I thought I had heard that there is a disagreement in the wording of this part of the contract and it was sent back to bargaining. Day before/Day after vs next scheduled work day.

 

 

Les, 

The consequences would be the same, no pay for what would have been an ill day.  So if the holiday were on a Friday and you were out ill on Monday, you still wouldn't get paid for the holiday, even under the 'next scheduled day' scenario.  It's a double dip in the penalty box, no pay and a day of absence towards the '4 occurances and 7 days' threshold.  Just a bad deal all the way around the way it's worded and being implemented.  I posted the question as it has occurred during this past holiday season, genuinely ill, capable of receiving payment for the days of absence (enough seniority to be paid on the 1st day of absence) and getting nada, nothing, zip.

 

Hopefully this can be resolved at the bargaining rep level so every local can get the support they need in dealing with HR/company labor dept. to resolve this.

 

pnb

I say that the time be coded as 'I' on the holiday.  That instead of one occurance, one day, you will have one occurance and 2 days towards your incidental absence record.  The July 4th holiday in 2007 would have been an opportunity for the company to assign one of the PDP days, making it a 4 day weekend or to increase the number of vacation slots available.  Same with the Thanksgiving Friday, assign it as a PDP day or increase the slots.  The company sets us up for problems that could easily be adverted.  Many offices close the day after Thanksgiving.  Granted, we are a utility, but weekend duty coverage could be more than adequate for any troubles with pager duty to back that up.  I have no doubts that there are people who use ill time just to get a much needed for whatever the reason, day off.  I believe we need to take a look at meeting the needs of our employees as well as those of our customers, balancing the load and assigning an appropriate level of discipline when needed.  But denying an employee their ill time when they are sick, even if it is a holiday, is not right.  No room for debate on that.  Back to the bargaining agent, Reed, on this issue.  Every local could send a letter signed by their president and e-board members requesting that this happen.  This isn't right.  If the company wants to punish you for taking the day off ill, then it's a twofer, ill on the work day and ill again on what would have been the holiday.  You rack up 2 days on your attendance record. 

pnb it is a major issue

 

lets take thanksgiving which falls on a thursday

 

with the day before or day after its pretty simple - call out sick on wed or fri and you dont get paid for the holiday

 

now look at it from the point of view of next scheduled work day. an employee works wed, they are on vacation starting the day after thanksgiving and the following week. the monday they are supposed to return to work they call out sick. guess what - they dont get paid for the holiday because they called out on their next scheduled work day.

now imagine the tracking nightmare.

that is why it was sent back to bargaining. saying next scheduled workday opens up a whole big can of worms!!!!!

Les,

Please don't get me wrong, this is a huge issue.  It was a bad idea and they could have just satisfied their need to curtail the behavior by coding the time as 'ill' instead of 'hol' or designate the day as a PDP or open the vacation schedule to all who wanted the day, maintaining weekend duty coverage levels.  This is a big can of worms, one they should have left alone.

pnb

This is kind of ironic, but this year on Christmas I was in the emergency room, while my wife, and I were visiting my family.  I drug my butt into work Friday, because...

1. I'll be damned if I'm going to lose my Holiday pay.

2. I'll be damned if I'm going to use a priority day of vacation when I'm sick.

 

The real irony is that I have never been ill the day before or the day after a holiday, it was a fluke senario.

 

 

den

 

i cant say much so i would suggest you ask your local or reed.