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At work, should your allotted vacation days and sick days be combined, or managed separately?

  • Keep them separate!

    Votes: 462 70.6%
  • Combine them!

    Votes: 192 29.4%

  • Total voters
    654
  • Poll closed .
OP
OP

Deleted member 19844

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 28, 2017
3,500
United States
See that's where you're wrong my friend.

You buy the plane tickets, book the hotel for two weeks, pack your bags, then on friday night you come down with pneumonia and you're bedridden for two weeks.

Just don't post any pics to your social media, or tell any coworkers about your vacation, and you're golden!

Like the spaniards say: Con dos cojones!
I legitimately laughed out loud. :)
 
I take sick days all the time. Whenever I feel sick of work, bam! call out. It has done wonders for my personal mental health. I banked all my sick days my first year at my job like a fucking chump. No reason to do it, no one gives a shit except for the dorks who pride themselves on perfect attendance. I don't think I have actually gotten legitimately sick all year.

I usually call out once a month, usually on a Friday or Monday. Everyone knows what the game is but no one really cares.

I think it really depends on your job.
People do give a shit if you're pulling a "sick day" in a way that compromises deadlines or forces other people to stay late and make up for your work.
 

Silence

Member
Oct 27, 2017
663
United States
Having worked at multiple places with both approaches (combined and separate), in my experience this is exactly what happens.
When my wife's employer combined theirs, this is exactly what happened.

Although she was already getting so much she barely noticed the difference.

Same here. I've worked places that did exactly that. Combine, give you less, and pretend like they're doing you a favor. That's why I thought I'd bring it up.
The entire US does not have combined sick and vacation time. Unless you mean, "some places in the United States have combined"


some Americans get paid sick

Just goes to show, what can be crystal clear in your own head, can be unclear to others. I should have said: "Some places they are combined (in the United States). I thought it was clear enough, considering many people in the United States don't get any sick time.
 

see5harp

Banned
Oct 31, 2017
4,435
I take sick days all the time. Whenever I feel sick of work, bam! call out. It has done wonders for my personal mental health. I banked all my sick days my first year at my job like a fucking chump. No reason to do it, no one gives a shit except for the dorks who pride themselves on perfect attendance. I don't think I have actually gotten legitimately sick all year.

I usually call out once a month, usually on a Friday or Monday. Everyone knows what the game is but no one really cares.

At my work doing this type of shit actively creates more work for the rest of people. Wanting to have a bank of sick leave just in case you actually need it doesn't seem very dorky to me.
 

Donos

Member
Nov 15, 2017
6,508
Why does that deserve a wtf? Even in companies with generous policies, most people don't bother taking more than two weeks off a year. Vacationing is expensive.
Nah, sorry but I have to disagree. People already responded with some points but I want to add that you don't have to do 4 star vacations with your whole vacation time. Especially with kids, you can't have enough vacation time. I have 30 paid vacation days which is normal for the public sector in Germany. The private office i worked before i had 26. Friends had 24 in another firm and that sucked for them and they really where unhappy about it. Work is not my whole life and having more time to rest is also better for my work morale. 16 days would be absolutely unacceptable for me.

I get that some countries are different and US is special but nobody here in Germany is debating that 24+ vacation days is too much (24 is mandatory).
 

Septimus Prime

EA
Verified
Oct 25, 2017
8,500
I've worked with both, and I prefer combined. The first place where I had combined PTO, they also had a very generous accrual rate (like 8.1 hours per two weeks--with a full day counting as 7.5 hours--capping at 37x accrual rate and no one questioning usage), plus like 15 set corporate holidays, so I never felt like I didn't have enough.

Meanwhile, at my last job, where they were separate, I hit a situation where I ran out of sick days but couldn't use my bank of vacation days so had to take unpaid time. It was so stupid because the sick day accrual rate was like 4 hours per month.

At my current company, it's combined, with a good-ish accrual rate, but most people usually just opt to work from home when sick, so it's not bad.

I think accrual rate is key to whether the policy is good.
 

RulkezX

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,342
34 days holiday and 6 months per 12 month period at full pay / 6 months half pay

Plus 7 statutory days per year 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
 

bane833

Banned
Nov 3, 2017
4,530
It always baffles me how people in the US tolerate this trash. When I'm sick, I'm sick and not on vacation.
 

