Regarding the Miami Herald front page report today: If government officials are retiring with between $50 to $300 thousand worth of unused sick and vacation days, doesn't it occur to anyone in charge that the policy on sick and vacation days for these officials is too liberal?
My advice: Slash the number of days for both since they are obviously not needed. Better yet, dole out sick days as needed. Does anyone know how many sick and vacation days these city and county officials get a year? How many of each is Chip Iglesia getting? We have to start with new policies for new hires, don't you agree?
I like the City of Miami's new "use it or lose it policy" but why get a set amount of days to begin with on sick days? And, what about 'personal days' how do they work? Are people just substituting personal days for sick and vacation time? I welcome any comments that enlighten me and our readers.
42 comments:
In the County, you get annual (vacation) days and 12 sick days per yr. The annual days depends on your position when you start and then seniority. Most employees start with two weeks, get an extra week after their 10th yr of service, and another week after their 20th yr of service. Your annual leave bank is maxed at 500 hours- you can not accumulate more annual time if you reach the cap. At an employee's anniversary date, the first six unused sick days are converted to annual days; that is, only six days of sick are carried over to the next yr (with one major loophole- if you are at the 500 hr annual max, the sick to annual conversion doesn't occur).
The County doesn't offer paid maternity leave, so most women hold on to their sick time so they can have an income when they are out on maternity leave. Your sick bank and annual banks are also relied on when you have an extended illness.
When you leave the County, 100 percent of your annual is paid out to you, and there is a sliding scale for sick payout.
The most problematic element of this leave payout scam is that the leave is paid out at the final hourly rate of the employee, no matter when it was accrued. Even though the leave may have been banked 30 years before, it all gets paid out at the very high final pay rate.
500 hours is 12 days....what is an annual leave bank? Sick and Vacation combined?
What about personal days how do they work?
Mahalo makes an excellent point. I hope the Mayors are all reading this.
It amazes me that all these questions were NOT addressed in the Miami Herald story. They leave out fundamental questions and answers, always.
So a dedicated employee never calls in sick over 30years and then gets cancer. He/She was dedicated enough to stay well for all those years and bank time. He/She fights for their life by using the sick time. Keeps their family solvent. Yet, we can only see the negative on this one.
This is a half cocked argument.
I said As Needed!!
Obviously if you have cancer you need them. If you have a baby you need them. Obviously Burgess never did need them but he got them anyway.
I once had a job with 3 sick days a year. Some research should be done in the private sector.
In the county, "annual leave" is vacation leave. It's different than sick leave. Holiday leave is granted when someone works a holiday. When a county employee retires at 25 or 30 years, they get their annual leave (up to 500 hours), their sick leave (no cap) and their holiday leave (no cap). When County Attorney Murray Greenberg retired, his leave pay was more than $400,000.
I find it incredible that every single benefit that has been fought for decades is now the new headline news on how to take away and bash government employees. We are truly becoming a third world country racing to the bottom when it comes to protecting labor, having benefits, environmental issues and safety.
The fact that employees can bank their time was an incentive for labor to produce and for circumstances of uncontrollable illness – to be able to maintain your income. This is not something that is just given to employees, this is what the employees have earned and saved. Not all employees have large banks of leave.
I do hope the Mayor is reading and if one of his new Deputies is – they need to start cutting benefits at the top (which they will and have not done) – they need to take away Executive Benefits, which are more costly and different from every other County employee! They need to take away car allowances, take home vehicles, unlimited County cell phones, and restructure “TOP” salaries!
Instead – the Mayor thus far has not done any of the things that he championed for while on the Commission – What happened to cuts in salary by “scales?” Instead let’s just keep on bashing the employees and taking everything away from them – that is politics – give the citizens half truths, make the problem point down and pretend to do a few things so I can get re-elected. Miami is a sad place to live – people see their house burning down and wish everyone else would too!
Get the complete truth – do not just settle for the crumbs they throw at you.
I got 5 days of sick leave a year at my job.
