Sick Days

Linda's Thoughts from Duluth
As you know, I was sick on two of the three days off that I had this week. We work a skeleton crew the week between Christmas and New Year’s, and Friday was the day I volunteered to work. Of course, wouldn’t you know, I was better by yesterday morning, when I was to work. It was so dead, that I only answered the telephone twice. One of the girls I work for that had the time off, came in to do a newsletter, so I’m glad I was there to help her get it in the mail, it made the day go faster.

Starting Jan. 1st, our sick leave will be tied into our vacation days and our sick, vacation and personal days will now be called a “Paid time off” days. They tell us that by switching to the system of “Paid Time Off (PTO), we will be better off, some of us have our doubts, especially when it comes to our sick leave. Previously we could take an hour or two of sick time if we had a Doctor’s appointment, but now we will have to take a whole ½ day of our valuable “PTO” days to be gone just for an hour’s appointment. It seems to us, that cases like this will eat up our PTO days faster. We were told that we are not to have too many “unscheduled” PTO days. When you wake up in the morning sick, like I did on Wednesday, that’s pretty much “unscheduled”, so we think we will feel more pressure than we felt in the past, not to take a sick day. So, Wednesday, when I have my doctor’s appointment, that won’t take a whole ½ day, I will lose a ½ day of PTO. Somehow, that doesn’t seem fair.

Oh my, a thought did just now cross my mind! Some people work without any paid sick leave, so I really shouldn't be complaining. I just realized that my son doesn't have any paid sick leave. If he gets the flu and is out of work, he doesn't get paid for those days. Gee, why am I fussing, shame on me! I need to count my blessings! I feel silly all at once. You should probably disregard this whole post!!!