Re:Ask HN: Do you have more sick time than you can use?
by DanBC on Sunday June 29, 2014 @08:01PM
(#7963005)
A company I used to work for allowed its staff 12 sick days per year. These were used as ad-hoc no-notice holiday days. That was sub-optimal for colleagues.
The company also introduced a rule that any sick days taken on a Monday; or on the day before / after a bank holiday weekend, would need a doctor's note. Legally self certification was all that should have been required. So, this required a visit to a doctor to get a note. Since, at the time, it was hard to get an appointment within that time frame the person would require extra time off to get the note. And by that time they were uealthy and just asking their GP to write a letter to say that they had been ill with some unspecified illness; which the GP would do for a £60 charge. So it didn't stop anyone abusing the sick leave system and increased costs dramatically and made people take even more time off.
The company also introduced a rule that any sick days taken on a Monday; or on the day before / after a bank holiday weekend, would need a doctor's note. Legally self certification was all that should have been required. So, this required a visit to a doctor to get a note. Since, at the time, it was hard to get an appointment within that time frame the person would require extra time off to get the note. And by that time they were uealthy and just asking their GP to write a letter to say that they had been ill with some unspecified illness; which the GP would do for a £60 charge. So it didn't stop anyone abusing the sick leave system and increased costs dramatically and made people take even more time off.
That was a lousy place to work.