Liquidsnake

Member
Oct 27, 2017
11,979
Some companies offer PTO, which is what your describing. Its just a matter of preference per company.
 

Maximus

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,586
No, my work does this combined BS. People come into work sick. It's better when you have unlimited sick days and a set vacation accrual. I have had that in the past and it's the best.
 

Kost2coast

Member
Oct 27, 2017
156
32 days of PTO? Christ you got that living in the US? What's your field?
it racks up over time. The upside to when i left my old job, they paid out all the PTO and I had more than a months worth because I rarely ever took time off. It was a nice final check that's for sure. And I worked at shitty a title company
 

Malverde

One Winged Slayer
Avenger
I think it really depends on your job.
People do give a shit if you're pulling a "sick day" in a way that compromises deadlines or forces other people to stay late and make up for your work.
At my work doing this type of shit actively creates more work for the rest of people. Wanting to have a bank of sick leave just in case you actually need it doesn't seem very dorky to me.

Of course it is also important to do your job. People at my place are conscientious about their colleagues and no one misses a meeting or deadline. But a random Tuesday with nothing on the calendar? Fuck it, YOLO. If someone not showing up for a day is enough to seriously impact normal operations than it is a very poorly managed business.

What we should be doing is moving towards making 32 hours full time (or even 24 hours). Then vacation time matters less and less. If corporations are going to incist on not paying taxes towards universal basic income, then the only way to avoid even more people living on the streets with automation is to redefine how much work each person needs to do.
 

DJ_Lae

Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,856
Edmonton
Weird concept, but I guess it varies from place to place.

I have no idea how many sick days I have - it's out of my hands and handled by payroll and there when I need it.
 
Oct 26, 2017
3,434
It's just PTO for me and it's great.

Problem is we're short on people so I'm forced to lose like 50 hours I accumulated come January (I can only roll over 40 into the next year).
 

LProtagonist

Avenger
Oct 27, 2017
7,561
As a teacher I don't get vacation time, so there's that. Granted, I do get the summer off, but there's no way besides my 2 personal days to take another day off during the school year without being sick.
 

see5harp

Banned
Oct 31, 2017
4,435
Of course it is also important to do your job. People at my place are conscientious about their colleagues and no one misses a meeting or deadline. But a random Tuesday with nothing on the calendar? Fuck it, YOLO. If someone not showing up for a day is enough to seriously impact normal operations than it is a very poorly managed business.

What we should be doing is moving towards making 32 hours full time (or even 24 hours). Then vacation time matters less and less. If corporations are going to incist on not paying taxes towards universal basic income, then the only way to avoid even more people living on the streets with automation is to redefine how much work each person needs to do.

I guess I'm just not the one. I purposefully hit 40 hours a week so that I can come in on a saturday and make time and a half. I understand every now and again people need a day off for whatever reason. That's why you earn vacation time. If you need to use your sick leave then I suppose there's no real difference. I still think it's better to have a bunch of paid sick leave banked, but that's just me.
 

behOemoth

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,602
American & Chinese postdoctoral colleagues are often baffled how many vacation days they get in Germany and that no one cares if they are missing the whole day as long as they say that they aren't available for the day.
 
Oct 27, 2017
3,454
We get 1 floating holiday per quarter but we have to use them by the end of the year or they reset. We get 6 paid holiday days off. Currently, I accrue 12 hours per month of PTO up to a total of I think 24 days. Almost been here for 2 years and it bumps up to 16 hours per month. 5 years is 20 per month.

No sick days, just have to use PTO for that.
 

Servbot24

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
43,039
I don't get designated sick time, but we do have unlimited PTO. So if I've used up the standard 3 weeks I can still call out sick at the end of the year as long as my manager approves it. Which they generally will unless they're a dick or work is truly swamped.
 

Deleted member 6263

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
9,387
I like my workplace and how they separate them. Basically, I have 4 weeks vacation and unlimited sick leave, though they watch like a hawk for abuse of sick leave. I don't get sick nearly enough and when I do, a Thursday-Sunday sick weekend will likely do the trick. I think most companies would benefit from this set up.
 

Relix

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,215
Mine is combined but very generous. We do get 5 specific sick days.

US and software Engineer:
1 week of sick day. Doesn't roll over and is specifically for sickness.
1 week of take whatever you want(sick, vacation, personal). Doesn't roll over.
1 week of floating holidays. These don't roll over.
3 weeks of vacation time yearly. These roll over and accumulate up to 400 hours.
 

