Sick Days (Noncummulative) as a Benefit

Most companies I've worked for have PTO (paid time off days) instead of vacation and sick days. That way, no one cares if I or my child is sick, or I just need a day off. I don't like to be micro-managed. I do my work. When I need to be away, I'm away.

When I was working outside the home, I would see what I was allotted each year and then take a mental health day every so often and then use the other sick days when I really need it. But I think Mental Health days are important to keeping people happy and successful at their job.

Sick days are only to be used when you or someone you care for are actually "sick". It doesn't matter whether or not they accumulate. Unlike "vacation days", which are considered a benefit, most companies view sick time as a courtesy extended to you, should you become ill.

Mental health days? No way, not unless you are under the care of a physician for a mental health condition. I fired someone several years back for taking a "mental health day" to unwind after a stressful two weeks at work. That is what the weekends and vacation days are for.

My husband's company has switched to PTO (Personal Time Off). They get 25 per year and can take them whenever. There is no distinction between vacation and sick days. It makes life much easier for the HR department as well because there is no "coding".

I have PTO at my company. I get about 3 weeks a year that I can use for sickness, vacation, dr. appointments etc... I am limited to how much I can carry over. I always carry over the max that I am allowed.

I tend to hoard the days for most of the year...you just never know when you are going to have a sick kid. During the last few months of the year I tend to start using a day here or there to get my balance down.

There are times that I will schedule a day off if we are planning to do something. I typically don't wake up in the morning and call out of work unless the kids are sick or I am sick enough that I can barely get out of bed....

I used to get about 12 days a month of sick time, not including additional time for vacation and comp days (earned for working overtime). I didn't use them all, but I certainly used them when I wasn't sick. Call it a mental health day, call it a trip to Vegas, use them when you want them. :D

If it was me, I probably wouldn't use all 15 unless I ended up using a bunch of them as genuine sick time (or my kids were sick). But I think 4-6 mental health days a year is more than fair. Some people also use them for doctor appointments, rather than coming in late or leaving early.

I am exactly like Tracy M. I get a lot of leave at my current job, about 4.5 weeks per year, and I don't take them unless we are going on vacation.

I can work from home if the kids are sick, but I take the leave if they are really sick and I can't work. I have leave saved for emergencies as well. I can only carry over a certain amount as well, but I don't see getting to that number because we like to vacation.

I haven't had sick leave in years though. It's been PTO for as long as I can remember.

I hear ya, rhonda. That is always something I take into consideration when looking at new jobs is 1. do they classify days off in sick, pto, vacation, etc and 2. If they do what is the policy 3. is it comprable to where I was.

I have had them run the gambit from no paid holidays, sick days and PTO to Only PTO and holidays to sick days that rolled, vacation and PTO.

I DO use my 'sick days' for mental health days. I do use them for my sick kids or going to the doctor,e tc.

I think you just need to follow the culture and policies set at your office>
good luck.

I don't take them all. I only use what I have to. I supervised a staff of 20 somethings and they were always "sick" if they had sniffles or sore throat. I don't think you should go to work contagious or miserable but I couldn't stand the over use of sick days. I used them mostly when kids are sick.

our sick days accumulate.. 13 per year. but we have no long term disability or short term.. so if you have surgery and are out 6 weeks recovering.. you better have saved your sick days or you wont get paid.

when I worked full time.. I would schedule a dr or dentist appt and take the entire day as a sick day.. (which is perfectly OK) a dr appt is an approved reason to take a sick day.. so that was kind of a mental health day.

My hubby takes 1 or 2 sick days a year. He goes to work unless he is super sick. He also gets 2 personal days. He takes those for mental health days, but mostly, he never uses his sick days unless he is truly sick because he has work to do.

Our company has personal days and vacation days. You can request to carry over vacation days but personal days, no. The thing with personal days is they are there for doctors appointments, sick days, there are only given so that if you get sick you don't have to eat into your vacation or take the day unpaid.

Personal days are bonus days and I think it would help if people understood that. We had a group complain about them and we said fine, we will take them away and you can use your vacation if you are sick, ooohhhhh. Yeah, threaten to take them away and people understand their purpose.

