Tiredness

My vacation/sick time used to be seperate. Now both are combined into PTO, Paid Time Off.
I believe it boils down to 4 sick days a year. Co-workers were abusing their sick time so they figured by combining the two would eliminate that. I also have an extended illness bank of hours that cannot be used until after 3 days of being out with a Dr's note. They do not want us to come to work if we have a cough or fever but if we call in to many times, then we get talked to. I work where people come to with these issues. I do alot of hand sanitizing/washing!!

If I ever want to emigrate, I need to remember about sick pay!

In the UK, I think that Statutory Sick Pay kicks in after 5 days but it isn't very much. Lots of people also get some kind of occupational sick pay linked to their job. I get sick pay from my employer which is up to 3 months full pay and 3 months half pay per annum. Some people get more - local government workers get up to 6 months full pay and 6 months half pay. I would get called in to see my manager if I abused it though - I think I've only had a couple of days in the last four years. My son doesn't get any sick pay from his employer though, and he would really think twice before calling in sick.

I can see the logic of employers wanting to reduce the amount of sick leave taken, but how would you all survive if you were sick over a period of months? Does the Government step in and provide a benefit? I can't imagine worrying about being ill and worrying about money as well.

I just wish the abusers would be punished and not those that use sick time properly!
I have 3 months in an Extended illness bank of hours that can be used for extended time off due to medical reasons. I tapped into in once when I had cellulitis on my knee. Was out for a week. This country is so far in debt I do not see getting help if I am ill for an extended period! How can one predict how many times he/she is going to be sick in a year.

Really interesting, I have a real interest in the working and health procedures of other countries, so thanks all for answering.
We have mostly 10 paid sick days and 4 weeks paid annual leave in most work places, the company I work for has unlimited sick leave (I was off work in 2010 for about six months and got full pay for all) but I did have to agree to my doctors talking to the company doctors. We can also purchase extra annual leave of 4 weeks so we have eight weeks off a year at half pay instead of 4 weeks at full pay. We also get paid carers leave if someone in your imediate family is sick and needs care.
It must be awful to be sick and have to go to work!

This is the only job I've ever had where I even get any kind of "sick days". And those are unpaid. I'm allowed 10 days a year; after that, there is a written warning. If I'm out more than 3 days in a row, I need to take a doctor's note in.

One of my BIL's is dying and I'll get 3 days unpaid Bereavement.

Vacation pay is a percentage of my wage; I can ask for it when ever I want it. I'm not entitled to any vacation time until after a year of employment, at this job.

I just missed out on being paid for Christmas Day and New Years Day. Now I'll start getting paid for our Stat Holidays; even if I don't work them.

I have 16 paid vacation days (in addition to the 7 sick days) that I could use if I were really sick, assuming they were still available at the point when I needed to be out. Who wants to use vacation time when they are sick though? I want to use it for a trip to the beach, etc.

Some people can purchase disability insurance that would kick in for time off. I wasn't smart enough to buy that before my health issues began and they won't insure me now because of pre-existing conditions. If I had to be off on extended leave due to illness it would be without pay. So...hi ho hi ho it's off to work I go!

When I worked, my sick leave and vacation was converted to PTO like Dean's work. I did use to have extended sick leave since I had been with the company over 20 years; this amounted to 6 months of sick leave time. I did purchase the disability insurance (which I never did use). You had to be off for 6 months in order for it to kick in.

The benefits were really good when I had first started working--but like Dean said--people use to abuse the system. People were on long-term diability and they didn't really have much wrong with them (and, the company would lose track of them). Those days are gone.

I get 35 days paid holiday a year (including Bank Holidays) and whatever short term sick I need. Long term sick would be 6 months full pay followed by 6 months half pay. Trouble is when we go sick even for a day, when we go back we have a back to work interview where we are made to feel rotten for taking time off. Although having said that some people do take the piss and go sick fairly regularly, but I couldn't do that so I just go in unless I'm really, really ill.

After next week, I will get 25 days vacation, 2 'personal days', and 6 days of ill-time. I've been with the company for 30 years (in various facilities around Ohio, California, and Mexico).
However, during the worst of my ITP-thrill-ride, I got tested a lot and had to leave work on afternoons and such. My boss was VERY cool about it all and he never turned in those days as being absent.
Over the years, I've worked a whole lot of time with counts from 4k to 10k. I've never asked my doctor for a work excuse.

I do have disability insurance, so the ITP hasn't been an issue with it. I've carried it for 30 years and have never used it. But if I canceled the insurance, then tried to get it again, they would probably refuse me now.

Note: Some states have their own short-term disability insurance. When we lived in California, my wife was very ill and off work for 6 months and received state disability during that (65% of her pay as I recall). That may have changed, it was awhile ago when I lived there.

Jack
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Thanks all, pretty interesting. Working in finance and insurance I am always interested in how other countries do things. We also have a similar insurance to your disability insurance that we can purchase it's call income insurance, I have tried to get cover but they put an exclusion on all things related to ITP, thyroid and RA, doesn't leave much to give me cover for and the premiums were heavily loaded because of what they said was a history of immune system problems.

Some of you really do it tough!!!

Thank you, Milly!!!
I was also going to mention that back when I was working (I worked for a large corporation), that any new employees/new hires (still had to take a physical) were allowed to purchase the long-term disability insurance (even if they had a medical problem). But, if they didn't purchase it at the beginning, they couldn't purchase it later.