Hana-Bi

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,010
Germany
Here in Germany you even get your vacation days back if you are sick during your vacation (it probably depends on your company and you personally if you really go the extra mile for that, but it's nice to know that your vacation days are considered sacred).
 
Nov 8, 2017
3,532
What the fuck is limited sick days?

I get 25 days and unlimited paid sick days. A few years ago I had six weeks off work because I broke my leg, and I still took my 25 vacation days that year as well.

My company also has a policy that if you're sick on one of your vacation days, you can call in so the vacation day doesn't count.
 

faceless

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
4,198
it' like the smokers and all their extra smoke breaks.

wish i could use those extra days since i'm never sick.
 

Gwarm

Member
Nov 13, 2017
2,147
My employer recently split them into separate pools. I preferred the old system because I rarely use more than one or two sick days a year, which meant I could accumulate hours and cash them out. At 28 days per year, that was a nice little bundle.
 

nampad

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
4,238
Why does that deserve a wtf? Even in companies with generous policies, most people don't bother taking more than two weeks off a year. Vacationing is expensive.

I have 28 days, paid overtime and unlimited paid sick days.
Thanks to overtime I averaged 3 months off for the last three years, excluding sick days.

Even if I don't go on vacation, I can just hang around in my own place instead of doing work.
 

Nothing Loud

Literally Cinderella
Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,961
Sick days is a weird concept. If you're sick and have proof from a doctor, then you don't have to work.

It's an inhumane concept.

Humans don't plan to get sick. And they have little control over it.

Sick time should be unlimited, vacation time should be at least four weeks per year if not more.
 

RavFiveFour

Banned
Dec 3, 2018
1,721
Goos topic!
Separate them, I don't know what to add but having a good track record and not putting a spontaneous sick day on the company leaves them not sure what they're getting.
Stability and structure are built through consistency and with sick days you kind of create a weak spot. Now you obviously can't plan sick days or know when you're getting sick, paid sick days are amazing though.
 

Admiral Woofington

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
14,892
I don't get separate sick time. And that means I just have a set amount of pto. It's not bad but I'm glad I don't get sick often.
 
Oct 25, 2017
15,110
What I get from this thread is that Americans should shut the whole country down tomorrow until they get better working conditions.
 

Jogi

Prophet of Regret
Member
Jul 4, 2018
5,442
What I get from this thread is that Americans should shut the whole country down tomorrow until they get better working conditions.
You're not wrong, and what's more shitty is each state makes up their own set of rules, to an extent. Some states are far better at "taking care" of their workers than others.
 

YaBish

Unshakable Resolve - One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,337
My workplace has unlimited sick days + vacation time. Within reason of course, your supervisor isn't going to let you just up and take a whole month off on a whim. But people do use it pretty often.
 

bm1677

Member
Oct 28, 2017
174
Combined into just PTO at my current job and nothing rolls over. PTO also resets on the day we were hired, so my PTO resets in the middle of August. That's nice that I can take a bunch of time off during the summer if i'm good about not wasting PTO during the winter, but it also means I'm more than likely coming into work sick if I can stand it so I don't "waste" my time off.
 

Theodran

Member
Oct 25, 2017
927
Japan
I work in Japan where sick leave is taken from PTO. You start with 10 days during your first year and up to 20 days during your 7th year. I would prefer it if they were separate, but on the other hand, I will never ever be able to use all of my paid time off...
 

raYne_07

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,205
I'm currently sitting on near 300 hours of sick time that I'll never use cause I don't really get sick. So sure.. why not.

One of the benefits of my previous job was they'd let you just cash them out. Sadly, that's not an option here.
 

CrankyJay

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
11,318
Odd that people here think you'd burn all of your vacation when short term and long term sick leave exist.
 

dhlt25

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,808
I'd rather have them combine, my place keep them separate and you can't cash out your sick hours when you quit. So basically I will have months of pay time off unuse when I quit
 

TheMango55

Banned
Nov 1, 2017
5,788
I get 8 hours of sick leave per month and 13.3 hours annual leave per month (20 days per year) Will get up to 30 days a year after 15 years at the job. Plus I'm generally getting a day of comp time per month, since we don't get overtime pay or paid more than our 40 hour week, but employment laws mandate time and a half for hourly workers doing overtime, so every hour I work over 40 I get an hour and a half of paid vacation time.