sick time

I got a rock.

UK policies vary, but our hospital Trust operates a 9 shifts/3 episodes in a rolling year system, which qualifies you for an interview with your line manager. It is supposed to be supportive rather than punitive, but there are no rewards for non absence.

I am also wanting to see how other hospitals handle sick and vacation time. We are wanting to bring this up to our board of managers, and I was hoping to gather some info from other parts of the country. We don't actually get and "sick days" we get an "extended illness balance" (EIB) which is accumulated at a very minimal rate and the policy actually states that you cannot get paid from you EIB until you have been out sick for more than 6 consecutive calender days. You would get paid from the EIB starting the 7th day of your illness. Does this sounds like we are being taken advantage of? And how are holidays paid? We aquire paid time off (PTO) as we work. something like 7 hours per 80 hour work period. And if we are not scheduled on the holiday the take 8 hours of our PTO. Again does that sound right? How are other facilities managing the PTO and sick time?

Our hospital has those wonderful posters up saying if you're under the weather don't come in. I've been told the 8th sick day brings you a letter from HR and a chat. Anything over two days requires a doctors note.

Those signs you're describing are aimed at visitors and very clearly make that point. Have you ever been tempted like I have to whip out a sharpie and write on 'em "Staff, however, are expected to show up as usual."?

On our unit it doesn't take 8 sick days for the letter and chat... it takes more than 3 separate incidents of even a single shift in a year, or a single incident of more than 3 shifts' duration. HELLO!! We work with SICK PEOPLE!! We work SHORT!! We're getting OLD!! But we're not allowed to be sick. Nice. I have enough time in my sick bank to be off for 20 twelve hour shifts. For me, that's the same as 9 weeks! Too bad I can't take the pay.

[quote=janfrn;2632035]Those signs you're describing are aimed at visitors and very clearly make that point. Have you ever been tempted like I have to whip out a sharpie and write on 'em "Staff, however, are expected to show up as usual."? quote]

The sick time we don't use is paid out to us at the end of every December. Can be up to $3,000 if you don't use any all year. It is hard on staff when people call off all the time. We can have up to 9 occurances in a rolling 12 month cycle. I think that's too many and I know nurses who really abuse that. By the way, I love the "I gotta rock" response---too funny!

The sick time we don't use is just gone. I know a part-time nurse who calculates the exact moment she's accumulated enough hours for a sick day, and then she's sick. She never has any "extra" time hanging around in her sick bank. Me, I wasn't raised that way.

Hey that nurse works on MY unit.