Sick days in the US...and job security

[pedicurn]

Flu season down here and many of my coworkers have been off sick.

We don't tend to worry too much about this ....if we are sick, we take the time off.

Generally job security is not threatened as long as it's not abused. I've had 5 days off already this year with illness and I'm not at all concerned that I might lose my job.

What happens in the US?

Do you take the bare minimum and go to work sick the rest of the time? Are you worried that you might be fired if take more than a few days a year?

And how does it work if you need surgery?

Just wondering. Thanks

[gentlegiver, ASN, LPN, RN]

I think you are right on target-there will likely be a mass exodus when the recession is over. It is already starting. A couple of months ago, we had a bomb scare on one of the bridges on the interstate. Traffic was backed up for about 10 miles, re-routed and basically at a standstill for about 3 hours. The nurses who were late to work were written up for being tardy! Hard to believe...

I think Management should look into this supervisor, or at least give a break to the Nurses who try to get there during emergancy situations. Personally, I would just call out, doesn't seem worth risking life & limb for a company who will penalize me for arriving late! I would also start looking for another job, sooner or later I'd find one.

[HollyHobby]

Where I work, the policy is pretty typical. My sick time and vacation time are lumped together in my personal time off. If I call in sick more than twice in a six month period, I get written up. If I were to need more than about three days off for anything, such as major surgery, I would apply for an unpaid leave of absence.

If I am sick, I go to work, but wear a mask. If I'm too sick to work, I can be pretty sure I won't get a raise that year because raises are only given to people with stellar attendance records. (Yes, clocking errors like clocking in too early or too late are considered attendance violations.) Not getting a raise means I earn less money, since the cost of living goes up while my pay stays the same. If I am a perfect nurse and never sick (this hasn't happened yet) the raise would still not be enough to offset the rate of inflation.

I work with several young women who have had babies recently. I don't know how they can possibly afford to do this. How does anyone survive that long without getting paid? Especially the ones who were put on bedrest and had to take more than six weeks off?

[TDCHIM]

In my experience, you pretty much take your livelihood in your hands if you take time off for illness or emergency in the U.S. That seems to go for just about every profession, not only nursing! A few years ago, my spouse was told to drive into the teeth of a howling blizzard to attend an event. When he protested that he would drive into the storm before he got anywhere near his destination, he was told to do it, or he'd be fired. So he went.

The event was of course canceled.

The storm dumped three feet of snow on us. He was stranded away from home for three days; I was stranded at home with no car and an infant, praying the power would stay on. And his employer took four months to reimburse us for his enforced hotel stay.

That's just one of the horror stories we have from that particular place. Calling in sick was discouraged and penalized too (Are you really sick? Are you SUURE you can't come in? Well, you're really putting us in a terrible spot. Why do you want to be so unfair to your co-workers? 102.5*F isn't a really high fever. I had to throw up at work once, so why can't you just suck it up too? Well, I guess if you just can't be a team player today, you can work on your scheduled day off instead), and God help you if you used FMLA for anything, including major surgery.

I have family members in a variety of professions (including nursing) and the only ones that tend to have escaped that sort of problem are the ones in education - probably because they have strong unions.

[belgarion]

"No Fault" absence policies have been around in the "real world" for a long time. Basically it means an absence is an absence is an absence. No excuses, no exceptions. Draconian to be sure but it keeps the powers that be from having to strain their brains too much by looking at each case individually.

About 15 years ago, a train jumped the track blocking the only access to the plant where I worked right before starting time. Everyone who was blocked off wound up with an absence. The best part was the train was delivering raw materials to the plant.

As corporations extend more and more control into healthcare, their policies are sure to follow. As I said, it's draconian, but thats the harsh world we live in.

[mrsilly]

I think you are right on target-there will likely be a mass exodus when the recession is over. It is already starting. A couple of months ago, we had a bomb scare on one of the bridges on the interstate. Traffic was backed up for about 10 miles, re-routed and basically at a standstill for about 3 hours. The nurses who were late to work were written up for being tardy! Hard to believe...

