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sick leave abuse
Benefits & Compensation
sick leave abuse
Exchange ideas about health plans, retirement, work/life benefits, and employee assistance.
We have an employee who takes sick leave often, always in increments of one day, for a variety of reasons (cold, sore throat, headache, etc.), usually on a Monday or Friday. His leave bank never accru
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Forums » Topic Forums » Benefits & Compensation » sick leave abuse
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sick leave abuse
posted at 12/12/2000 8:51 AM EST
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Posts: 2
First: 12/12/2000 Last: 6/5/2001 |
We have an employee who takes sick leave often, always in increments of one day, for a variety of reasons (cold, sore throat, headache, etc.), usually on a Monday or Friday. His leave bank never accrues more than 2 or 3 days. This pattern is very different from all of our other employees, who tend to accrue larger balances and take sick leave only a couple of times a year, or for a recurring problem such as migraine headaches. At best, it appears that he takes time off for minor ailments that most people would just work through; at worst, it appears that he is merely creating 3-day weekends for himself. He gets his work done, but ignoring this situation just doesn't seem right, or fair to all our other employees. Our personnel manual allows a supervisor to require a doctor's note, but only for absences of 2 or more days. We do not have an HR department, so supervisors handle this sort of problem on their own. This must be a pretty common thing. Is there anything we can do? Or am I being overcritical? |
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sick leave abuse
posted at 12/13/2000 3:20 PM EST
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Posts: 2442
First: 2/12/2000 Last: 9/14/2011 |
I have a number of thoughts on this issue:
First do you really want to be the sick leave police? Do you have the time? Is there a value or benefit to the time you will spend? Second, why focus on the 1 that abuses the policy slightly? Three, there is no harm in voicing your concerns to the employee. Tell him the appearance he is giving to his Monday/Friday absences. Fourth if you wish to pursue this take the approach of advising him that his absenteesim is many multiples of the sick leave of the average person and this is an abuse of the policy. Availability of sick leave does not mean that there is job protection if there is abuse. Advise him that based on this suspected abuse that you will require a doctor's note for each additional absence or he will not be reimbursed. If you feel this is at odds with your policy, modify the policy. Companies do not have to tolerate this type of behavior but must take actions to correct it. Otherwise other employees may attempt to abuse it as well. |
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sick leave abuse
posted at 12/18/2000 7:39 AM EST
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Posts: 55
First: 5/4/2000 Last: 3/5/2001 |
Is there a possibility this ee has an alcohol/other susbstance problem? We had an employee whose story is very similar to yours and she had (still has)a drinking problem. It got to be soo bad we told her that because we could not depend on her to be here on Monday she need not plan on working at all on Mondays. Requiring a Dr.'s note is not out of the question considering how regularly the ee takes time off. |
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sick leave abuse
posted at 12/19/2000 2:17 AM EST
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Posts: 1
First: 12/19/2000 Last: 12/19/2000 |
Our company policy is not to pay for the first 3 days sick leave (waiting days) and only pay SSP for the remaining days. This rule applies to staff who have been employed for less than 2 years by the company and is subject to individual circumstances. It works for us, particulary as the main abusers in the past have been staff who are paid at the lower end of the scale and a couple of (hangover) days a month do hit the pay packet. It may not be the answer for someone who has been with the company in excess of 2 years though. In addition we have a lengthly "sickness" form that requires completion and Supervisors/Managers sign off on return from sickness and works as a deterent in itself! I do however, agree with howard7 in that a formal discussion should be held with the individual. |
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sick leave abuse
posted at 12/19/2000 5:14 AM EST
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Posts: 1
First: 12/19/2000 Last: 12/19/2000 |
I don't think the issue is the number of days the employee uses when he is absent, but it is the pattern of Mondays and / or Fridays.
