Opinion
Sick daze
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When University of Wisconsin System leaders met with members of the state Legislature last week, the acrimonious mood that has so often pervaded relations between the two groups in recent times was nowhere to be found.
Last Wednesday's meeting of the Joint Audit Committee — to discuss the reporting and use of sick time by UW personnel — offered taxpayers much to worry.
At issue was an October audit that found UW faculty members used an average of less than one day of sick leave in 2005, a rate that indicates many employees are not reporting the time they take off for illnesses. State employees are allowed to rollover unused sick time each year and use it to pay for health insurance at the time of retirement.
State lawmakers Wednesday accorded nary a word of criticism to UW, however, in light of a recent Milwaukee Journal Sentinel study that found only two legislators reported taking any sick time in the last four years. Like other state employees, members of the Legislature may convert unused sick time to pay for health insurance upon retirement.
To be sure, many UW employees have reported their sick time honestly, and some educators and lawmakers don't need any time off. But the fact remains that a large portion of UW faculty, and an even larger percentage of state legislators, have failed to report their use of sick leave — be it because of ignorance or a more deliberate fleecing of Wisconsin taxpayers.
Both the Legislature and UW must overhaul their sick-leave reporting requirements to add accountability to a process where clearly little currently exists. When a lawmaker or educator misses work because of illness, a sick day must be recorded.
We are encouraged by a proposal in the Legislature that would prevent lawmakers from rolling over unused sick time from year to year. However, taking away a policy that affords state employees a substantial margin of safety so abruptly would be ill-advised.
We suggest a compromise: Allow sick-day accrual for a finite number of years — say two or three — to allow some flexibility for serious illnesses or injuries. While state employees stand to lose a substantial benefit of working for Wisconsin, a policy that has been so widely abused cannot remain unchanged. And doing so while allowing the benefit of some reasonable sick-time padding will lessen the blow of such a major change.
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If no one is reporting sick time, it could be that no one is getting sick. Perhaps we, as tax payers, should thank our state employees for their perpetual health by officially granting them an extended period of sick leave greater than their current average: 1 day.
Legislators, administrators, professors: we'll be taking attendance; see you at work.
Since they never get sick, they won't miss it. I say give them twice the average - 2 days per year.
ps. Maybe it's the gold-plated health plans that cost the taxpayers a mint that keep them so healthy? Maybe we should stick all the state employees on medicaid and see how they do?
I work for UW. I come to work and do my job when I'm sick because if I don't I could lose my job. Maybe that's why I never take a sick day.
Why should a long-standing state employee benefit be modified (reduced)for all state employees over the purported abuse by some UW faculty and legislators. The article neglects to mention that some employees, like me, choose to use vacation or personal holiday time in lieu of sick leave so that we can maximize the sick leave conversion benefit when we retire.
Down with sick leave conversion! Why should state employees enjoy a pinko-commie health system while the rest of us chumps rot in the gutter? We want your jobs (picture zombies)...