Our federal public sector workers are ill!

Fletch 27 · June 22, 2012

http://m.torontosun.com/2012/06/21/twice-as-many-sick-days-for-federal-workers-report-shows

I'm concerned.. Our federal employees (Gov workers) are taking 2x the amount of sick days (18 days on average per worker). We should find out why.

Would it be possible to pick the top 20 sick-day claimants and publicly ask them what ails them in an open forum? Or should we ask the same of the top 20 private workers as to why they are so healthy? It would be neat to correlate the numbers an reasons.

Suggestions? Comments? Are Unions impacting the health of the members?

Argus · June 22, 2012

http://m.torontosun.com/2012/06/21/twice-as-many-sick-days-for-federal-workers-report-shows

I'm concerned.. Our federal employees (Gov workers) are taking 2x the amount of sick days (18 days on average per worker). We should find out why.

Would it be possible to pick the top 20 sick-day claimants and publicly ask them what ails them in an open forum?

If you want to go down to your local cancer treatment centre, sure.

Suggestions? Comments? Are Unions impacting the health of the members?

Well, only in that when their members get sick they tend to stay home. While in the private sector people try to get into work no matter how badly they're feeling in case they lose a day's pay or get fired.

Additionally, because when they don't often use sick leave it builds it up for years they have it available when and if some major health calamity befalls them. So if they have to be off work for months at a time they will use up their sick leave before they go on something like EI or disability payments. Those who don't have such sick leave, ie, the majority in the private sector, have to immediately go on EI or disability. That alone throws off the figures considerably.

Edited June 22, 2012 by Argus

cybercoma · June 22, 2012

I'm concerned.. Our federal employees (Gov workers) are taking 2x the amount of sick days (18 days on average per worker). We should find out why.

They've probably been reading your posts.

Fletch 27 · June 23, 2012

Reaaaally.. When was the last time you were that ill? 18 days off? Sounds serious... Itchy watery eyes? Cough due to cold?

Sounds like a trip to the Emerg! Really? Your backing this up?

If you want to go down to your local cancer treatment centre, sure.

Well, only in that when their members get sick they tend to stay home. While in the private sector people try to get into work no matter how badly they're feeling in case they lose a day's pay or get fired.

Additionally, because when they don't often use sick leave it builds it up for years they have it available when and if some major health calamity befalls them. So if they have to be off work for months at a time they will use up their sick leave before they go on something like EI or disability payments. Those who don't have such sick leave, ie, the majority in the private sector, have to immediately go on EI or disability. That alone throws off the figures considerably.

WWWTT · June 23, 2012

Reaaaally.. When was the last time you were that ill? 18 days off? Sounds serious... Itchy watery eyes? Cough due to cold?

Actually 18 days per year is really not that much for the average age worker.

When I was younger I could slug it out better.

But as age creeps it gets harder.

WWWTT

Peter F · June 23, 2012

Reaaaally.. When was the last time you were that ill? 18 days off? Sounds serious... Itchy watery eyes? Cough due to cold?

Sounds like a trip to the Emerg! Really? Your backing this up?

Friend was off for 6 months due to having heart surgury. All on paid sick leave.

Lets see.... thats 24 weeks x 40 hrs/week = 860 hrs

860 hrs divided by 144hrs = This guy accounted the sick leave used by 6 employees who actually never used sick leave at all! Greedy Bugger.

Fletch 27 · June 23, 2012

Pretty darn sure that's short term dissability.. Not sick days....

Friend was off for 6 months due to having heart surgury. All on paid sick leave.

Lets see.... thats 24 weeks x 40 hrs/week = 860 hrs

860 hrs divided by 144hrs = This guy accounted the sick leave used by 6 employees who actually never used sick leave at all! Greedy Bugger.

BubberMiley · June 23, 2012

Pretty darn sure that's short term dissability.. Not sick days....

If you have sick days, you have to use them up before you can go on disability.

Besides disability doesn't pay 100% of your salary; sick days do. So you would be foolish to forgo the sick days in order to get less money (if you could, but you can't anyway).

Edited June 23, 2012 by BubberMiley

Argus · June 23, 2012

Pretty darn sure that's short term dissability.. Not sick days....

You're pretty darn wrong. As I pointed out above, when you have sick leave banked you're required to use them up first. So this really twists the statistics.

