Sick Time

[700UW]

The problem with the draconian management US Airways uses is that everyone gets punished for the abuses of the few, have seen it over and over and over again in my 15 years.

Each sick case should be based on each case, not lump all employees together.

I know in the maintenance department after we call in sick we usually get "counseled" by our foreman, so for the most part we are a case bu case department where I work.

 

[autofixer]

Everyone knows that if management would pay its employees time and a half or some monetary value for unused sick time, they would not abuse it to the extent they do now. I do this for my employees. Any unused sick time at the end of their year of service is paid to them as a bonus. I am sure the $.50 on the dollar spent would save four or five times as much. Management knows this. Heck, I know it and I have implemented it with my employees and I don't even have an MBA. They want the abuse to continue. It is a wedge issue, just look at these boards.

 

[700UW]

The mechanic and related contract use to contain I think trade 2 or 3 weeks of sick time for an extra week of vacation.

 

[autofixer]

Was it eliminated in CH11?

 

[700UW]

No it was old language:

Begining January 1, 1960, those employees who have traded sick leave for additional vacation once cannot trade again. It is undertstood and agreed that the trading feature will eventually be eliminated and , therefore shall not apply to employees hired after January 31 1959.

Yes it was still in our 1999 agreement.

 

[AOG-N-IT]

The problem with the draconian management US Airways uses is that everyone gets punished for the abuses of the few, have seen it over and over and over again in my 15 years.

Each sick case should be based on each case, not lump all employees together.

I know in the maintenance department after we call in sick we usually get "counseled" by our foreman, so for the most part we are a case bu case department where I work.

700UW,

Thanks for backing up my views , even if in a round-about way.

10% of the U workforce tends to bring harsh measures down on the other 90%....This is niether right or fair , yet this is always the way U's leadership has approached its problems. This is nothing new or drastic since Dave took the reigns.....and God knows I'm not about to defend him in light of this

I do see this as a traditional U problem...and now it would be in both Dave's favor..and that of the common good to make changes in how things are addressed....Point by Point and Case by Case.

I know in my little department of 12 plus four supervisors , we currently have 3 on a so-called watchfull status over attendance....and yet another one who's been called on the carpet for being late to work frequently. So out of 12 in Labor side...we have 1/3rd that have issues....yet the other 2/3rd's suffers the wrath.

I know from my perspective alone , I'm sick to death of seeing photo-copies of the companies attendance policy being left in my "In-Box". This again is sweeping moves in broad terms Vs. taking the bull by the horns for those alone whom violate these policies. This is wasted paper in my case..and that of 7 others , we know the score and do not need to be lectured like children. Yet it's easier to be harsh and drastic as opposed to confronting the actual offenders as they should be confronted.

I'm the kind of person that owns up to my responsibilities...and meets or exceeds my obligations in all aspects....and to be bombarded with copies of a policy based on a select few actions is frankly insulting. I tend to have to bite my tongue when I'm called to fill created voids because of this stuff.

 

[pitguy]

The flu is going around.

 

[delldude]

The problem with the draconian management US Airways uses is that everyone gets punished for the abuses of the few, have seen it over and over and over again in my 15 years.

Each sick case should be based on each case, not lump all employees together.

I know in the maintenance department after we call in sick we usually get "counseled" by our foreman, so for the most part we are a case bu case department where I work.

well if you look into the dilema,the draconian types have exacerbated the problem themselves.
by trying to control sick time usage they come out with the "occurence" crap but then say each occourence can be for say a week or more...but its an occourence...well now we have an incentive that its ok by management to burn 2 days or more and what the heck nothing will happen.
so now to curb usage it now costs the company 2 to 4 times what it did in the first place.
and soes goes the best laid plans of mice and men

 

[cavalier]

Cav -

I am not sure if the self-righteous remark was aimed at me or not, but let me say this. Imagine if you will, that with the current levles of sick calls in all departments that the cost to the company is 100 million dollars. (Just a figured pulled out of the air and not meant to be stated here as a fatual number.) If even half of the sick calls are legitimate then you still have some employees stealing 50 million dollars from the company every year and the problem get worse. Now I don't know about you, but turning this company around and making it profitable is very high on my agenda, because I love my job, I love my company, and I want us to succeed. When the company returns to profitability, we will all share the fruits of our labor via profit sharing...but we have to make a profit first. How would you feel knowing that the small percentage of employees that are abusing their sick time are taking money right out of your pocket? They are no better the Dave!

I accused no one, Mark, that includes you.

