don't do it again or if you know you're going to be out for more than 3 days, take FMLA. If you're chronically absent, it could result in termination. This is even if you provide a doctor's note. Needless to say it's not going over well, with people wondering why they're punished for using sick time the school provides them. But a few employees were abusing their sick time - I suspect they were taking it as vacation time - so central office had to crack down.

The thing is, if you work in a school and you are severely sick, they don't want you there spreading germs. I work in a special needs school where we have a lot of medically fragile kids, and our infants/toddlers home visiting program, therapists can't go into a home where the child is sick because there's a chance they'll spread germs from house to house. I work in an office, but I got scolded for coming in with a sore throat and cough even though I had no fever and felt well enough to not stay home. I replied that I would have stayed home if central office wasn't monitoring sick time. 

I think the US is the only first world nation where you get punished for legitmately staying home from work.  

[RollTide2008]

Is it legal? Probably. Is it ethical? Probably not. Is it good management? Definitely not.

[Lipstickdiva]

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@drizzellla wrote:

I have no idea if it is legal.

But since the company is paying the person who is sick. Isn't the person who is sick "on company time" but not working that day for the company? 

It was sad but where I used to work, everyone got 5 sick days a year. So if people did not use up all their sick days throughout the year, they would call in sick at the year end. So they could use all their sick days.

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@drizzellla, this is exactly why I don't get sick days.  My boss' take are that if you are sick you are sick and you stay home.  But if they give out X number of sick days, people are going to call in sick to use those days whether they are ill or not, because they have them and don't want to lose them.

My BFF is like that. She uses all 6 of her sick days every year but never because she's sick. She'll drag herself to work when she's sick but then call off on a Friday or Monday to extend her weekend, especially when the weather is nice. 

[puttypiesmom]

If sick days are a benefit that you will lose if you don't use them then why not use them? How odd that some are criticizing others when they really don't know the circumstances of anyone who uses it.  A person's child who is sick is also a good reason to use your allotted sick days when you are the responsible person (and are the grandparent) caring for that sick child so their parent can go to work who doesn't have allotted sick days!  I wish people would just mind their own business.  

[Nightowlz]

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@aroc3435 wrote:

@Nightowlz  Kudos to your husband.  He is in a unique position (would love to know which union) and my hat is thrown off and high up in the air for him.  Long may he assert his right to be human--union or not.  Of course, I'm biased but the union position DOES help.

Bravo--please give him a heartfelt hug from a union sister!

Sounds like the boss in the original post is an exceedingly foolish 

"manager" and I need not say more except perhaps start with yourself when you are in a managerial/leadership position and look behind you to see who if anyone is following you and caring for you and holding you up as a valuable co-worker.  Remember--we are all a team, says the management line.  

There are many ways to undermine a foolish leader--and it shouldn't ever have to come to that--when a boss is truly an excellent one.

I've had both types of bosses . . .

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@aroc3435

They tried to get him to quit the Union Local 898 for the Management position. DH asked me about it & I said not No but HE?? No. LOL!!! We both know what it means to be management when a new Contractor comes in. A lot of the management get booted out the door.

He would have also lost his 7 wks vacation, pension etc. so they made the position Union/Management.

Everyone always asks how is that working for you?

He's Mr. Do It All. He takes out the trash if it's overflowing but most of the guys just sit on their rear because they all have the attitude it's not my job which really stinks when it comes to Union.

Anything they see fit as part of their job is their job DH put it in the Contract since he was tired of all the back lip.

He can be fair to the Company but if it has something to do with Union he always sides with the Union. I think he's been doing this about 7-8 yrs now. He started out driving a truck & moved up to dispatcher lead & now this.

[Happiness Is Inside JOB]

I did not read all the comments but I WISH my supervisor WOULD COME TO MY DANG HOUSE.

First off, I'm say some of these supervisors really act like they "OWN" you or you are their "CHILD.  I remember when I was a secretary, I had a boss who actually GOT MAD when I got a better paying job.

I also believe people including SUPERVISORS, will treat me the way I "ALLOW" people will try to "CROSS" the line in small steps and sometimes if you don't stop it, things will get carried away.

I also live in an area where jobs are PLENTY so employees don't have to "TAKE" the ****** that might happen in other parts of the country.

[brandiwine]

Sounds like you're asking for legal advice.  Maybe you should call a lawyer as opposed to asking people for an opinion.  Too many people call in sick just to have a day off.  It costs employers tons of money.