Sick bank time is not being abused

[WNYresident]

You are not responding to the original writer but your comments would be appreciated.


Buffalo News Opinion Page


Sick bank time is not being abused

11/25/2003

As a 20-year employee of the Buffalo Sewer Authority and a member of the three-person Sick Bank Committee, I would like to clear up some misconceptions that I read in The News article about sick time abuse.
The Sewer Authority requires an employee to use sick time in at least half-day increments. Most other departments allow sick time use in hourly increments or less. If a Sewer Authority employee has a doctor's appointment, he must use four hours of sick time, whereas other city employees may use only one hour of sick time.

Over the course of a year, if a Sewer Authority employee had one doctor's appointment each month, he would use six days of sick time, while the city employee would use only one and a half days. What may look like abuse is brought on by the requirement to use half or full sick days.

Prior to the inception of the sick bank, each Sewer Authority employee earned one and a half sick days per month. Now, each employee earns one and a quarter days per month and the sick bank is credited with a quarter day.

The purpose of the sick bank is to help all employees who suffer a long-term illness. Before employees can apply for sick bank benefits, they must use 30 of their own days or go without pay for 30 days if they are out of sick time.

Admission to the sick bank is not automatic. The committee considers each case and determines whether benefits are warranted. Time in the sick bank is limited to eight months for employees with more than seven years of service, and four months for employees with one to seven years of service. Those with less than one year are not eligible.

In my years on the committee, the sick bank has helped many employees. The bank does not benefit an employee who runs out of sick time and needs to borrow time from his friends.

Finally, the last sick day that I used was in June 1987, so I don't abuse my time or take advantage of the sick bank.

JOE JORDAN
Buffalo

[sbGUY27]

Almost every union employee is going to come out of the wood work to protect and explain away their sick time abuses. This article shows more abuse than is does an answer. Union employees have personal days that should be used for appointments.

[CheektowagaFan]

In the Buffalo Snooze the whole Story is not Published!


The Snooze forgets to tell you that if a Civil Service Employee get's hurt at work they are not paid by DISABILITY. They have no choice but to use Sick or Personal Time.

[sbGUY27]

That is true Cheetofan. I have a relative that hade to use her 100 accrued sick days while out on maternity leave , Because she is a state employee. This is not the type that are being discussed . It is the ones that pratice " I don't feel like working today,I'll call in sick" type policies. Workers that only get sick on Mondays in July and August.

[NoCtUrNaL]

Originally posted by CheektowagaFan
In the Buffalo Snooze the whole Story is not Published!


The Snooze forgets to tell you that if a Civil Service Employee get's hurt at work they are not paid by DISABILITY. They have no choice but to use Sick or Personal Time.

SSD is for those occasions that you've been "disabled" for at least 6 months and can prove you'll be "disabled" at least another year.

If you're hurt at work you go on workmans comp, just like the rest of us. Whatever you do though, don't put a bandaid on the hangnail, it'll expedite your recovery process.

[citymouse]

If you're hurt at work you go on workmans comp, just like the rest of us. Whatever you do though, don't put a bandaid on the hangnail, it'll expedite your recovery process.



You can only claim workmans comp if you get hurt on the job. If you have a heart attack, cancer or some other long term illness or injury not job related and you are civil service you have to use your own time. Municipalities don't have New york state disability coverage.
In the case of the city of Buffalo you can be fired if you run out of time and are still off. That is why they are allowed to acumulate so much sick time. A heart attack could put you out for three or four months. When you run out of sick time you run out of income. The city will dimissmost people who are not politically conected.
Or you apply for family medical leave, the law does allow you to do that for your own injury or illness. That's six months with out pay. when you come back they can still dismiss you.
As long as county and city workers are not eligable for disability pay the workers will never negotiate that sick time away.

[LAsurvivor]

There are plenty of 3rd party disability policies that may be purchased by an employee. It would be rather inexpensive to supplement your sick time and allow the allotment to accrue at a reasonable rate.

[citymouse]

That may be true, But don't forget this sick time has been in place for many, many years , when purchasing supplemental insurance was far from common.
Why buy insurance when you have a system that guarentees full pay for as many sick days as you can accumulate?
Even if you have supplemental insurance after a time the city wiil not be the party that pays you. An employee would lose his job for being absent with out pay, which don't think for a minute they won't do, they have a history of it, and you loss your medical coverage.
Besides, now it is a contractual problem. with no binding arbitration for most public sector employees (only police and fire have it) it has to bargined out . That means give and take if they want to negotiate it out then they have to bargin in good faith. The public is unaware that the city of Buffalo administrators don't know how to do that.

[th1215]

I'm sorry but that is nonsense, if you run out of sick leave you are able to take a leave of absense. An employee is able to take up too 1 year leave of absense signed by the departments commissioner. If you are not politically connected you have a union representive to defend you. Any case you use as a defense chances are they were brought back to work with back pay.