When you were hired were you told part of your duties was to monitor your fellow co-workers attendance patterns, or do you feel that you are better equipped than management to ensure that strict attendance policies are obeyed? Of course not. You were hired to do what you are an expert at and stay focused on those duties. Worrying about your fellow co-workers attendance patterns is a unnecessary distraction from your duties. Management has in place management employees who are tasked with taking care of attendance policy. It's not our concern in the least, on any level. Worrying about a co-workers attendance patterns not only doesn't concern us but is also an unnecessary distraction and a waste of energy and builds ill will. The last thing we need is more ill will among the ranks by worrying about what the next guy is doing. Do your own thing and do it well and let management perform their own duties, which include dealing with attendance policy. AOG was complaining that he is asked to cover sick calls with overtime. One day he may be unfortunate and require some time off himself and his co-workers will pick up the slack. It was pointed out on this threat by I believe autofixer that sick calls are a wedge, which is a great tool for management. He hit the nail on the head. I was trying to point that fact out on with this topic, it takes the attention away from what this management team is doing and focuses it on co-workers, it‘s a mirror for distraction. This management team will exploit any available means to divide and conquer including bickering over what the other guy is doing with his sick time benefits. Appointing oneself the moral policeman and lecturing co-workers on how to use their sick time plays right into the hands of a manipulative management team; a team who has an expert in exploitation to meet their unfriendly employee goals. We must stay focused as well as united so we don’t become the next victim of this management team’s actions. If we do that we will accomplish what we were hired to do and the company will be the better for it.

 

[700UW]

Once again you are not correct, the company in the maintenance department does it on a case by case basis, but they have to be consistant and hold everyone to the same policy which for the most part they do.

The only time it gets the company in trouble is when they are not consistant and they don't apply the policy evenly.

 

[PITbull]

Cav,

I believe your line of thinking is correct. Management endeavor is to create havoc among the labor groups, critisize each other on a perceived problem, and have them focused on other issues than the big one at hand....and that they will be coming in our contracts to change our work rules, cross utilize, change "on duty" hours etc...more deterioration of our "quality of life" and ensure our "marriage" to their "trans. plan".

There is so much management in comparison to the reduction in rank and file, that these "Einsteins" are paid to work on solutions to ensure a smooth, uneventful day to day operation.

I can tell you FIRST hand, that none have figured out a way to incentivize the labor groups with new policies to eliminate employee issues, especially in this environment which takes some creativity. AFA HAS offered, but managment says, not interested in anything that has a cost or potential cost associated.

So, they are on their own.....

That is why the unions will come down on mangement hard, all the way to the EEOC and ADA, if their ts aren't crossed and their i's dotted with regard to our contracts and the LAWS that are in place to protect the worker. Those that commit fraud, get weeded out in court, those that are ligitimate, will be awarded any damages through the courts.

Cav, once again, I hear your point....some get it, some don't, some won't.

 

[TomBascom]

... the company must document that EVERYONE recieved notifcation. That's why AOG-N-IT gets bombarded with policy memos not because he is a bad employee but everyone must be informed.

Yes but...

A big chunk of AOG's point seems to be that "management" is filling his inbox instead of directly addressing specific and apparently flagrant cases of abuse. This sort of thing is management by wishful thinking. It's common enough -- I see it in a lot of places and union shops aren't any more or less likely to suffer from it than non-union shops. The wish would seem to be that the co-workers do the managers dirty work by pressuring the abusers to reform. To a degree the union apologists have a point -- that's a divisive thing for "management" to be doing. OTOH the fact remains that the union is in a fairly unique position to act proactively in at least an educational role to spread the message that this sort of thing isn't victimless.

I could be wrong but I suspect that many of the managers responsible for this behavior are not professional managers -- they are people who have worked their way up into a senior position and who really don't know what to do about this stuff.

What really needs to happen here is for the manager to be counseled regarding methods for truly dealing with these sorts of problems. It probably wouldn't even be all that hard to figure out which managers need it the most and focus on them. But these things cost money and that's a tough sell right now.

 

[pitguy]

Piney states: """Due to the unionized nature of the workgroups in question it is very difficult legally to decide the legitimacy of sick calls or any discipline matter on a "Case by Case" basis. """


I reply: I will try to respond in simple terms for you. The unions by law have to represent the membership. The company needs to enforce the rules in a fair manner. The unions are not running the ship here. The tail does not wag the dog. Your statement tends to say ‘if it was not for unions then the company could really kick our butts’. I do not like the Democrats or the Republicans. Neither party represents the average person well. I am not even the biggest supporter of unions, but I can assure you that this place has to be unionized. They do have a place here. Your ignorance shows you do not know how weak they are. Most of us see that we don’t have much of a union. More along the lines of a company union’.

 

[700UW]

You can go back to polishing Scotty Fraud's shoes now or whatever it is you polish for him. Have a great New Years

Don't you have a coworkers office to break into and steal from?

For a 53 year old man, you sure act like a child, his name is Scotty Ford and you couldn't even hold his jock.

Sounds like you have UNION envy to me, are you a bit on the inadequate side?

 

[delldude]

this thread is making me sick....