Take them Wedgie, mental health days are good for you. The company doesn’t give 2 (frank)s about you after you quit/retire/TERMINATED.

🤷🏻‍♂️

My wife is a teacher and in their contract they were allowed to save up to 200 sick days and get paid out at retirement....government ripped up that contract and didn’t pay anyone with less then 10 years...my wife had 9 at the time.
- Garnie

My dad was a principal.

IIRC, he retired with 3 years of sick days banked.

And once again IIRC, there was no limit to how many you got paid for.

No, I'm not in Toronto, I'm north of the city. I can't speak to what other regional processes are but with Costco, Shoppers etc. I seem to think the process would be the same because they ask you to put in a postal code at some point. I have signed up with individual pharmacies near me and the questions where you check off a box in some cases were mandatory, others optional. Just to make the water more muddy.....

Edit - when you sign up with Shoppers to go on the wait list they say it's for anywhere they do the vaccinations near you which includes Zehrs and Loblaws as they are all owned by the one parent company.

Now before the pharmacies were taking bookings from 40+ I am fairly sure you could go through the Provincial Govt website and select if you were one of the groups who they were doing vaccinations for. I'm not sure where you went from there because I wasn't in any group that was eligible.
- Cush29

I have to say I don’t know what advantage bringing the pharmacies in brought. All this jumping around just seems to be adding so much aggravation. The regional system seemed to work really well. They could have simply added to that system as priorities changed. I bet they could even use pharmacies to deliver but still use the regional booking system

So question for you fellas and ladies who already have paid sick days:

What's the most you've ever taken?

I don't think I've ever taken more than two in a year.

And on the one hand, I don't think I'll be as macho-dude anymore and go in even when I'm feeling like poop, but I also think there will be more days where I say I'm feeling under the weather but can still work, so I'll just work from home.
- Atomic Wedgie

in my early working days I used to take maybe 1 or 2 at most a year. for like 10 years...would do in even a little sick, sniffles..cough etc.. cuz I was a good little worker..

after years I noticed nobody really gave a poop. lots of folks would use 5-10 a year.

So not ill will purposely take at least 5 where im not really sick.. just mental break days.

again..nobody gives a poop

So question for you fellas and ladies who already have paid sick days:

What's the most you've ever taken?

I don't think I've ever taken more than two in a year.

And on the one hand, I don't think I'll be as macho-dude anymore and go in even when I'm feeling like poop, but I also think there will be more days where I say I'm feeling under the weather but can still work, so I'll just work from home.
- Atomic Wedgie

Exactly the same over the past 15 years or so. Almost all the years were 0.

I dont imagine I will ever be full time in the office, but i will never go into the office again with any cough/flu/cold symptoms.

My dad was a principal.

IIRC, he retired with 3 years of sick days banked.

And once again IIRC, there was no limit to how many you got paid for.
- Atomic Wedgie

Teachers lost all their banked days.

I think my wife lost like 200+ days.

I understand the decision, but I would have been p*ssed. She still doesn't take her sick days. I told her to start. Hell, she is already eligible to retire What are they going to do fire her?

in my early working days I used to take maybe 1 or 2 at most a year. for like 10 years...would do in even a little sick, sniffles..cough etc.. cuz I was a good little worker..

after years I noticed nobody really gave a poop. lots of folks would use 5-10 a year.

So not ill will purposely take at least 5 where im not really sick.. just mental break days.

again..nobody gives a poop
- senstroll

Also, the occasional hangover day for sure.

Nobody wants to sit next to you at the office when you're sweating out the previous night's jameson.

Normally, I'd be all over the World Championships.

From what I understand, Hockey Canada really goes out of their way to make it a good experience. The whole family comes, they arrange activities.

FREE EUROPEAN VACATION!!!!

I wonder if anything is actually open in Latvia right now.
- Atomic Wedgie

Would team Canada be interested in Drysdale??? He’s only getting about 25 games.. that would be a really good experience for him.

On the other hand he still may eligible, maybe I don’t know for his 3rd world Jrs... I know if he was back in Erie he would be...

So question for you fellas and ladies who already have paid sick days:

What's the most you've ever taken?

I don't think I've ever taken more than two in a year.

And on the one hand, I don't think I'll be as macho-dude anymore and go in even when I'm feeling like poop, but I also think there will be more days where I say I'm feeling under the weather but can still work, so I'll just work from home.
- Atomic Wedgie

I've been fortunate enough to have paid sick days for a long, long time through different employers.