The problem with government employees is that they think they have a right to every benefit. Go around City Hall and ask an employee to kick in a portion for their health care and they will scream bloodly murder about how they don't make enough. However, plenty of people outside city hall pay a portion of their health care and these are hourly workers.

[WNYresident]

Why buy insurance when you have a system that guarentees full pay for as many sick days as you can accumulate?

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Because it bones the taxpayer in the long run. THey are there if you need them, not because you can use them when ever you feel you need a day off.

[th1215]

All they can do is provide excuses for any abuse that is exposed by the media, of government employees. You people are worse than my teenage kids, but in many ways your just like them. You think the world revolves around you. Have an ANSWER FOR EVERYTHING. I have never heard or seen any civil service employee except responsibilty for their actions, they like to play games like my teenagers which is always passing the buck.

Oh, my god! Layoffs in the city are so unfair! It's the Mayor and all his buddies fault. Well hot dam what a concept. You work in city hall, which last time I checked was a political environment and when the guy in power people keep their jobs and the other guy has too go your gonna stand there all dumbfounded and shocked. Please, no wonder why you people are civil service. Please do not insult the intelligence of private citizens by telling us that not everyone in city hall got their jobs through political connections. We are to believe that your the only person you just took a job and got hired. Hogwash! everyone in that building knows somebody or is related to somebody.

[citymouse]

why is it that evrybody who dosen't work for the city have to whine about how good city workers have it. All you here is" these guys are slackers, overpaid and under worked, The benefits are outrageous". I especially like the "boneing the tax payer line".
Here is the bottom line:
Nobody said a thing when everybody around here had jobs that paid more than what city workers made. No body said "What? Steel workers get 13 weeks vacation? Outrageous!!! That has to force up the price of my car."
Now that everyone has to scramble for a job at wal-mart making peanuts, people sing a different tune.
Those contracts are hold overs and compared to what private sector union jobs offered the worker here 30 or so years ago, when the core benefits were spelled out in these contracts, they are equitable at the least in benefits and actually paled in comparison of wages .
People look now and say I don't make as much as the guy who picks up my garbage or plows my street and my taxes pay his salary, that's not fair!!! Most of the whiners don't even live in the city, they just don't like to see the next guy get more.
Nobody in thier right mind would give up any benefits or allow thier pay to be cut just because the guy across the street stocks shelves at wilson farms and has to pay his own health care. If you say you would in similar circumstances you are a bold face liar.
If the taxpayer feels he is being boned then it is by the politicians not the worker, they are the ones who negotiate the contracts, and you people keep electing them. If you really want change than get out an campaign for the canidates you think will make a difference. Get people registerd to vote and get them out on election day. Thats how things can change.
How many people on this web site ever carried petions for a canidate they belived in, rather then one who was a friend or promised them a job? How many have ever carried petions door to door at all?
What's nonsense is some of the things I read here about supplemental insurance, and not being allowed to accumulate sick time for catastropic illness because the city will not pay NYS disability. Yes you are right, the city can grant you a six month leave. When the six minths is up they can extend it six more. This is at there discretion and in this day and age unless you are the mayors cousin you are not going to get it and they will write your job out of the budget before the door hits your ass, especially if they can save a job for one of thier own in the process.
Like it or not thats the real world of civil service.

[citymouse]

AS far as insulting the intellegence of the tax payer, that is a conflicting statement. How smart is the taxpayer when only 32% come out to vote?
When that 32% keep electing the same jokers?
I don't work in city hall, and I am not related to anybody. I got my job because I took a test. I am a politicians worst nightmare. He can't get rid of me and bring in a cronie because state civil service law protects my job. I am on my 2nd mayor and about my 7th commisioner.I work as hard as anybody in private industry every day and I could give a rats ass if all you sour grape types out there accept it or not.
I won't give up my job, cut my pay, or my bene's because somebody else don't have a equitable position. I suppose you would. As i keep saying you can complain about me all you want but you people can't do anything unless you get out the vote and your politicians change things.

[th1215]

Just a moment please while I wipe the tears from my eyes. I just realized how cruel and insensitive I've been. Whatever!

Come on who you trying too kid? Everyone is tired of hearing excuses. The majority of you people in government are underqualified and over paid. You gonna try to tell me that qualifactions in city hall are not greatly blown out of proportion when they are filed in the civil service office. The people in civil service know dam well they are but they take their marching orders from the second floor. Your correct when you say someone at wal mart will complain about a government employee. You know why? because most likely they went too college for 6 years to study, but didn't get the job because of some yo yo who just got petitions for some dumb politician.

And I do live in the city, probably much longer than you.

[th1215]

If you are such a dedicated hard working government employee, then why are you submitting replies to this message board during work hours?

Have to defend earning those benefits somehow I guess?