Our corrective action policy allows for supervisors to address patterns of behavior that are just under the level for corrective action steps. Patterns of attendance problems is a good example. Another suggestion: make a copy of a 12 month calendar and highlight the days the employee has called in sick. Sometimes seeing the absences on a calendar is more effective than just talking about the absences. Do you have an EAP? There may be too many things going on outside of work. Whatever you decide to do, consistency is an important factor. Ask yourself - would I handle this situation the same if it were a different employee? |
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sick leave abuse
posted at 12/19/2000 5:58 AM EST
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Posts: 2
First: 12/19/2000 Last: 12/3/2002 |
I agree with both howard7 & TGENTRY. There appears to be a pattern to the absences that should be addressed. However, being the attendance police is rigorous and may require that you scrutinize all absenteeism in a new light. This employee may have a pattern that is obvious, but you may be surprised to find that there are other patterns lurking in the department. It is in your best interest to track all attendance for at least 90 days before you single out one offender. |
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sick leave abuse
posted at 12/19/2000 6:57 AM EST
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Posts: 7
First: 8/29/2000 Last: 4/21/2011 |
I have seen this happen many times in a union environment. The way we resolved it was to allow the total days up front and when they were gone, discipline would progress. Concentrate on the good employees making them even better and don't waste all your time on the one bad apple. |
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sick leave abuse
posted at 12/23/2000 4:00 AM EST
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Posts: 55
First: 12/23/2000 Last: 8/26/2010 |
This is clearly a problem employee. Out here, we have a guy who's regularly late at work. Somehow, the management overlooks this phenomenon and has learnt to live with it, giving other employees opportunity to openly criticize him in meetings and other forums. The guy takes this lightly too, and the problem has been persisting, until one fine day, when we know someone will blow it up out of proportion. Happens all the time!
I read somewhere that there's a strange virus that makes people sick the day before or after a holiday or weekend; and this seems to be a case like this. You're right when you say that most employees don't take time off for minor ailments like the common cold and you're NOT being overcritical. I think that in the interest of other employees, what needs to be done is some serious counselling to this employee. Perhaps the real reasons for absence may turn out to be something else altogether, or perhaps he's not looking forward to work when the week begins. Is he the right person for the job he's doing? |
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sick leave abuse
posted at 12/28/2000 3:30 AM EST
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Posts: 20
First: 10/10/2000 Last: 2/8/2001 |
No, you are not being over-critical. This is a performance problem and it should be dealt with.
This does *not* mean being a police officer and trying to throw your weight around. Talk to this person in private and tell him that you are concerned about his patterns of absenteeism. Give him specific examples of this pattern. Tell him that his behavior is not fair to the company or to the other employees and that it needs to stop. Also tell him that if he does have a problem, you will do what needs to be done to help him through it. But in any case, the absenteeism must stop. All too often, people do not know that their performance is a problem simply because nobody ever tells them. So tell him. But do not try to diagnose what may be causing his performance to drop. Doing that is a straight road to trouble for you and your company. Let him decide whether or not he wants to tell you. |
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sick leave abuse
posted at 1/3/2001 12:15 AM EST
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Posts: 5
First: 2/22/2000 Last: 1/3/2001 |
There is a lot of good insight in all of the responses you have gotten. My view most closely correlates to TGENTRY's. I would focus more on the PATTERN of absences (marking the days on the calendar is a great idea, to give the employee an illustration of the pattern) than on the REASON for them. He could just as easily make up a different reason to be out if he really wants to take a day off.
Most importantly, I would suggest the employee utilize the EAP if you have one in place. If your company policy allows it, I would go so far as to make a mandatory referral to the EAP, and tell him that the absenteeism has to improve if he wants to keep his job. The EAP will be able to determine if there is an underlying problem (ie, alcoholism or drug problem, depression, stress, etc.) and help him deal with that problem, so that it doesn't continue. I wouldn't make this a public affair, though. If employees comment about the problem employee's behavior and think that he is "getting away" with something, simply let them know that the behavior has not gone unnoticed by management--do not go into detail. If the problem employee wants to share that information, that is his business. |
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