Sick Leave/ Extended Illness Bank question and Mandatory Vacation Payout?

[ultrarunner]

The company I have worked since 1991 has a policy the first 3 days out sick is deducted from vacation pay or no payment if there is not sufficient vacation pay on the books to cover up to 3 sick days.

For extended illness, the company has EIB which is Extended Illness Bank that caps out at 480 hours and is earned for each hour worked.

I've been at the cap for a long time and have never used sick leave.

Anyway... I learned the company is getting rid of accumulated sick time... in my case that means 3 months gone.

Probably nothing I can do about it since it is not protected in California unless a party to collective bargaining.

They have also decided on a mandatory vacation payout of anything over 3 weeks on the books and no more vacation will accrue past 3 weeks going forward... even in cases when a vacation request is denied because of the needs of the business... looks like another hit in the tax department coming.

A few co workers were out with cancer and injuries and the Extended Illness Bank was a godsend.

I don't know if this will be a deal breaker?

Just about everything I had signed on for has been eliminated over the last 7 years.

Anyone know the ins and outs of sick leave that has been earned?

 

[soilsailor]

Or company recently shifted vacation policy. We also looked at our sick leave policy.

Generally speaking, vacation is a liability to the company. I used to carry a large vacation balance. Vacation is sort of a double whammy for the company since if you leave (or are let go), you should be compensated for your vacation balance. Over the years, as I received raises, the payout amount increased proportionally since my company does a simple accounting. I didn't like it, but I understand why the started paying out and limiting vacation carry over maximums.

Rick

 

[randy41]

you could call the department of labor in your state.

 

[ultrarunner]

I did go to the State site...

It says vacation earned is the same a pay due.

I guess they get around it by saying the earning stops once the cap is hit?

In my case the company needs to bring in someone to cover for me which is often problematic... the last two years my request for time off was denied based on the needs of the company... so vacation hours piled up... I'm a department of one.

Boss did say I should try taking Fridays off since that is the slowest day of the week and be available should something come up... Taking 1 day off each week doesn't help when you are trying to go somewhere with the family.

Sick time seems to have no protection unless collective bargaining (Union)

As they say... if I would have known then what I know now...

 

[buckeyefarmer]

My company did that a few years ago. Took away sick leave, and gave us 3 extra vacation days to compensate. The next year took away 2 of the 3 extra vacation days because they did an analysis and people weren't taking all there vacation days. Each time they did this was essentially a pay cut. Last year they stopped contributing to our pension plan.

 

[newbury]

But isn't that better for the companies bottom line?

If they deem your work so essential that you are not allowed to take vacation time then you are a valued employee.

They do similar in the Federal Government. Max leave carry over from year to year is 240 hours and any sick leave left when you retire only be used to figure into your retirement. Many years I forfeited annual leave because the "boss" wouldn't approve it during the year. I also ended up with almost a year (2000 hrs) of sick leave. That's why a lot of government employees are "sick" on Monday or Friday to burn up their sick leave.

 

[caver]

We just started a new vacation/sick leave deal too. Both are now lumped together as Paid Time Off and we gave up 4 days of sick leave. people who had over 550 hours were paid out at half their wage rate. Anything under that was taken away but supposedly put into a long term disability bank.
After the dust was settled over the new contract they put all these silly rules on PTO. Our union is fighting it because it's now what we agreed to. You have to give notice 8 days in advance for PTO or it accounts as an emergency PTO occurrence. Six occurrences in a year I think they take your birthday away. Reality is they became so focused on PTO they didn't think it through and then wondered what would happen if we all took of at once.

 

[Clint S]

I work in a state hospital and similar to fed. We can accrue up to 200 sick days, but will never be compensated for them until retirement and then that goes towards our health insurance premium. If you leave before retirement vesting they are lost. We are also able to carryover 42 vacation days. They raised it from 40 due to many of us not being able to take time off due to being "essential" employees. I usually end up taking many Fridays off for October, November and December to use mine up.

 

[ultrarunner]

My company did that a few years ago. Took away sick leave, and gave us 3 extra vacation days to compensate. The next year took away 2 of the 3 extra vacation days because they did an analysis and people weren't taking all there vacation days. Each time they did this was essentially a pay cut. Last year they stopped contributing to our pension plan.

I would not be surprised... pension contributions were "Temporarily" suspended in 2006 and still are.

The last time I was called in regarding vacation... was last September... I explained what had happened and was again told I need to take time off.

I offered to take two weeks starting on Monday and it was not possible... I then e-mailed the Boss and said just let me know when I can have two weeks and I'm good to go...

That was the last I heard until this week and the new policy for 2014.

Every other department in the Hospital has staff to cover in house... from the Director down to receptionist... except for my Department which is Biomed/Engineering.

 

[ultrarunner]

I work in a state hospital and similar to fed. We can accrue up to 200 sick days, but will never be compensated for them until retirement and then that goes towards our health insurance premium. If you leave before retirement vesting they are lost. We are also able to carryover 42 vacation days. They raised it from 40 due to many of us not being able to take time off due to being "essential" employees. I usually end up taking many Fridays off for October, November and December to use mine up.

It seems I'm not the only one in a similar situation...

Friday I asked about taking time off in May... anything from 2 to 5 weeks... I'm invited to a wedding in Switzerland and it would be a great time to reconnect with friends and distant family.

Boss said we are due for accreditation and it can occur anytime February through June... essential personel can take days off as long as they are available on short notice and flying anywhere would make responding difficult.

For some reason the Extended Illness Bank/Sick Leave bugs me the most... it is just one of those what if situations should something bad happen... we have no pension or retirement anymore so they cannot be used towards that.

I remember one of the happiest days of my Dad's life is the day I told him I was going to work for a big Hospital with big company benefits... things he had only heard about having worked for himself all his life...

I'm not saying it is all bad... I do have a lot of freedom as long as the job gets done and I promptly respond to problems 24/7