Mandatory Sick Days in the Public Sector?

[bobbysands81]

I'm a Civil Servant. If I am sick for one day I take it as Annual Leave as Uncertified Sick Days are heavily frowned upon and even a small amount of them disallow you from going for promotion and will ensure your increments are stopped (and rightly so). I would support management clamping down, and taking disciplinary action (including sacking), against people who abuse the rules.

I know of one person, out of hundreds, that "uses" the maximum amount of Uncertified Sick Leave as Leave.

Michael O'Leary is talking utter horse shtie here... and as usual the Indo and other eejits have lapped it up without even wondering if it's true.

[Conor]

Click



I believe numbers may have reduced since. Not clear if certified or uncertified but seems like might be both.

I know we (private sector) are allowed 7 uncertified days a year but would really be looked on poorly if got near or exceeded that number. The only person I know who exceeded (unpaid) does not work here any more.

Yeah, that looks like certified and uncertified combined. It's normal to have a threshold on uncertified days (somewhere between five and 10) in both public and private sectors without incurring particular scrutiny. To build up averages like that, you'd need to have a high number of people out on long-term sick leave. Stress, Depression, the infamous Bad Back...

I don't have much time for the usual myths about the public sector, but managing long-term absenteeism isn't something they do well.

[grassroots]

fact is public servants are sicker than their private sector counterparts

[diablo]

Obviously a certain number of people are taking the piss which happens in any large organisation but in the public sector I think there isn't the management will to do much about the minority of people abusing the system.

My wife has been in the public sector for about 10 years. From memory, I think she has had two sick days in all that time. If our child is sick and one of us stays at home she takes annual leave whereas in my private sector company that would generally be allowed as discretionary leave, for the first day anyway.

[odie1kanobe]

Hoping he is killed in a plane crash along with presumably 180 or so innocent victims is pretty sick.


Not wishing for innocents to die. Just think with their safety record and corner cutting a crash is inevitable. Hope he's on it.

You talk crap.

[elfatih]

very similar situation with my wife, has worked since 2001 in HSE, took 1 week sick when she picked up the vomiting bug in the hospital she works in, again when one of our kids is sick either of us have to take annual leave. I admire Michael OLeary but there is no way he should be allowed to make such scandoulous and untrue statements on national media.

[Conor]

If our child is sick and one of us stays at home she takes annual leave whereas in my private sector company that would generally be allowed as discretionary leave, for the first day anyway.

I think either of you would be entitled to take that as force majeure leave, and retain your annual leave allowance.

Personally, I think duvet days would be great in both public and private sectors.

[HarshBuzz]

I think either of you would be entitled to take that as force majeure leave, and retain your annual leave allowance.

Personally, I think duvet days would be great in both public and private sectors.

I could do with one myself today

[slumdog1971]

As the person running Irelands most successful company (5.9m passengers a month, double BA) he deserves a platform more than a lot of other people.

No he doesn't.

He is the chief executive of a successful company. There are loads of other successful chief executives who don't go around looking for a platform to preach from.

He is looking for cheap publicity, which the Independent happily provides, to advertise his own company. He doesn't deserve any platform.

[sauntersplash]

untrue. If the assertion is inaccurate, as would appear to be the case, then my anger has abated.

Sincerest apologies. I have a tendency to jump to conclusions.