Nine employees work in a group. Between them they have about 6 days off a year on average. That's 9x6= 54 days off for the 9. But wait, there's a 10th employee and she's had major back issues, and then back surgery. She had to drain her entire leave bank before going on disability for a few more months. She used up 5 months of sick leave. That's about 100 days. So now the group of ten has an 'average' sick days for the year of 154 / 10 = 15.4 sick days a year. That's how simple it is to play with statistics.

punked · June 23, 2012

You're pretty darn wrong. As I pointed out above, when you have sick leave banked you're required to use them up first. So this really twists the statistics.

Nine employees work in a group. Between them they have about 6 days off a year on average. That's 9x6= 54 days off for the 9. But wait, there's a 10th employee and she's had major back issues, and then back surgery. She had to drain her entire leave bank before going on disability for a few more months. She used up 5 months of sick leave. That's about 100 days. So now the group of ten has an 'average' sick days for the year of 154 / 10 = 15.4 sick days a year. That's how simple it is to play with statistics.

"BUT BUT BUT....FLETCH HATE GOVERNMENT...WANT TO SMASH"

That right there is who you are trying to reason with.

June 23, 2012

My cosin Alfredo he works in the hospital, he tells me all the time about how the people there still get an allowance of 18 sick days per year, because their union protects it for them. Most public employers dropped this concept over a decade ago. And those workers feel like it's an extra number of vacation days per year that they are allowed to take off, whenever they don't feel like working. They even get to carry them over to the next year if they are not used, up to 24 days per year maximum.

Now the hospital tries to put in policies that every single time you are off you have to get a doctors paper showing why. They try to stop people from abusing the system, and the union, she is crying like a bitch

June 23, 2012

.. but in defense of medical staff, Alfredo tole me they do often need to take a break if something bad happens at work. It's not only being sick physically. I think they should deserve this. Problem is the policy extends to everyone in the union, even the chief of light bulb maintenance.

Redemption · June 23, 2012

My cosin Alfredo he works in the hospital, he tells me all the time about how the people there still get an allowance of 18 sick days per year, because their union protects it for them. Most public employers dropped this concept over a decade ago. And those workers feel like it's an extra number of vacation days per year that they are allowed to take off, whenever they don't feel like working. They even get to carry them over to the next year if they are not used, up to 24 days per year maximum.

Now the hospital tries to put in policies that every single time you are off you have to get a doctors paper showing why. They try to stop people from abusing the system, and the union, she is crying like a bitch

Hospital workers are surrounded by people that are sick.....so they are more likely to pick up something to cause them to take time off...so think of the extra sick days they get as hazard pay.

Fletch 27 · June 23, 2012

Great math!! Impressive! Now, can you tell me why federal employees are off Twice as much?

You're pretty darn wrong. As I pointed out above, when you have sick leave banked you're required to use them up first. So this really twists the statistics.

Nine employees work in a group. Between them they have about 6 days off a year on average. That's 9x6= 54 days off for the 9. But wait, there's a 10th employee and she's had major back issues, and then back surgery. She had to drain her entire leave bank before going on disability for a few more months. She used up 5 months of sick leave. That's about 100 days. So now the group of ten has an 'average' sick days for the year of 154 / 10 = 15.4 sick days a year. That's how simple it is to play with statistics.

punked · June 23, 2012

Great math!! Impressive! Now, can you tell me why federal employees are off Twice as much?

Twice as much as whom? Who are we including in the sample? What is the age make up of the two groups? Gender? Location? Give me some details of what you are talking about and we can make a proper comparison. I promise right now I could be comparing an apple to the moon I don't know you haven't presented any details.

Fletch 27 · June 23, 2012

Read the link! It's spelled out nicely in the link! Try the link!

Twice as much as whom? Who are we including in the sample? What is the age make up of the two groups? Gender? Location? Give me some details of what you are talking about and we can make a proper comparison. I promise right now I could be comparing an apple to the moon I don't know you haven't presented any details.

punked · June 23, 2012

Read the link! It's spelled out nicely in the link! Try the link!

It really doesn't. It doesn't tell me the make up of the groups, who they include or any other details that might explain what the f you are talking about.

The other thing it doesn't cover is are these workers using banked sick days to avoid going on disability while in the private sector those workers go on disability sooner leaving us to pick up the bill for those private sector employers. If this is the case you should be angry we are paying for that and at the private sector. That wont happen though because "Fletch hate government..." right?