Back when I worked in a casino (and you could smoke inside them) is when I had the most sick time ever. I got bronchitis once and pneumonia once and seemed to get terrible chest colds twice a year but I never took more than the allotted days that were paid at 100% which I think was 6? I should have taken more time off a few times for sure but never did.

Since then I would say I probably average 2 to 3 days a year but I (did) work in an office and don't face the public which I think is a huge factor.

The ability to stay home but work from home when your not feeling great also has a huge impact to this and I have been able to do that for a number of years now. Bosses seem to be happy to hear your not coming in to spread something around but can be productive.

IF the province goes to paid sick days for all the industries most impacted will be obviously those who are customer / public facing and that's fine for McDonalds or Tim Hortons or the Galen conglomerate of grocery stores etc. they can afford to take the hit.

I do wonder / worry how it will impact a smaller business like a private restaurant or bar, small shop etc. Can those businesses afford to absorb the costs or does it mean they choose between going under / not hiring as many staff? There are potential negative consequences beyond just less available 'service industry' jobs in that I would imagine less staff with the same workload in a busy bar, restaurant or shop will lead to higher turnover because staff will be overworked etc. etc. etc.

It's an interesting situation / dilemma and I am interested to see how it plays out. Maybe the government decides to pay for all the sick time themselves but I just don't see that happening. Perhaps some sort of a subsidy to smaller businesses to offset sick time costs where big businesses are on the hook to pay it themselves?

in my early working days I used to take maybe 1 or 2 at most a year. for like 10 years...would do in even a little sick, sniffles..cough etc.. cuz I was a good little worker..

after years I noticed nobody really gave a poop. lots of folks would use 5-10 a year.

So not ill will purposely take at least 5 where im not really sick.. just mental break days.

again..nobody gives a poop
- senstroll

I think it would have to be really bad and consistently bad, and even then it would be tough to actually do anything about it. I have seen people game the STD and LTD system.

My dad was a principal.

IIRC, he retired with 3 years of sick days banked.

And once again IIRC, there was no limit to how many you got paid for.
- Atomic Wedgie

Wife had 200 sick days, gone.

It may be still in the courts but I’m not counting on that $40k showing up when she retires.

Exactly the same over the past 15 years or so. Almost all the years were 0.

I dont imagine I will ever be full time in the office, but i will never go into the office again with any cough/flu/cold symptoms.
- Aetherial

Me too.

Thing is, if I take a sick day off, my work doesn't magically disappear. Sure, a colleague can take care of three-alarm fires, but 95% of my stuff is going to be waiting for me the next day.

Better to stay home, operate at 50%, and keep the inbox from piling up too much.

So question for you fellas and ladies who already have paid sick days:

What's the most you've ever taken?

I don't think I've ever taken more than two in a year.

And on the one hand, I don't think I'll be as macho-dude anymore and go in even when I'm feeling like poop, but I also think there will be more days where I say I'm feeling under the weather but can still work, so I'll just work from home.
- Atomic Wedgie

I didn’t get sick often but was a huge baby when I did. But I never had to worry about killing anybody by going in sick. Guy across the street and his wife with Parkinson’s both got Covid. His whole office was wiped out (sick not deaded) because a guy came when he was feeling well. His wife was in hospital for two months and ICU for a while.

So question for you fellas and ladies who already have paid sick days:

What's the most you've ever taken?

I don't think I've ever taken more than two in a year.

And on the one hand, I don't think I'll be as macho-dude anymore and go in even when I'm feeling like poop, but I also think there will be more days where I say I'm feeling under the weather but can still work, so I'll just work from home.
- Atomic Wedgie

My untaken paid sick days (9.6 days per year) are cashed out if I don't take them so I try and use as little as possible.

I'd usually end up taking like 4 a year when I really needed to.

Now that I can work from home, I'll probably take even less.

Teachers lost all their banked days.

I think my wife lost like 200+ days.

I understand the decision, but I would have been p*ssed. She still doesn't take her sick days. I told her to start. Hell, she is already eligible to retire What are they going to do fire her?
- Aetherial

She must have had less then 10 years? Over 10 they got paid for them.

Me too.

Thing is, if I take a sick day off, my work doesn't magically disappear. Sure, a colleague can take care of three-alarm fires, but 95% of my stuff is going to be waiting for me the next day.

Better to stay home, operate at 50%, and keep the inbox from piling up too much.
- Atomic Wedgie

Even before the ability to work from home, this is true for most people in office jobs. The emails and work just piles up.

Hell, I have some weekly reporting and Database stuff I need to dial in and do when I am on vacation. It has always been that way.

Me too.

