Calling In Sick?

[Ch. 12]

Actually, in defense of that policy (sort of), my firm has a policy for support staff that if they're asked to come in on the weekends or have to do some type of work at home (word processing, etc.) and it takes less than 4 hours to do, the support staffer is entitled to four hours pay.

And, interestingly, my company is union free.

Answering the phone should not be considered "some type of work at home". Wow...if people are so lazy that they it takes that much effort to answer the phone I have to wonder about the true intentions of taking more than a week off for "sick" days.

I, too, think that this language is absurd. If you don't want to give up pay in your contracts, get rid of this ridiculous, costly clauses. Easy enough.

I wish I got paid a half day's wages to receive phone calls. I'd take my name of the "do not call list", that's for sure.

 

[700UW]

Once again you all fail to grasp it.

The company can at the the TIME of the call or upon your RETURN to work ask for a bona fide Dr's note.

If they don't ask for it, it is there fault. And if you read the contract it does not explicitly say if they call you they have to pay you four hours.

If the company fails to ask for a note who's fault is it?
It is managements fault, and if they fail to ask and it costs them money, the supervisor should be disciplined by the company for failing to do the job properly.

 

[openview]

Now I get it. Since some of my coworkers took more sick time than they should the company is punishing all of us by contracting out the airbus work illegally.

Yes. Maybe not directly. But its somethings that affects the overall health and prosperity of the company, and therefore forces pain in other areas in times like these.

 

[LaBradford22]

I'm curious - where does this set of values come from that says it's perfectly okay to fraudulently call in sick for work just because you have time in a sick bank?

Maybe I'm hopelessly old-fashioned, but I was raised on the principle that if you're sick, you call in sick and stay home, if you're not sick, you go do your job.

 

[ITRADE]

Entitlement.

 

[Smartest Loser]

Entitlement.

No "AGREEMENT":

---a : the act or fact of agreeing

---b : harmony of opinion, action, or character

---c : an arrangement as to a course of action

---d : a contract duly executed and legally binding

---e : the language or instrument embodying such a contract

SL

 

[LaBradford22]

No "AGREEMENT":

---a : the act or fact of agreeing

---b : harmony of opinion, action, or character

---c : an arrangement as to a course of action

---d : a contract duly executed and legally binding

---e : the language or instrument embodying such a contract

SL

Try one of these on for size...

"INTEGRITY"

---a : the act or fact of being integrous

---b : decency and honesty of action, or character

---c : characterized by integrous course of action

"WORK ETHIC"

---a : the act or fact of doing the job you are hired and paid to do

---b : taking pride in your action, and character

---c : following through on a previously agreed upon course of action

"MORALITY"

---a : the act or fact of being moral or upstanding

---b : purity of action, or character

---c : a conscious decision to follow the right or proper course of action, as guided by a set of moral principles

 

[ITRADE]

No "AGREEMENT":


SL

Right, and I thought sick time meant time to be taken when you were sick.

 

[Ch. 12]

Sick time is like insurance. You are not "entitled" to it just b/c you have time in the bank. It is fraudulant to abuse sick time when you are not sick no matter how entitled you feel just as it is fraudulant to burn down your own house just b/c you feel "entitled" to get the insurance money you have paid in. All business work this way. That is why you have vacation time. Do you take vacation when you are sick just b/c you are "entitled" to it.

This is a major ethical dilemma and the fact that nobody seems to see anything wrong with fraudulantly calling in sick is disturbing. Next time you blame mgmt for the failings of US, look in the mirror. There's plenty of blame to go around and sick policy abuse is a major cost that should be avoided if "entitled" people in the workforce were not morally bankrupt.

 

[openview]

No "AGREEMENT":

I sure with some time in grievance hearings, negotiations and half a dozen more pages of contract language, side letters and paragraphs of lawyer typespeak, maybe the company can better define the infinate interpretation of the benefit sick time.

Hold strong on these "Agreement" issues ...after all your entitled because it was agreed on.

 

[airlineorphan]

The 4.5 hours pay for being called at home is a brilliant piece of contract language that should be a model for any union that wishes to create real disincentives for the company to harass employees. 700UW and others have clearly stated that the company has the authority to request information upon the return of an employee to work, so take a chill pill folks.

Sheesh!
-Airlineorphan

 

[firstamendment]

I'm curious - where does this set of values come from that says it's perfectly okay to fraudulently call in sick for work just because you have time in a sick bank?

Maybe I'm hopelessly old-fashioned, but I was raised on the principle that if you're sick, you call in sick and stay home, if you're not sick, you go do your job.

Maybe I'M old fashioned, but I believe in loyalty to a company and that my years of service should be honored and respected...and yes, justly rewarded. But you see, this company, this industry, and this country no longer value the old fashion principles you eloquantly speak of. Infact, this company would be thrilled to get rid of all of us right now. I have but a mere 17 years with US Airways and I feel about as welcomed on the property as Osama bin Laden. Now that is sad. It's pretty pitiful when I am praised, thanked, and appreciated more at my volunteer job then here. Years of service mean nothing to US Airways...so why do you think employees would put sick call issues at the forefront of job ethics ? Oh yeah, to save the company....for yourself worth...umm, I get that where I volunteer. I know longer depend upon US Airways for anything...just the check they gringe at when writing. :down: <_<

 

[openview]

The 4.5 hours pay for being called at home is a brilliant piece of contract language that should be a model for any union

Now here's irony. A company having to pay to call workers to work, as a result of workers not coming to work. Perhaps, thats why the company is doing so brilliantly.

 

[airlineorphan]

QUOTE
The 4.5 hours pay for being called at home is a brilliant piece of contract language that should be a model for any union



Now here's irony. A company having to pay to call workers to work, as a result of workers not coming to work. Perhaps, thats why the company is doing so brilliantly.

Openview, by removing the context of my comment, I imagine it makes your argument appear stronger.

Allow me to add back the context you removed in your selective quote:

The language gives unions and their members leverage to stop management abuses of contractual rights to call in sick. I have listened to countless stories of management members calling flight attendants who are out for cancer treatments and all manner of serious ailments. The only real purpose to all of this is to harass employees to the point that they quit or say or do something that will get them fired. Employees need some sort of disincentive system like the 4.5 hours pay to stop this sort of management abusiveness.

Hey management is always talking about incentives and disincentives to steer employees along the managerially-defined path of righteousness. Why not a little of the same medicine for management?

-Airlineorphan

 

[USA320Pilot]

A couple of thoughts...

1. Two wrongs do not make a right.

2. If a person is sick they should stay home.

3. If a person is not sick and calls in sick they are not telling the truth, they hurt their fellow employees, and they hurt the people who pay our wages, the passengers.

I like JS' ideas of:

US Airways should move to one of the following two sick policies:

1) Call in sick and don't get paid.

2) Paid Time Off (PTO), where a sick day is the same as a vacation day. Increase vacation days to reflect the fact that it is a combination of the old separate sick and vacation pay.

In either case, abuse of the policy (e.g., calling in sick the three days around every holiday) should result in termination, as this disrupts the ability of the company to do business during peak travel times.

CWA represented employees have Paid Days Off (PDO's), which has significantly reduced sick abuse.

Regards,

USA320Pilot