Amen to anon above on the key issue of not calculating the accumulated leave based on the pay level when it was accrued. Changing the policies granted to current employees may spark legal challenges.
There are arguments to make in favor of having a leave policy: leave is part of compensation but does not appear to count toward the calculated pension amount; giving flexibility in use of sick leave is beneficial to employees planning for health issues (e.g., saving for maternity, scheduling complex surgery, dealing with cancer treatments, etc.). One can argue that these plans have their merits.
The problem is that leave accumulates too quickly and is paid out at the wrong rate. The issue must be addressed for future employees for sure.
At one time people went into private sector jobs for higher paying jobs and government jobs for lower pay but better benefits. Now the government jobs are competitive in pay but they still have the better benefits making them better jobs. The security is also better. When you reach the apex of benefits in the private sector you are fired or forced out.
It does appear the readers here are NOT focusing on the lower wage jobs so get your panties out of a wad. This is an important discussion.
You will see that reforms will come to the lower paying employees but they will not touch the upper ranks -
My panties are just Great :)- Thanks.
Last time I check this was America and I also have a right to write whatever I feel.
The county offers a short-term disability insurance option for maternity leave and extended illnesses. There is no excuse for allowing employees to accrue an unlimited amount of sick pay.
Once again, those who play by the rules and make sacrifices are the ones most likely to get screwed. I’ve WORKED for the County for over 20 years and have come in sick (not contagious) or injured on many occasions in order to ensure that my work gets done. The “taxpayers” (you and me) have always gotten their money’s worth out of me. Do I deserve fewer benefits than the employee who uses every last hour of sick leave every year, for a headache, for a hangnail? I don’t view my accumulated sick leave as a golden parachute but rather as a savings account, a hedge against a rainy day that I hope never comes. I earned it and I saved it, rather than spent it, so how do I not deserve it?
you deserve it at the salary you earned it...not calculated on a later salary level.
But, for new employees policy has to change. The private sector does not offer these perks.
This blog wasn't meant to be directed at lower level employees, making under $75,000. I am talking about the higher levels $100,000 plus people.
Lower level people, talk to your friends about their benefits and you will understand why people are asking questions here. Instead of feeling put upon and targeted, admit you are lucky to have more security than the rest of us who retire with only a social security check.
If county employees made some concessions on pensions, sick pay and vacations, their fellow workers wouldn't be laid off.
We need to know the benefit packages that are being offered/accepted by the new Assistant County Managers. I think we are all going to shit a brick when we find out.
Lower level employees are those earning 75,000 or less??? You must be joking. The county can't solve its spending problem if only focuses on those making more than 75k, the numbers don't work that way.
Compensation (including perks) for ALL classifications need to be compared to the relevant market.
Ok include them all, but lets not ONLY look at the lower level employee, that is what the reports are of what is happening.
Who signs the time cards?
The City of Miami employees got God smacked with pay cuts...yet the still want more from employees there. County should be crying foul. The Miami workers are just sitting and get raped over and over again as political pawns. I would like a 'Professional' Cop or Paramedic protect me rather than a Minimum wage earner. Pride comes with better pay and benefits. I should have been a cop. But, good for those who made or willing to make the sacrifices. I rather see cuts from the take home cars you wrote about. No more libraries just WiFi the whole county!
Bigger issue is your environmental stuff about our water in West Kendall.
Again, people who make $100,000.00 do NOT get their benefit packages touch - only low paying employees - I guess you will not get it.
County Employees gave up 12% pay a year ago - Executives and upper management did not-
County Employees are paying 3% into FRS - plus the County is saving another 3% because of COLA in pension reform -
County Employees are paying $180.00 to $240.00 on Insurance bi-weekly plus another 5% from their pay checks -
Take out the pencil and paper and do the math - County Employees have been giving up BUT it seems it is never enough!
How does a County Worker making $25,000.00 to $60,000.00 getting all these cuts and being the target of outrage from the public suppose to feel?
County Employees pay taxes, they vote and are a part of this community - but are made to feel they are to blame for the political and corporate giants to continue to lie and do as they please.
