OPM Guidance on COVID-19

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Question for fed workers -- is there a sick leave bank you guys can use if you are out of paid sick leave (like the woman who just came back from maternity leave, or the new hires)? Maybe they should also remove restrictions on the use of the sick leave borrowing bank.

There is, but you have to burn through all of your sick and annual leave first. A lot of people, if healthy enough to work, will continue to come in sick rather than be forced to burn up all their leave. And who is going to donate leave if they’re in fear of a virus getting them sick?

This is going to create an interesting dynamic between younger workers (who tend to have less leave than more senior employees) who may have mild symptoms and not want to burn their little leave balance vs. older employees who have more leave, but lower immunity. We should be in this all together like other countries that are guaranteeing pay in case of quarantine or illness. But instead it’s every man for himself in the fed gov.

Coming in because you refuse to burn your leave is selfish when you have a leave bank you can draw on.

But I can’t pull from the leave bank for just anything. Under OPM’s policy, if schools close, but the building is open or I’m otherwise required to telework, then I need my leave for childcare purposes. And I can’t pull from the sick leave bank to care for healthy children because of a school closure.

So now I’m being expected to save my leave in case I need to care for my children but ALSO burn all my leave down so I can borrow from the sick leave bank if I get sick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So I have carefully saved my leave and my coworker constantly uses it for all kinds of things. She now gets free leave for claiming Corona and I spend my leave. Advancing leave is fine but just giving it out seems a bit out of control.

+1. The idea that people should just get extra leave seems misplaced, especially for people who can telework.

[Anonymous]

I’m surprised there was nothing more on travel. I have an upcoming trip I am preparing like a mad woman for. If it is going to get cancelled, I’d love to know sooner rather than later.

[Anonymous]

Having your kid watch Mary Poppins counts as having a temporary nanny, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m surprised there was nothing more on travel. I have an upcoming trip I am preparing like a mad woman for. If it is going to get cancelled, I’d love to know sooner rather than later.

Yeah same. DH’s travel has already been cancelled, but I think his agency was just more proactive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Question for fed workers -- is there a sick leave bank you guys can use if you are out of paid sick leave (like the woman who just came back from maternity leave, or the new hires)? Maybe they should also remove restrictions on the use of the sick leave borrowing bank.

There is, but you have to burn through all of your sick and annual leave first. A lot of people, if healthy enough to work, will continue to come in sick rather than be forced to burn up all their leave. And who is going to donate leave if they’re in fear of a virus getting them sick?

This is going to create an interesting dynamic between younger workers (who tend to have less leave than more senior employees) who may have mild symptoms and not want to burn their little leave balance vs. older employees who have more leave, but lower immunity. We should be in this all together like other countries that are guaranteeing pay in case of quarantine or illness. But instead it’s every man for himself in the fed gov.

Coming in because you refuse to burn your leave is selfish when you have a leave bank you can draw on.

My manager requires a doctor note for each day, so not everyone can just take sick leave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m surprised there was nothing more on travel. I have an upcoming trip I am preparing like a mad woman for. If it is going to get cancelled, I’d love to know sooner rather than later.

I’m in the same position. Working like crazy for a Principal’s overseas trip. Most likely it gets cancelled last minute.

[Anonymous]

Look this virus doesn’t seem to be affecting small children. And younger adults aren’t as affected. The quarantine will likely have the benefit of saving older adults (and also our healthcare system). Yet we are asking young families to take on a huge brunt of this with school closures and burning down leave balances. It’s the young subsidizing the old.

If we aren’t going to make special considerations for caregivers with young children, then we should just be telling older people, many of whom are retired and don’t have young kids. to quarantine themselves until a vaccine comes out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:*to specify I don’t think this should come out of current leave banks. I for one already have negative sick leave from recent maternity leave. I guess I’d just have to come in and infect everyone if we’re gonna put the burden of this virus on the individual!

What if you just catch the flu...should you bare the burden for that? If the taxpayers are giving you extra leave for Covid, why not the flu, or your child's flu or you child's cold?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You have to use sick leave if you are sick? You are kidding!

It’s this mentality that is going to make people come into work sick and spread this thing. Not everyone can just take 2-3 weeks off. I would much rather someone be given paid leave then have them schlep into the office getting everyone else sick because they can’t go without a paycheck.

Yup. If government workers have to exhaust their sick leave from covid, you can be sure that retail workers with no sick leave are going to go in sick. So when you don’t protect the most vulnerable in society it becomes a health problem for everyone

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:*to specify I don’t think this should come out of current leave banks. I for one already have negative sick leave from recent maternity leave. I guess I’d just have to come in and infect everyone if we’re gonna put the burden of this virus on the individual!

What if you just catch the flu...should you bare the burden for that? If the taxpayers are giving you extra leave for Covid, why not the flu, or your child's flu or you child's cold?

I’ve had the flu and took a week off work. No big deal. I have leave for that (or worst case advancing a week of leave isn’t a big deal). If my child’s school closes for a month, I can’t just take a whole month off. And if I get sick with COVID and only get a mild case then it’s not fair to make me burn up 2 weeks of leave because of the infection period when under normal circumstances I would be returning to work once feeling better. Flexible telework options will help with this some and should be implemented. But some people, through no fault of their own, are not going to be able to work and I don’t think paycheck insecurity should be something the federal workforce is worried about right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So I have carefully saved my leave and my coworker constantly uses it for all kinds of things. She now gets free leave for claiming Corona and I spend my leave. Advancing leave is fine but just giving it out seems a bit out of control.

+1. The idea that people should just get extra leave seems misplaced, especially for people who can telework.

dude, I don’t think you quite understand the situation ....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Question for fed workers -- is there a sick leave bank you guys can use if you are out of paid sick leave (like the woman who just came back from maternity leave, or the new hires)? Maybe they should also remove restrictions on the use of the sick leave borrowing bank.

There is, but you have to burn through all of your sick and annual leave first. A lot of people, if healthy enough to work, will continue to come in sick rather than be forced to burn up all their leave. And who is going to donate leave if they’re in fear of a virus getting them sick?

This is going to create an interesting dynamic between younger workers (who tend to have less leave than more senior employees) who may have mild symptoms and not want to burn their little leave balance vs. older employees who have more leave, but lower immunity. We should be in this all together like other countries that are guaranteeing pay in case of quarantine or illness. But instead it’s every man for himself in the fed gov.

Coming in because you refuse to burn your leave is selfish when you have a leave bank you can draw on.

My manager requires a doctor note for each day, so not everyone can just take sick leave.

Fed employee her and we don't have a leave bank. We can ask individuals to contribute their leave.

[Anonymous]

I don’t have much leave because I just started. I also do not have a telework option given my area of work. Will be working sick, I guess if it happens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So I have carefully saved my leave and my coworker constantly uses it for all kinds of things. She now gets free leave for claiming Corona and I spend my leave. Advancing leave is fine but just giving it out seems a bit out of control.

What free leave? I’m also not sure what you are implying- is your coworker using sick leave improperly, i.e. for reasons other than illness or doctors appointments?