I think the policy is strict so as to discourage people from abusing it. It’s like a lot of laws which have sprung up because of a few “bad apples” of society. The point is, if you’re sick enough to be off from work, and the goverment is still paying your salary, you’d better not be laying around on the beach, or at the football game, or the club.
I did notice something in your story about not getting paid, tho … I’m curious as to what y’alls policy says (if anything).
Aha! The doctor recommended rest, swimming and walking but not much. So, I’ve been to the beach every other day or so, mostly too zonked to go anywhere.
The plot thickens!
NinetyWt, such a policy for government employees may be as much due to public perception of abuse as well as due to address actual abuse. Many government employees have generous leave benefits in terms of getting paid while out due to genuine illness or injury. Especially for positions like public safety workers, this makes a lot of sense and is necessary to fill the positions. But even if the injury truly prevents someone from, say, working as a fireman (who wants a fireman limping to the rescue, after all?), taxpayers would take a dim view of seeing him on the beach while getting paid from the public purse. The general public is less likely to care if it is a restaurant worker.
To the OP’s point, again, yes, people really do get lawyers involved in this type of thing. All. The. Time. If your legal rights have been violated, you are likely entitled to either payment of damages or reinstatement at your job or both. However, only lawyers in your locality can sort out if your legal rights were violated and what you may be entitled to. Strangers on a message board can agree with you “that sounds silly,” but really can’t answer your question. Whether you were morally in the right doesn’t actually have that much bearing on whether you were legally in the right.
Speaking as an ex-bartender, I have witnessed thousands of folks who were well enough to go to a bar. I wouldn’t employ them to scrape gum off the bottom of my shoe.
Exactly Contraputal, and Harriet you’re right - I guess I’ve got a moral issue I can’t shake. I do understand about abuse of sick leave - however since the doctor recommened swiming I was at the beach several times (there are only two swimming pools on the island and both need membership). Anyway, I’ve just found my employment letter which makes no mention of lifting squat shit - this may have some bearing. In his letter the boss states that I became unwilling to perform tasks - yes my back was starting to give way. He did advertize for warehouse person, but never took any on. But I’m digressing from the point. I guess I could have invited the lads round to my bedroom - in hindsight that would probably have been the best thing. Thank you all for responding, it’s been very helpful - I’ll post the results of this when I get them.
You clearly haven’t worked with the sort of people I have. The type who call in sick when their leave request was denied because too many other people were already on approved leave, and the ones who call in sick because they’ve already used up all of their vacation. I’ve seen the more restrictive conditions (you only only leave home for treatment and you have to report when you’re leaving and returning) only in certain government jobs which have unlimited, fully-paid sick leave. Other than that, I’ve seen people not paid for calling in sick leave when they call in sick and show up on the Kiss Cam at the baseball game, or when they called in sick for the week they wanted vacation and didn’t have a doctor’s note.
I sympathise with the prospect of people abusing the system - but I live in a small place where I am well known for my work ethics. I guess I was just working for the wrong guy.