Lets see, 1200 hours times roughly $250/hour equals one stupid mother****er. I will be leaving the property with exactly zero in my sick bank. You've earned it, you use it. I'll pass on the CPO patting me on the back as I walk out the door saying, good job on the SL usage Fred.

Unbelievable !!

 

Exactly! How can the company enforce an attendance policy when you've earned your sick time?? It's yours and one of our negotiated benefits. Use it!!!

 

Very well said. I was thinking the same thing. Always got a good laugh at the the guys bragging about their 1000+ hours of leftover sick time at retirement.

The way our LTD is set up, there is no reason to have more than 300/350 hours in your bank. Otherwise you're just self-insuring yourself.

 

I laughed when the read this, just awesome!
I plan on doing the same thing!
Maybe even one up you by leaving with a negative balance
In my sick bank. Screw the atta boy I'll take the time off and pay
any day!

 

Oh man, I laughed so hard at that reply.

I had to convince a 63 year old, with a maxed out sick bank, that it was OK to call in sick for two 4-days so he could be with his wife during an important family event.

Afraid of his own shadow and leaving hundreds of thousands on the table.

I asked why we didn't try to monetize our sick bank at retirement and the reply I got was:

"Pilots walk out the door with thousands of hours of sick time. The company has no incentive to monetize this benefit."

 

I disagree slightly. Among the highest SL categories are the very senior. They have lots to burn--no reason not to use it, and in general, (Maybe like me,) just don't care that much any more. It's been beaten out of them. "If I don't get my days off I'll just call in sick."

I submit that if the company would monetize the SL at retirement, all those senior guys would see nothing but $$, and would stop calling in sick for a hang nail. Don't get me wrong, hangnails can be serious. But this is a very costly sick call. It would eliminate a lot of those last minute SL, and improve the reliability of the operation. Oscar, you listening?

I bet it's cheaper to pay it out at retirement rather than carry more pilots, to cover a higher SL usage than it would be to pay it when they retire. However, it's all pie in the sky. Without opening the contract, we aren't likely to get any improvements in SL either before the extension runs out. Couple more years.

 

Yep! I used to marvel at the # of cAPTS I flew with as a new hire who would brag about leaving with 1000+ hrs of sick time left. Astonishing. And not in a good way!

 

I flew with a guy a couple years ago who said he had never called in sick.

 

I've been told if you're interested in an Instructor position, to not use your sick leave.

I don't want to debate the "if you're sick, then use your sick leave". I'm just passing along an interesting bit of advice I've been told by more than a few instructors. True or not, its interesting that this is the sentiment.

 

Don't think that applies anymore.