Sick Days vs. Personal Days

[SoCal2NYC]

So I have a Dr. appointment on Wednesday and I am not sure how long it will take because I may get blood work and some other stuff done so I don't want to say I'll run there at lunch and end up being out for 3 hours.

Boss said that was okay if I just wanted to leave in the middle of the day for an hour or two and come back. Then, I thought of how I never use sick days anyways that I'd just take the whole day off and use it as a sick day.
"Can't approve Dr. appointments for sick days." is what I got back. I was under the impression that a sick day was something you used when it regarded your health. I'd have to use a personal day if I wanted to take the whole day off.

 

[thekunk07]

it's grey area. i think you're in the "sick-day"clear if it's for a medical appt. as 1) it IS at least marginally a health issue, and 2) never know how long you might be there.

i have this issues with my employees all the time. i'd rather they not bullshit me and i'll even spot them a personal day if they're truthful. it's when they take a sick day when i know they had friends from out of town or were out all night the night before that i get upset.

 

[thekunk07]

and sorry, i read too fast, but unless you're a part of some federal agency, sounds like your boss is a)a prick, b) a tight-ass, c) all of the above.

who would it harm for him to spot you a day? although, i haver a suspicion you're lying to all of us and going to cop the last pair of raf lego boots.

 

[SoCal2NYC]

This is why I hate working for companies that do not have my name on the building.

I have 6 sick days to use by the end of the year. I may use 1 of them in that entire time.

 

[braidkid]

Well SoCal, at least for you, in the end, it's irrelevant what the boss thinks cause you really don't need the job anyway.

I appreciate your integrity and honor approaching the situation.

That said, I recommend calling in that morning explaining you have an eye problem and can't see going to work that day.

 

[thekunk07]

the whole pre-set number of sick days issue is bad for employer and employee.

i have employees who take their 10 sick days no matter what (which essentially means i'm paying them extra vacation for nothing).

on the other hand, they have a finite number, and let's say for instance, one of them got pneumonia, they'd have to use vacation or personal days beyond their alloted 10 days.

not a great system, but i have to have some kind of policy.

 

[teddieriley]

sick days are for when you are sick. An employer is not a "prick" because he is enforcing the policy. So what, you think he's suppose to allow everyone under his supervision to use sick days as personal days against the policy? What would be the point?

Sick days are just that - you don't plan when you are being sick, so to say I will be out next monday and take that as a sick day goes against the logic. There has to at least be the appearance of following the rules. If I were you, just call the morning of and claim you are sick and need to go to the dr. I would do this even though you already apprised your employer of the situation. I don't see how he can deny you were sick if you said you were and went to the dr. and get a note if necessary. There, you just saved a vacation day.

 

[thekunk07]

fascist!

 

[gumercindo]

Originally Posted by SoCal2NYC

So I have a Dr. appointment on Wednesday and I am not sure how long it will take because I may get blood work and some other stuff done so I don't want to say I'll run there at lunch and end up being out for 3 hours.

Boss said that was okay if I just wanted to leave in the middle of the day for an hour or two and come back. Then, I thought of how I never use sick days anyways that I'd just take the whole day off and use it as a sick day.
"Can't approve Dr. appointments for sick days." is what I got back. I was under the impression that a sick day was something you used when it regarded your health. I'd have to use a personal day if I wanted to take the whole day off.

Seems like you just have a stodgy boss/company. Everyone has doctor appointments and not all of the appts can be scheduled at 8 am or 5pm. If you need to take 2-3 hours for the appts, why should your boss give you a hard time for it? If he's worried about the whole "face time" syndrome, then offer to stay late that day or something.

 

[thekunk07]

+1. it's probably all your boss has to hang his hat on. give you a hard time and enforce corporate policy so he feels better about his **** life.

 

[SoCal2NYC]

Well it is a lady; but, anyways I was under the impression that somehing in regards to your health (teddieriely) would qualify as a sick day.
When I worked for Saks I think I used one sick day and that was when I came in sick and my boss told me to go home. Now that I understand their logic I will make sure that by the end of our vacation/sick/personal calendar I will have used everything.

 

[thekunk07]

oops. sexist of me to assume your boss was a man. anyway, using all your days sounds like a plan.

 

[Piobaire]

The simple answer is to check your employee handbook and see what that says in regards to sick days. We do not have sick days, we give a global pool of accrued hours for Paid Time Off (PTO) to be used at the employees' discretion, within certain parameters, such as call off must occur three hours prior to your shift. Otherwise, we do not care why you are using your PTO, just do it in the prescribed method.

So So-Cal, consult your employee handbook. It might even have direct language concerning physician visits.

 

[grimslade]

Your boss is evil. Take a personal day, and then in a few months, when you want a personal day, call in sick. That will show 'em.

 

[bkk]

Originally Posted by thekunk07

the whole pre-set number of sick days issue is bad for employer and employee.

i have employees who take their 10 sick days no matter what (which essentially means i'm paying them extra vacation for nothing).

on the other hand, they have a finite number, and let's say for instance, one of them got pneumonia, they'd have to use vacation or personal days beyond their alloted 10 days.

not a great system, but i have to have some kind of policy.

Completely agree from the business perspective. But the kid in me loves that I'll have every Friday off until mid-June to use up my personal days. Other years I've let those days go into the trash, but with several cutbacks this past year, I'm getting my money's worth out of what I'm entitled to.