As for Fellow-workers being laid off - Well the question should be - Why are the lower paid employees being laid off? How can you have more Executives and Management than workers? Why are leaders not taking concessions and leading by example?
Why is the County still hiring at $225,00.00 plus benefits? Where is the Tax-payers money going then?
Another question should be how as a community we bring better benefits to private sector? How do we grow the middle class in the private sector but that is crazy talk - instead lets take away we good benefits are out there because "I or me" , yes the almighty green monster - does not have it.
Wow how sad and pitiful society has become.
Woof - good question
Only the file and rank swipe in or have time cards as you call it -
Management and Executive do NOT - this has been a sour pill for Union leaders and County employees- because there is no real way of tracking time for them, so how do they get away with this pay???
No one watches them - but God forbid an employee is late, they do get docked the time (which is correct) plus they track the employee to discipline them if it occurs frequent.
Many times you see the Executive make up their work time - too bad County employees do not have that right.
Very good questions... my original post was on Government Officials but we always seem to come back to the lower wage staff? Why? Because the minute we mention County benefits, the staff inserts themselves in the argument. Stay above the fray and refocus us where we should be instead of crying foul for your plight. We all have sad stories so they do not resonate. Many of your bosses are writing here! Talk to them.
You hit the nail on the head Genius. The military talks about the problem all the time of the different view from the point of view of the trooper on the ground and the general who sees the entire battle field.
We as tax payers sent a message to Mayor Gimenez that he has to force the county to live within its existing means. He has already cut both compensation and benefits paid to the non union work force. That includes most of the "management". My guess is he will continue to thin those ranks because he's said he wants to streamline the county.
However, the hard part is cutting compensation, benefits and expensive work rules for employees under the collective bargaining agreements. Those employees run th gamut from firefighters earning well above 75K in salary + around 30% in benefits all the way to starting mechanichs making $15/hr. This group represents probably 70% of total county employee costs.
If you believe in God, you should pray for Mr Gimenez because he'll need the help.
I'm self-employed and I enjoy no cap on vacation days, sick days, annual days, and holidays. I can take them, bank them, and cash them in when I retire. And in all the scenarios, I will have not earn one penny. It's time that the county employees face reality!
Sick leave, what is that? I make a good living, but don't have a massive paid time off package. They should get 10-15 days of sick/vacation. Use it as you like.
Twelve sick days (+vacation) is ridiculous. Eat right, don't smoke, get a little exercise and you'll be sick a lot less. Why should I pay for the extra sick days of a 300+ pound bus driver? There are more than a few of them. I've been sick from work maybe 10 total days in the last 15 years.
The change does not need to be limited to new employees. The payout policy can certainly be amended for current employees and it should be. Existing county employees have no "right" to their huge leave payouts because it does not vest until they actually separate from the county service.
For what it's worth, by law vacation time must be paid out when an employee leaves and it is a bad idea to only pay that out at the rate that it was accrued: you would end up having people taking all that time at the end of their term, getting full benefits and keeping a position "filled" when it is in fact empty. 500 hours is a very high accrual maximum, though, and that might warrant a look to change, maybe to 320 or 240.
12 sick days a year with a very high maximum accrual is fairly standard in a good, mature company, non-profit or government (you typically see somewhere between 10 and 15), but often is not paid out at termination or transformed into vacation time. If it is paid out it usually gets done at a fraction of the value of the day (e.g. 25%). "As needed" sick time or even vacation time works extremely well for highly motivated employees, think a college professor, for example, but is impractical for most employers. Imagine John needing to take every Monday off 'cause he's got migraines again or whatever, too much of a burden for the employer and John's colleagues.
As someone not in government, my advice to the bitter workaday employees that are jealous of the benefits offered to government workers: pressure your current employers to increase your benefits or try to get a job in government yourself, I think you'll find a bunch of smart, talented people, especially in the professional ranks, and not just some jerk's brother in law driving a desk.
When a pro sports player is coming up on bonuses that will pay them more a lot of the time they are traded, waived, benched or minor leagued.
