Swine Flu: Stay Home

[BridgeTroll]

And that in fact is the root of the argument.  You want/desire the heavy hand of governmental intervention to achieve the goal of public health and welfare.  You seem to believe the capacity of Americans to pay more and more taxes to the government for various programs is infinite.  I do not.  In fact the less the better.  The recent election proves that for the time being I am in the minority so those of you who believe the gubmint is the answer better push for all you can while you can.

You keep mentioning "other" countries"... I do not want to be France... or Sweden... or Germany.  Clearly you think the European model is the way to go... I do not.

I am tired also...

[CrysG]

Shwaz,

Would you say they are a line of brands? lol.

You make it seem like they would be getting paid vacations. It's paid SICK leave. Don't people have the basic human right to be sick and try and recover without a) coming to work and making everyone sick. b) staying home and not eating?

And don't you have a right as a well person not to have to work next to someone sick.

It's like your BMW - you wanted one so you saved and purchased one. I bet it's exhilarating to drive... I actually know first hand it is. But do I think everyone in America deserves this luxury. I do. If they plan and save and earn one. Maybe instead of dragging America's small business's down they (sick worker's) can plan for a rainy day - at least enough to not go hungry the day they're sick.

So being healthy is now a luxury?

[Shwaz]

Maybe not a luxury but it carries a cost... and someone has to pay.

[CrysG]

Maybe not a luxury but it carries a cost... and someone has to pay.

So it's not a "luxury" but only available for people who can afford to pay?

[Shwaz]

Now you're turning a PTO sick day discussion into an overall health care discussion.

I'm saying everyone who does not have PTO should plan for inevitable sick day and have a day or week's salary set aside. You'll probably say "but what if they can't afford to save any money" and I will say "what if the companies just breaking even can't afford to pay for employee's not to work"... and then it's a "chicken before the egg" discussion.

[CrysG]

Or I could point to the increased productively and overall better general health of my workers to say I'm saving money.

[Shwaz]

Are hangover's contagious?

[Shwaz]

CrysG - how much PTO do your employee's get? 3 days? A week? What if they have pink eye and have used up all their sick PTO - should they have to starve? Or do you feel compelled to pay for that time too - wouldn't want to spread pink eye to the other employee's... but don't want them to go hungry either.

If I work for you can I accumulate a whole month of PTO sick days. Are you hiring?

[CrysG]

But your low productivity is costly. And once you use them you lose them and like all of you pointed out other companies don't allow for it. So maybe since I do it attracts better employees( the one's who work harder and stay longer.)

So again I'm saving money.

[CrysG]

They earn 5 days of sick days to be used on self, with another 5 for family care time(learned about while a worker at Wachovia, which can only be used on family) with 10 days for vaction. Those days are available after 90 days.

As of right now we are not hiring as I have a belief in controlled growth. We could expand but it's not worth it in the end.

[Shwaz]

But what if they're sick after their 5 days have been used and their vacation PTO has been depleted too?

They go unpaid right? They survive right?

[CrysG]

Depends on the case and the ailment. If it's serious then we offer STD and LTD. If it's something short then yes they go unpaid, but at least I give them 5 days. In the 6 years I've owned my company only 5 people have used up there time off. 3 of them were serious and we worked with them. 2 only were unpaid for a day or two.

[Shwaz]

2 only were unpaid for a day or two.

Did they survive?

Would it be fair to call you a tyrannical profit monger because you really could have afforded to pay them for that day or two?

Are you a humanitarian headed for saint hood because you offer PTO?

If someone else is offering more PTO than you, are they a better humanitarian... with full right to criticize your ethics?

[CrysG]

2 only were unpaid for a day or two.

Did they survive?

Would it be fair to call you a tyrannical profit monger because you really could have afforded to pay them for that day or two?

Are you a humanitarian headed for saint hood because you offer PTO?

If someone else is offering more PTO than you, are they a better humanitarian... with full right to criticize your ethics?

I'm human. I offer pto and I hardly doubt that you're going to find a company that gives it's workers more time off than I do. If you find them and they want to criticize me I'll take it.

[Shwaz]

I believe you are fair to your employee's... but there are bigger humanitarians with deeper pocket's that will say you could do more. It has to stop somewhere and mandating that this is something every company HAS to offer isn't fair.