CAREER CORNER
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Need a sick day? For credit union, it’s in the bank [By Michael Kinsman] Several years ago, Mission Federal Credit Union officials figured out they had better things to do than to worry whether employees taking sick days were actually sick.
“We knew that things come up in life that are
pressure on their employees,” said Pam
action, 82 percent include a review of sick time
hard to explain to an employer,” says Janet
Wolf, an employment law analyst for CCH.
in their annual reviews, and 79 percent require
Madden, senior vice president of human
“Employees feel they are forced to use a sick
a physician’s verification.
resources for the San Diego credit union. “We
day to deal with real life.” Workers at Mission Federal are granted
know that life makes demands on people’s time, and they needed to take time off to take
It found that one-third of employers think the
between 18 and 28 days annually in their
care of them.”
misuse of sick time is a serious problem, and
time-off banks. They get an additional 12 bank
92 percent expect the problem to worsen over
holidays as well.
The credit union also knew that employees
the next two years. “From an administrative perspective, it makes
called in sick when they really weren’t. CCH reported that the most effective way
our lives easier, and the employees like that
Mission Federal decided to lump vacation days,
of dealing with unscheduled absences is to
they can use the time when they need it,”
sick days and personal days together into one
provide a range of work/life benefits that offer
Madden says. “We do ask that employees get
package in 1999, allowing its 425 employees to
flexibility and assistance to workers as they try
advance approval to take time off, except those
take that time off when they wanted.
to deal with personal matters.
days when they wake up sick. But it has really been very effective here.”
“We didn’t want to police them,” Madden says.
The consulting firm found that paid time-off
“We wanted to treat them like adults. If they
banks - such as the one offered at Mission
need time off, they take it. It doesn’t matter
Federal - are the best way to deal with sick-
what they need the time for.”
time abuses.
Employers nationwide wrestle with the use
“The frustrating thing is that while it is the
of employee sick days. CCH, an Illinois-based
most effective tool for employers, it is one of
human resources consulting firm, reported
the least-used tools,” Wolf said.
recently that a survey of 326 companies found
Time-off banks also address an underlying issue of sick time abuse: the relationship of workers and their bosses. A worker who is forced to lie about being sick to accommodate a personal need isn’t doing much to foster a healthy relationship with a supervisor. Lying by either party isn’t conducive to a healthy relationship.
that 35 percent of sick days claimed this year
Estimates of how widespread paid time-off
are for personal illness.
banks are vary dramatically.
Workers are taking most sick days for family
CCH reports that 70 percent of companies offer
“Why would you want to build a system that
issues, personal needs, stress, and because
them to employees. Mercer Human Resources
forces people to lie just because they need
they feel they deserve them, according to CCH.
Consulting says that about 33 percent of large
time in their personal lives?” she asks. “It
and midsized companies offer them, while the
makes no sense. You’re creating trouble when
And those reasons are adding up. CCH said
Society for Human Resources Management
you don’t have to.”
that as recently as a decade ago, 45 percent of
reports that more than two-thirds of all
sick days were used for personal illness.
companies offer them.
“We’ve found that when an employer doesn’t
Yet, CCH reports that 97 percent of employers
more time-off flexibility just seems like a
have a flexible work arrangement, that puts
try to control sick time through disciplinary
sensible solution.
Madden understands that clearly.
When only one in three employees taking sick time is truly ill, creating a system with
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