My company started something very unique but has been working. Sick days were given and, like many have said, were abused non stop to the point where morale was at an all time low so management got together and implemented Well Pay. Instead of getting time off for sick days and getting paid. If you were there all the time during each month and did not have to call in sick or take any time off that wasn't pre-approved or scheduled you got a bonus worth the amount they would have paid for sick days. For instance if I don't call in sick during the month of November my paycheck will have a bonus that is equal to the amount of hours of sick time alotted during the month. (Take 5 sick days a year and divide per month) It doesn't sound like a lot per check but if you don't have to take any sick time then by the end of the year you are getting paid the same amount for your sick days. It works and that way you can't lose the money either. With that though they also had to institute an attendance policy that addressed the abusers. The ones that would take the time off regardless. One a whole it has worked out well for someone like me that is rarely sick and has kiddos that are rarely sick.

When I worked jobs where the sick days were not cumulative, I didn't take them all. I didn't think that I was meant to. They were meant to be used when I was sick or had a doctor's appointment that couldn't be scheduled after work hours. To me, taking all of those days would have looked like I was taking advantage or faking. Now, if I had 10 sick days to use a year and I got to October only having used one or none, then yes, I'd have taken a day by the end of the year "just because" but I wouldn't use them all up that way. I think it looks poor to need a monthly sick day. Plus, I always felt like if I took a sick day when I wasn't really sick, the next week, I would actually get sick (or my child would) and then I'd have to take another day so soon after.

Only when I am sick, which fortunately is not often. If my kids are sick, I take a vacation day if needed, but usually I just end up working from home instead. I've been at my company for 13 years and other than disability leave for pregnancy, I've probably used 5-10 sick days total.

I don't understand company's that give sick days to you then take them away. What do they do for maternity leave? At my work depending on how long we have been working we get about one a month and the build up. It's our vacation days that don't role over here. But if I was going to loose mine yes I would probably take some mental health days!!!

I do not view sick days as part of the benefits package. To me that is something my company does.

Our company didn't have "sick" days. If you called in sick then you were paid. However, that system started being abused. So last year, I implemented 4 PTO days for the year. Employees could use them for whatever reason. Sick, mental health day, graduation from kinder day, whatever. Those days do NOT roll over and if you leave the company does NOT pay them out. Once you use those days, you start using your vacation time. Right now, I have an employee who has used ALL over her time. FMLA, vacation, sick everything. She called in sick Monday!

I look at sick days and vacation days differently. I always use my vacation days. That is important to me and my family. Sick days? I use when I'm sick. Since my kids are older know, I don't have to use the sick days for them. Just because you have them doesn't mean you have to take them.

I am lucky in that if I don't use my sick days, I get paid for them at the end of the year. So I usually have a nice little check that I spend on Christmas gifts. And I use them if I have to. But I do understand what you mean when you say why do you get them if you are begrudged them. I know lots of people in that boat.

It's a US problem that they give you a little time off and then you are frequently hassled when you DO use the time given. My DH has time he must use or lose and darned skippy he takes some mental health days. He also takes our child to the doctor, stays home with her sometimes when she is sick, takes care of his parents. To be honest, sometimes he just says, "I have an appointment" but doesn't say for who. They're going to take his days at the end of the year if he doesn't use them so why they yell and scream, I do not understand. He's frequently on calls at 7AM and on call, technically 24/7. They get their pound of flesh.

I had a boss who would give me the hairy eyeball anytime I requested time off for my daughter's needs so I stopped telling her it was for DD. I earned the time. I wanted to use my time. Yes or no? I'm much more a fan of PTO where it doesn't matter what pot it came from. You have two weeks or three weeks' worth to take days off and while you can't usually take them as a block, you aren't required to deal with "sick" vs "I need to babysit the plumber" days. I prefer PTO and then I used them wisely. When I had DD, I had enough PTO to get to her doctor's appointments without being in the hole or near it.

The flip side is if you need to take a day, TAKE A DAY. The head of HR at my old company would come in sounding like death and we'd all know that WE would be next and most of us couldn't afford the time off for his germs.

My husbands job encourages the people to use them "That's what they are there for". He tends to hold off though, that way when there is a need he has them.

If it's a use it or lose it kind of situation, I take "Me days" or mental health days. They are given, it's part of my compensation deal, so you bet i'm taking them. Now, if they can roll over, I'd let them roll over and accumulate in case I ever needed them later on.

We don't have sick days at all - you don't get paid unless you take a vacation day. And even when had them, got told that if kid was sick, wouldn't get paid -they were only for me being sick and had to bring a doc note!