Federal Managers’ Groups Unite - Seeks Change in FERS Unused Sick Leave Compensation
The Government Managers Coalition — made up of the Senior Executives Association, Federal Managers Association, Professional Managers Association, Federal Aviation Administration Managers Association and National Council of Social Security Management Associations — represents about 200,000 federal managers across government.
The four topics that the coalition will start with are: sick leave compensation for employees in the Federal Employee Retirement System, mandatory supervisor training, the status and treatment of managers whose employees file complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and extension of probationary periods for new employees.
Sick leave can accumulate quickly as unused days from the 13 granted annually to federal employees carry over year after year. For employees under the older Civil Service Retirement System, leftover sick days are credited toward retirement pensions. But Federal Employee Retirement System workers have no such luck.
This discrepancy is causing FERS employees to use substantially more sick leave than their CSRS counterparts, the Congressional Research Service reported in 2004. One possible interpretation is that FERS employees calling in sick may not truly have the sniffles.
more from Government Executive Magazine
April 13th, 2006 at 10:23 am
Changing the rules in midstream would not be fair to CSRS covered employees who did not change to FERS - That being one of the reasons…..Lets be honest here, most FERS covered employees are using their sick leave prior to retirement (and their agencies are not making a big deal of it)…….
It is what it is!!!!
April 13th, 2006 at 5:02 pm
Fers employees should be compensated for the sick leave they have earned. Either pay them for at least half the sick leave, but the bottom line is compensate Fers employees in some way other wise who can blame them for using the sick leave before they retire. All other companies in some form or fashion either pay for the sick leave at the end of the year or pay when they retire.
April 14th, 2006 at 12:15 am
I am covered by FERS and i burn sick leave as i see fit. Parties, funerals, anniversaries etc. I earned it, IT’S MINE !!!!!!!!
April 14th, 2006 at 12:18 am
I am under FERS and i carry 4 hours from pay period to pay period. AHHH Shareem
April 14th, 2006 at 6:30 am
I think FERS should get the same treatment as CSRS with regards to sick leave credited for retirement purposes. In my unit they gave everyone the BS, CSRS and FERS alike for using sickleave. I was “gigged” for using ONE day sickleave after having a perfect sick leave record for over 15 years. The supervisor who gigged me had a pitiful sick leave record. Scumbags galore!!! Clean it up and make it right. Also, if/when they make FERS sick leave count for retirement, it should be retroactive to include those FERS people already retired.
April 14th, 2006 at 9:46 am
I disagree,
If ..and I mean a big if they do make sick leave count towards FERS retirement it should not be retroactive. It would only stall the process for current FERS employees.
April 16th, 2006 at 7:25 am
i say use it or lose it till they change the system who cares what the supervisors say
April 16th, 2006 at 3:35 pm
Whats not fair is seeing a FERS employee so disgusted with the po , that they take the VER in feburary and give up 1850 hours of sick leave(roughly 4300.00 dollars) because management says you can’t use it.
BUT YOU CAN WATCH A CSRS EMPLOYEE TAKE A YEAR OR MORE OFF ON SICK LEAVE AND NOTHING IS DONE ABOUT IT.
THIS IS FAIR?
Thank You
April 16th, 2006 at 6:15 pm
It only took them 20 years to figure out that if you give people a use it or lose it benefit they will elect to use it. Good thing all the brilliant minds are in charge.
April 17th, 2006 at 5:33 am
I am a fers emloyee and I have accumulated sick leave since 1984 (2100+ hrs)unless they off me a buy out i will use all of it soon.
April 18th, 2006 at 5:50 pm
I wrote the Asst. PMG 10 years ago about this same problem saying it would cause useit or lose it syndrome. Still waiting for his reply but I have been vindicated.
April 18th, 2006 at 9:42 pm
Management harasses employees about using SL, and then when they are ready for retirement, they burn all of there leave up. If there is no benfit for FERS employess to save SL, then why would they not use it?
May 5th, 2006 at 8:25 am
I am all for FERS employees receiving credit for unused sick leave as long as CSRS employees receive matching TSP funds from the USPS.
May 26th, 2006 at 3:57 pm
when i dont feel well i use my benefit, thats what its for . i dont want half of it when i retire , im taking it allllllllllll.
September 1st, 2006 at 7:39 pm
if fers employees want to deplete their sick leave, let them (yes, i know someone who called in sick and then went out shopping that same day while we were working….then had the audacity to ask for leave donations for surgery!). if they want to save it for a ‘rainy day’ let them. if those in charge want to change the rules, fine; do so for the new hires. but being punitive to employees that choose to use their benefits is abusive and wrong. i schedule all doctors appointments during my work day and schedule any medical procedures the same way. i know if i need any major surgeries before i retire, i will have them scheduled to use up as much sick leave as possible. if the rules change, i’ll reevaluate at that point.
October 31st, 2007 at 4:11 pm
Why take what you get for working?
October 31st, 2007 at 5:40 pm
For city carriers 2080 hours is one year work. At level O this is almost $50,000. 10% of this is $5,000.
What would you take?
Be careful not to take it all in your last three years of work, because it we reduce your high three average.