Paid Sick time

Cindy Hanna · April 2003

Hi Everyone,

I need your help once again.

I work for a ready mix company that does not have paid sick time. The reason being is the majority of the employees are seasonal (drivers). There off any where from 3-4 months per year and are called back each year. I would like to present something to the owner and vp that would allow paid sick time for the employees that work year round. My mind is completely blank. Any suggestions?
Or is this impossible to do? I have to tell you that we have 7 plants and 3 close competely down in winter. 4 remain open and there is about 5-7 drivers at each plant that choose not to take lay-off in the winter but do not work a 40 hour week. How do I do this?

I appreciate any suggestions. Please help me!!!!

Thank You

Cindy

Leslie · April 2003

You could do what we do with out part time employees. Our full time employees receive five days sick time per year that is accrued each bi-weekly pay period at 1.54 hours. Times 26 that's 40 hours.

My part timers receive pro-rated sick time based on number of hours worked. For example, if they work 30 hours per week, they would receive .01925 hours of sick for every hour worked, which comes out to 1.155 per biweekly pay period, times 26 equals 30 hours per year.

So in this manner, the only time your drivers would accrue sick time is when they work. Make sense?

Cindy Hanna · April 2003

Yes it makes sense and thank you. I had a brain freeze and could not think of anything. Thank you.

Cindy Hanna · April 2003

Leslie your idea was shot down. They do not like the accruing idea. We do not accrue vacation. We get one lump sum at our anniverary date. They think it would be to hard to track for payroll. Any other ideas, suggestions anything?
Really would appreciate any suggestions or ideas.

Thank You
Cindy

Leslie · April 2003

We use ADP and it automatically calculates the pro-rated sick and vacation time from a calculation when data control is set at part time so it's very easy for us.

Hmmm, if it's input manually, maybe you could base it on total hours worked from anniversary date to anniversary date?

How do you calculate your vacation time?

Cindy Hanna · April 2003

How the vacation works is:

1 year=40 hours

3 years=80 hours

10 years=120 hours

20 years=160 hours

We have in house payroll. There is no accruing for vacation just a lump sum on your anniversary date. Vacation cannot be carried over. The owner and vp do not want an accruing system.

Don D · April 2003

The fault I see in your managemen't phiolosophy is their thinking that because the employees don't work a full 12 months, they can't or won't have illnesses during the time they DO work. This doesn't compute. Management should understand that people get sick and then management should decide if they want to penalize people when they do or have a leave bank so that they are paid for the absences.

All the companies who do not have paid sick days have made that decision for their own business reasons. Those who do have paid sick days, did the same. Being off, as management views it, several months at a time, should not be in the equation.

Tell the manager this: People leave jobs for a number of reasons. Often, as soon as the ledger of negatives fills up, they leave. Some reasons are: lack of full time, year round employment; lack of benefits such as paid time off; company culture; the color of grass somewhere else.

Cindy Hanna · April 2003

Thank you for your responses. Don I have tried that but, we do have very long term employees here some 35 years so your suggestion won't work. (I wish it would) Thank you any ways. Maybe I'll call some compeditors and see if they have anything set-up with sick time paid.

Have a great weekend.

Don I have seen a bottle tree here is Wisconsin. Actually this persons house has two bottle trees in their front yard. Thought you would like to know.

sonny · April 2003

Oh, Oh, Don, a bottle tree in Wisconsin!!! Dang Yankees!

kcovalt · April 2003

We give 4 sick days per year, after 90 days of employment. If they are not used, they are paid for the days at the end of the year. The days are not accrued, they are granted.

Pork · April 2003

"Dandy Don" are you still in your old company from which you saw greener grass and left to graze with 2000+ postings I assume you have much more time now in the greener pasture to enjoy this forum. If you are in your new position do you get to keep your 2000+ postings and continue to build?

By the way, i agree with your asessment in this issue. I feel like the poster is in a no win situation with some not so carrying attitudes. They reap all the benefits of having a company and action run by part-timers and managed by full time owner and one VP with some dedicated staff who suffer from their lack of concern for company benefit value.

Probably, the best course of action would be to become a long time staffer with little input for change for the better. If one cares to much about the part-timers one should most likely leave and go to a more carrying company!!! Pork

Cindy Hanna · April 2003

I am sorry if your getting the wrong idea here. The owner and vp do care about the employees. All I would like to do is come up with paid sick days. I have tried alot of things but have not come up with the right idea or suggestion that they would change their mind. I am sure many of us have had to fight for things we would like to see changed with our superiors.

Don D · April 2003

I have an idea. Rather that continuing to run down the hall with ideas they are rejecting, why not sit down and say, "So, we all seem in agreement that it might be a good idea if we had a paid sick leave policy. What kind of policy do you guys think would be the best? Just lay out a few ground rules and I'll draft something up and have it to you next Wednesday."

[I wish that each of you will wake up one day and find a bottle tree in your yard. When you do, just consider that I visited that night and didn't even make a racket.]

Cindy Hanna · April 2003

That is a refreshing approach Don. Thank You. You come up with the greatest ideas.

Mentel · April 2003

I am with a consulting engineering firm in Wisconsin and we have 'seasonal' employees as well. In our firm, seasonal, coop students and summer interns do not get paid sick days or vacation. Only employees who work at least 20 hours per week, all year round get these benefits. Our seasonal employees usually work from April through November as construction inspectors. Our year-round employees get 10 paid sick days per year which if not used can be accumulated in a bank of up to 30 days. This is very simple to do. If you want to discuss this further, you can email me at [email]mentelm@crispell-snyder.com[/email].

Paid Sick time

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