[Bay Kid]

Another man-made paid holiday created by the government. Doesn't pay anything to most hard workers in our country.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by Stu from NYC

Do we really need a national holiday now, 155 years later over this?

It won't be the first paid holiday granted for an event that far in the past.

Washington's Birthday became a holiday in 1879 which was 147 years after he was born.

While Independence Day was a holiday in 1870 it wasn't a paid day off until 1938 or 1941 (different sources) both of which are more 160 years after the event it celebrates.

New Years Day, Christmas, Columbus Day and Thanksgiving did not become paid holidays in the US until hundreds, thousands, or millions of years after the event they celebrate, though that is mostly a technicality since the US didn't exist at that time.

[donassaid]

More "Wokism". What's next? National holiday for homosexuals, transgenders, and illegal immigrants?

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by MandoMan

If you could call in sick for a year and get paid, could you in good conscience do it? I couldn’t. Plus, wouldn’t the employer check to see if the employer is really sick? Taking the days without being sick would be fraud, wouldn’t it?
....

Yes, that would be fraud and could result in someone being fired (saw it happen). No, my conscience would not allow me to call in sick that many days.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by MandoMan

If you could call in sick for a year and get paid, could you in good conscience do it? I couldn’t. Plus, wouldn’t the employer check to see if the employer is really sick? Taking the days without being sick would be fraud, wouldn’t it? I was a professor at a state university for 34 years. I accumulated over 450 days of sick time. If I’d become seriously ill, that sick leave would have been a life saver. I thought I’d simply lose it all when I retired, which is what usually happened. Instead, the state universities, wanting to get rid of those of us who were old and in the way, offered to pay us for one fourth of our sick days in a lump sum if we would retire at the end of the school year. A lot of us took that offer. That’s the only way I could afford to move to The Villages. The rest of those sick days went unused.

I never used most of my sick leave. But, many use all of it. A Federal employee does not need to be sick to use sick leave. They can use the leave to take care of someone else, and that person does not even need to be a family member. As a supervisor, it is almost impossible to deny sick leave, or to verify that the reason is valid. They can just say that they are leaving town to care for a sick friend or relative in another state. It is considered an earned benefit, and is almost never refused. Another problem is that some employees use all of their sick leave by just calling in sick whenever they have earned 8 hours. So, how can you deny someone who wants to use it all at once without discriminating?

There were some employees who actually delayed their retirement for more than a year, so that they could use their sick leave and get full pay and benefits for an extra year or so at the end of their career. Everyone knew that they were never coming back to work. This was sick leave abuse, but there was really nothing they could do to stop it.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

Yes, that would be fraud and could result in someone being fired (saw it happen). No, my conscience would not allow me to call in sick that many days.

Federal employees can use sick leave to take care of someone else who is sick. The employee does not need to be sick to use the leave.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by donassaid

More "Wokism". What's next? National holiday for homosexuals, transgenders, and illegal immigrants?

Uh oh it might give someone an idea.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

Federal employees can use sick leave to take care of someone else who is sick. The employee does not need to be sick to use the leave.

There are allowed uses for sick leave. Using sick leave for something other than an allowed use would be fraud and could result in the employee being fired.

I believe many (most?) companies allow their employees to use sick leave for FMLA absences to care for family members (though most Federal employees would not need to invoke FMLA for one or two days)

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

There are allowed uses for sick leave. Using sick leave for something other than an allowed use would be fraud and could result in the employee being fired.

I believe many (most?) companies allow their employees to use sick leave for FMLA absences to care for family members (though most Federal employees would not need to invoke FMLA for one or two days)

You are correct. But, private companies have more flexibility and discretion than the Federal Government. The problem in the Government is that, if you don't treat everyone the same way, you can be accused of discrimination. So, how do you require one employee to prove that their need for sick leave is valid, when there are other employees who routinely call in sick whenever they feel like getting a day or two off?

I don't know what the FMLA law requires, but Federal employees do not invoke that law to use sick leave, and the person they are caring for does not need to be a family member.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

You are correct. But, private companies have more flexibility and discretion than the Federal Government. The problem in the Government is that, if you don't treat everyone the same way, you can be accused of discrimination. So, how do you require one employee to prove that their need for sick leave is valid, when there are other employees who routinely call in sick whenever they feel like getting a day or two off?

I don't know what the FMLA law requires, but Federal employees do not invoke that law to use sick leave, and the person they are caring for does not need to be a family member.

You seem to have transitioned from what is allowed by the OPM and what is allowed by lenient supervisors. And, we both seem to have strayed far from the topic of this thread.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

You seem to have transitioned from what is allowed by the OPM and what is allowed by lenient supervisors. And, we both seem to have strayed far from the topic of this thread.

I agree

[Love2Swim]

Originally Posted by Mushkie

I want President Trump on Mount Rushmore!!!

We all know you're kidding, but thanks for making us laugh, bless your heart.

[airstreamingypsy]

Originally Posted by Stu from NYC

Do we really need a national holiday now, 155 years later over this?

This is your fourth whiny post in this thread, and I just started page 2. Why do you care? Aren't you retired? How does this affect you other than annoying you?

[airstreamingypsy]

Originally Posted by Mushkie

I want President Trump on Mount Rushmore!!!

Me too, hopefully after falling out of a plane.

[Love2Swim]

Originally Posted by airstreamingypsy

This is your fourth whiny post in this thread, and I just started page 2. Why do you care? Aren't you retired? How does this affect you other than annoying you?

We all know why certain people are whining about this holiday.