Thing is, if I take a sick day off, my work doesn't magically disappear. Sure, a colleague can take care of three-alarm fires, but 95% of my stuff is going to be waiting for me the next day.

Better to stay home, operate at 50%, and keep the inbox from piling up too much.
- Atomic Wedgie

I have the same problem with vacation time.

I mean it's great taking 2-3 weeks off while being paid.

But when I come back, there's 2-3 weeks of accumulated work waiting for me because I'm the only one doing this job.

I think it would have to be really bad and consistently bad, and even then it would be tough to actually do anything about it. I have seen people game the STD and LTD system.
- Aetherial

A person's work performance is usually the indicator of how much people care about how many days they're taking off.

Someone who shows up for the paycheque will probably take more days and it will be noticeable because people already focus on their poor performance.

People who are good at their jobs won't get scrutiny because being out for a day or two usually isn't the end of the world. (unless they have a bad manager)

She must have had less then 10 years? Over 10 they got paid for them.
- Garnie

I dont know how long ago it was but she has like 30 years now. I did not think it was that long ago,

I didn’t get sick often but was a huge baby when I did. But I never had to worry about killing anybody by going in sick. Guy across the street and his wife with Parkinson’s both got Covid. His whole office was wiped out (sick not deaded) because a guy came when he was feeling well. His wife was in hospital for two months and ICU for a while.
- Canada Cup

I didn’t get sick often but was a huge baby when I did. But I never had to worry about killing anybody by going in sick. Guy across the street and his wife with Parkinson’s both got Covid. His whole office was wiped out (sick not deaded) because a guy came when he was feeling well. His wife was in hospital for two months and ICU for a while.
- Canada Cup

Oh yeah... how is that massive switch to open office concept working out for people now.

People fcking hated it at the time, and now it looks like a ridiculous decision.

I dont know how long ago it was but she has like 30 years now. I did not think it was that long ago,
- Aetherial

She should have gotten paid.

Did you check out her shoe closet, maybe she didn’t tell you. 🤣

I have the same problem with vacation time.

I mean it's great taking 2-3 weeks off while being paid.

But when I come back, there's 2-3 weeks of accumulated work waiting for me because I'm the only one doing this job.

- Scabeh

First world problems, but I have to strategically plan out using all my vacation time.

I can only bank so much, and I'm at that limit, so if I don't use them all, they are gone.

A couple of years ago I lost two days, and I was pissed for about a week.

I've been fortunate enough to have paid sick days for a long, long time through different employers.

Back when I worked in a casino (and you could smoke inside them) is when I had the most sick time ever. I got bronchitis once and pneumonia once and seemed to get terrible chest colds twice a year but I never took more than the allotted days that were paid at 100% which I think was 6? I should have taken more time off a few times for sure but never did.

Since then I would say I probably average 2 to 3 days a year but I (did) work in an office and don't face the public which I think is a huge factor.

The ability to stay home but work from home when your not feeling great also has a huge impact to this and I have been able to do that for a number of years now. Bosses seem to be happy to hear your not coming in to spread something around but can be productive.

IF the province goes to paid sick days for all the industries most impacted will be obviously those who are customer / public facing and that's fine for McDonalds or Tim Hortons or the Galen conglomerate of grocery stores etc. they can afford to take the hit.

I do wonder / worry how it will impact a smaller business like a private restaurant or bar, small shop etc. Can those businesses afford to absorb the costs or does it mean they choose between going under / not hiring as many staff? There are potential negative consequences beyond just less available 'service industry' jobs in that I would imagine less staff with the same workload in a busy bar, restaurant or shop will lead to higher turnover because staff will be overworked etc. etc. etc.

It's an interesting situation / dilemma and I am interested to see how it plays out. Maybe the government decides to pay for all the sick time themselves but I just don't see that happening. Perhaps some sort of a subsidy to smaller businesses to offset sick time costs where big businesses are on the hook to pay it themselves?
- Cush29

If this keeps getting worse the choice becomes paying sick workers to stay at home or closing more businesses. Guess which one is going to cost more.

Oh yeah... how is that massive switch to open office concept working out for people now.

People fcking hated it at the time, and now it looks like a ridiculous decision.
- Aetherial

I always liked open office vs. cubicles, as a PM type

A little unrelated, but with all you guys talking about having spouses who are teachers:

My parents were both in education, so their vacations always matched.

I have no idea how marriages with only one teacher stay together - especially ones where the guy is the teacher (like my brother).

I would be sooooooo franking pissed if I was getting up every morning in the summer to go to the rock quarry, while my wife slept in 'til noon.