The reason they aren't combined (or shouldnt be) is because you don't want people who are sick coming to work because they don't want to lose a vacation day.
I did it all the fucking time in my 20s. I had 3 weeks of PTO and I sure as hell wasn't going to blow it on a sinus infection that may jeopardize a vacation down the road.
Sick days *should* be unlimited. My last few jobs did it this way, and if you were abusing it, everyone knew it and you were let go pretty quickly. I think if you went over a certain % of days in a row they would ask for something from a doctor and/or try and move you to short term disability if you were out all the time which required a medical determination. Light abuse is somewhat to be expected, but you really don't want your entire workforce coming down with the flu because some idiot wanted to go to Cabo in a months time.
I did it all the fucking time in my 20s. I had 3 weeks of PTO and I sure as hell wasn't going to blow it on a sinus infection that may jeopardize a vacation down the road.
Sick days *should* be unlimited. My last few jobs did it this way, and if you were abusing it, everyone knew it and you were let go pretty quickly. I think if you went over a certain % of days in a row they would ask for something from a doctor and/or try and move you to short term disability if you were out all the time which required a medical determination. Light abuse is somewhat to be expected, but you really don't want your entire workforce coming down with the flu because some idiot wanted to go to Cabo in a months time.