The county and municipalities are packed with weasel lawyers who could advise the elected types to make this "bonus" situation at the end of contracts go away.
Don't use vacation, you lose it no rollovers nobody is indispensable. Sick time must be used for documented illness only.
Wait until after the audits surface once they are departed to be sure they did a good job no buyers remorse is allowed.
Finally how do people who don't last a year even qualify for all this time paid? Really whacked system.
Thanks for running this Genius. Rank and File employees are paying for the greed of the executives. We have seen execs. sneak in and out and lie about their time. They micromanage their employees time while they safeguard their own annual and sick leave. That's all they care about - saving their time so that when they retire, they will get a big payout. Many do because their hourly rate of pay is the highest of their career. I had to keep time in several different departments and my last job I worked with the most dishonest execs. Many of whom should have been fired since they were lousy supervisors with lazy secretaries who spent most of their days on the telephone avoiding work. Many times talking on their cellphones to avoid being detected using county phones for personal business. They took plenty of time off, they just didn't report it properly. The Mayor needs to stop administration from giving themselves administrative leave and mandate that no director approve administrative leave for anyone on his staff. Only the Mayor should approve it and see if that changes the abuse. They need to use their annual and sick leave just like employees do.
Use it or lose it is how the real world works.
ThatGuyInHR is wrong. He wrote "For what it's worth, by law vacation time must be paid out when an employee leaves."
That's false. There is no federal law nor any Florida state law that would require that.
Re: So a dedicated employee never calls in sick over 30years and then gets cancer....
Again, in the real world - in a word, "yes". This is why some people have disability insurance. Furthermore, there should be a policy of forcing employees to take a minimum amount of time. They need it. It makes them healthier and better balanced. Also, if you were to accrue time, it should be accrued in dollars, not hours, and paid to you as you go. It is terrible, however, that women don't get maternity leave. It is time for the county to get with the program here.
I have to disagree with you Genius. Like everyone else has said, its the lower employees that suffer every time. And we are inserting ourselves on the side of the "Government Officials" because even you said "Ok include them all".
I disagree with the argument that you cant make up the difference with only upper staff. When you have one staffer making $120K a year versus three making $40, your better off cutting the $120K position. But the $120K is the one who still gets to retire 3 months early and burn through their EXTRA sick/annual leave, while the $40K gets shown the door come the end of the pay period.
Many of us $40K are professionals who could make more outside of the public sector. We stay for the benefits (quickly diminishing now), and the honor to serve our communities. But if you prefer to kick us out, I'm sure the less competent, "cheaper" replacements will work really hard to make sure taxpayer dollars aren't wasted.
Lastly, the only reason we still have these benefits, is because the private sector got rid of them all. It's only fair you should be allowed to keep your vacation days if you don't use them. A pension system should be provided by all employers. And like others have said Maternity (and Paternity) leave should be covered or at least be a policy option.
Don't let them play us against each other. Not all public sector employees are honest and hard working, but neither are all private sector ones. The real agenda here is that they want NO workers to have good rights and a fair job.
Good discussion...thanks everyone.
The hidden truth is how these executives are charged for time when they take off for doctors appointments, etc. Do research on when these people actually take off time and how it is charged. Then agai an there is the issue of FLSA. My understandings that if they show up for work, stay an hour then take of the rest of the day for a doctors appointment, they are not charged for the sick time. So sYs FLSA
Pay and benefits for public sector employees is too high.
Public service was supposed to mean public service, not an opportunity to make a fortune.
Too many County and City employees are stealing.
Nationwide public sector employees are stealing from taxpayers.
Nationwide, public sector employees ARE taxpayers.
Nobody has mentioned the birthday holiday that county employees receive (or at least they did when I last worked for them in 2003). You had to use it within 6 mos or a year of your birthday - no roll over. 8 hours X 25,000 employees X average hourly rate is a lot of birthday cash ($6M/year at $30/hr). I could never understand that.
There may also be 2 "floating holidays" on top of vacation time that don't roll over.
Post a Comment