Edited June 23, 2012 by punked

Fletch 27 · June 23, 2012

Ohhhhh... So then the survey must be null and void. I see your reasoning works well in your protected little world. Please, disregard the facts and continue as you were... "nothing to see here"..... Jezus christ... Would you like to see if this polled were cat owners too? Left-handed or right?

It really doesn't. It doesn't tell me the make up of the groups, who they include or any other details that might explain what the f you are talking about.

punked · June 23, 2012

Ohhhhh... So then the survey must be null and void. I see your reasoning works well in your protected little world. Please, disregard the facts and continue as you were... "nothing to see here"..... Jezus christ... Would you like to see if this polled were cat owners too? Left-handed or right?

No what I am saying instead of drawing conclusions which are not supported by facts we should actually look what is happening. You however would prefer to use it to support a belief you have instead of entertain there could be explanations.

Fletch 27 · June 23, 2012

Didn't read the article did you? It's and apples to apples comparison. Well, other than one group being in a union, and the other group not!

[aquote name=punked' date='23 June 2012 - 08:52 AM' timestamp='1340466766' post='806688]

No what I am saying instead of drawing conclusions which are not supported by facts we should actually look what is happening. You however would prefer to use it to support a belief you have instead of entertain there could be explanations.

punked · June 23, 2012

Didn't read the article did you? It's and apples to apples comparison. Well, other than one group being in a union, and the other group not!

[aquote name=punked' date='23 June 2012 - 08:52 AM' timestamp='1340466766' post='806688]

No what I am saying instead of drawing conclusions which are not supported by facts we should actually look what is happening. You however would prefer to use it to support a belief you have instead of entertain there could be explanations.

Fletch the article says no such thing. In fact the article says nothing it is like 300 words long. It has no detail. So I am going through down. QUOTE WHERE IN THE ARTICLE IT SAYS ANYTHING ABOUT THE TWO GROUPS. I say this so I can laugh at you when you post nothing or try to quote something and it is clearly reaching.

Balls in your court. QUOTE IT.

Edited June 23, 2012 by punked

Fletch 27 · June 23, 2012

Dude, the very first sentence. Do I need to contact the polster? I can't add more than what's in the ducking article dude. Must be a useless survey.... I agree.. Totally useless..

Dude, prove this story wrong "PROVE IT" damn you! Ohhhh, and see below link. It's a good one too.. May have some more facts for you.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/06/20/pol-weston-sick-days-public-service.html?cmp=rss

Fletch the article says no such thing. In fact the article says nothing it is like 300 words long. It has no detail. So I am going through down. QUOTE WHERE IN THE ARTICLE IT SAYS ANYTHING ABOUT THE TWO GROUPS. I say this so I can laugh at you when you post nothing or try to quote something and it is clearly reaching.

Balls in your court. QUOTE IT.

Edited June 23, 2012 by Fletch 27

punked · June 23, 2012

Dude, the very first sentence. Do I need to contact the polster? I can't add more than what's in the ducking article dude. Must be a useless survey.... I agree.. Totally useless..

Dude, prove this story wrong "PROVE IT" damn you!

Ok here is the first sentence.

Despite their job security, generous salaries and benefits, federal workers take more than twice as many sick days as other Canadians.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA that is me laughing at you. See because that sentence says nothing about the two groups. It says nothing about the ages of the groups, nothing about the make up, nothing about anything. With out any of that information we can draw no conclusions. JUST LIKE I SAID. Even though you keep pushing this you clearly have no clue what you are talking about.

Fletch 27 · June 23, 2012

Hmmmm. Federal workers vs rest of Canadians. 2 groups. Hahahahahahaha???? Your making yourself look kinda silly.

Ok here is the first sentence.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA that is me laughing at you. See because that sentence says nothing about the two groups. It says nothing about the ages of the groups, nothing about the make up, nothing about anything. With out any of that information we can draw no conclusions. JUST LIKE I SAID. Even though you keep pushing this you clearly have no clue what you are talking about.

punked · June 23, 2012

Hmmmm. Federal workers vs rest of Canadians. 2 groups. Hahahahahahaha???? Your making yourself look kinda silly.

No I am really not. Those are two groups of people, who may or may not have the same make up, who may or may not do the same job or different jobs in different settings. I don't know if this is a case where the private sector works just get pushed onto disability sooner so that skews the numbers and only makes the tax payers pick up the tab sooner or what. There are so many questions that is why I laugh in your face. It is because you have NO UNDERSTANDING of what I am asking or why I am asking it.