OMG, really? I hadn't heard that (I also work at this hospital). How can management penalize something like a bomb scare. I hope those nurses at least tried to go up the chain of command and complain. Of course, chances are, no on will listen... and speaking of exodus.. I would love to leave this hospital, however, what's the point right now? People are having trouble finding jobs, the pay is actually much lower elsewhere in the state, and probably similar crap will be experienced at another facility. I'm hoping things will improve when some people actually leave (management), but that can be 20 years from now! Yikes!

[Redhead28]

We don't really have a policy per se, it is up to each director. Having asthma I'm qualified for intermittent FMLA as is every person in the U.S. with a chronic condition or a caregiver to a person with a chronic condition. So if you or your child have asthma, seizure disorder, etc and have to be off intermittently it pays to look into this law. It is a federal law.

[steelydanfan]

"No Fault" absence policies have been around in the "real world" for a long time. Basically it means an absence is an absence is an absence. No excuses, no exceptions. Draconian to be sure but it keeps the powers that be from having to strain their brains too much by looking at each case individually.

About 15 years ago, a train jumped the track blocking the only access to the plant where I worked right before starting time. Everyone who was blocked off wound up with an absence. The best part was the train was delivering raw materials to the plant.

As corporations extend more and more control into healthcare, their policies are sure to follow. As I said, it's draconian, but thats the harsh world we live in.

Well, maybe not. I recently read an article about city managers' salary and perks in the area I live in. Ready for this?!

The AVERAGE amount of sick time given to a city manager in my SMALL (less than 500,000 people) city is 15 days per year, first year, with 12 days per year after, no limit on accrual. WITH 3 weeks vacation per year!

OK, now don't you feel slightly stupid about your refusal to strike "because the patients need us" when you realize that corporate CEO's are feeding upon your sympathies? Can you imagine what THIER benefits must be like? And not one of them has to work with people who have DEADLY diseases!

Get a grip, people, and get organized. or continue to get screwed over. These for-profits don't care about you, or your patients. They care about the next Profit /Loss statements and their biannual paid-for Caribbean trips.

[OgopogoLPN, LPN, RN]

Where I work, the policy is pretty typical. My sick time and vacation time are lumped together in my personal time off. If I call in sick more than twice in a six month period, I get written up. If I were to need more than about three days off for anything, such as major surgery, I would apply for an unpaid leave of absence.

If I am sick, I go to work, but wear a mask. If I'm too sick to work, I can be pretty sure I won't get a raise that year because raises are only given to people with stellar attendance records. (Yes, clocking errors like clocking in too early or too late are considered attendance violations.) Not getting a raise means I earn less money, since the cost of living goes up while my pay stays the same. If I am a perfect nurse and never sick (this hasn't happened yet) the raise would still not be enough to offset the rate of inflation.

I work with several young women who have had babies recently. I don't know how they can possibly afford to do this. How does anyone survive that long without getting paid? Especially the ones who were put on bedrest and had to take more than six weeks off?

Hearing stuff like this makes me ever so thankful for

1. My country-12 months paid maternity leave (sometimes topped up to almost full salary by employer)

2. My union. You earn sick days (I think 0.5 days per 10 days worked. I could be wrong on those figures though), and will never be penalized for using them. If you classification (RN, LPN, unit clerk etc) is getting a raise, you get one no matter what your attendance record.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

My workplace does not offer sick pay. If I call in sick, I simply do not get paid.

[livinthedreamRN]

We are allowed 6 sick days in a 12 month cycle. If we clock in late (late is considered 6 minutes after start of shift) 3 times in a year, it is considered an absence. If we forget to clock in more than 5 times in a year, it is considered an absence. If we are stuck in traffic, or if it snows and we are more than 2 hours late, it is considered an absence. If we go over the 6 days allotted, we get a verbal warning, then escalates to written, and then a final written warning. 9 call outs or more and we are out the door. The only way to get around it is FMLA, and we have lots of employees who use this. Our management does not care what your circumstance is, and I have seen some members of management go over the sick days allowed. We have a lot of pick and choose policy at our hospital...sad to say.

WOW...I think you should find a new place to work!!!

[livinthedreamRN]

I think it is rude to come in to work sick/contagious. If you work on a floor with direct patient care and with other employees who can get what you have....PLEASE stay home. If one of us comes in with some sort of virus, it usually makes it's rounds to all of us. So, if that one person would have stayed home, it might have prevented the rest of us from having to call off sick!