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EDITORIAL: Remedial math for sick leave
Keep an accurate account, for heaven's sake.
A STUDY BY the Legislative Audit Bureau turned up this interesting tidbit: Faculty in the University of Wisconsin system almost never get sick.
Or, at least, they never acknowledge being sick for purposes of accounting for sick-leave benefits.
Faculty members, it seems, generally have colleagues cover for them and do not file sick-leave claims. Thus, the 18,000 academic staff members are able to quickly accumulate roll-over days, which can then be converted to health insurance upon retirement. The audit found faculty members have an average $222,000 accumulation of benefits - triple the average for other state employees - which would pay health insurance costs for quite awhile, courtesy of Wisconsin's exceptionally generous taxpayers.
The UW Board of Regents is expected to consider a plan for tightening reporting requirements later this week.
READERS WILL NOT be surprised to learn that unions representing faculty members object to any change. They argue, for example, that professors typically work more than 40-hour weeks and, if they're sick a day, make up the time and then some. That argument sounds suspiciously like, “Filling out an attendance sheet is beneath us. Just hand over the maximum retirement benefit. We deserve it.”
Salaried employees in businesses all across Wisconsin typically work very long hours, too. Private companies routinely require proper attendance accounting anyway. And, remember, rolling over leave from one year to another to accumulate a retirement benefit is virtually unheard of at such companies. The policy is almost always use-it-or-lose-it.
So for taxpayers, it's hard enough to swallow that government employees enjoy the kind of benefits that are out of their reach. The least taxpayers should expect is accurate accounting so these benefits do not falsely accumulate.
Regents should insist on it.
A STUDY BY the Legislative Audit Bureau turned up this interesting tidbit: Faculty in the University of Wisconsin system almost never get sick.
Or, at least, they never acknowledge being sick for purposes of accounting for sick-leave benefits.
Faculty members, it seems, generally have colleagues cover for them and do not file sick-leave claims. Thus, the 18,000 academic staff members are able to quickly accumulate roll-over days, which can then be converted to health insurance upon retirement. The audit found faculty members have an average $222,000 accumulation of benefits - triple the average for other state employees - which would pay health insurance costs for quite awhile, courtesy of Wisconsin's exceptionally generous taxpayers.
The UW Board of Regents is expected to consider a plan for tightening reporting requirements later this week.
READERS WILL NOT be surprised to learn that unions representing faculty members object to any change. They argue, for example, that professors typically work more than 40-hour weeks and, if they're sick a day, make up the time and then some. That argument sounds suspiciously like, “Filling out an attendance sheet is beneath us. Just hand over the maximum retirement benefit. We deserve it.”
Salaried employees in businesses all across Wisconsin typically work very long hours, too. Private companies routinely require proper attendance accounting anyway. And, remember, rolling over leave from one year to another to accumulate a retirement benefit is virtually unheard of at such companies. The policy is almost always use-it-or-lose-it.
So for taxpayers, it's hard enough to swallow that government employees enjoy the kind of benefits that are out of their reach. The least taxpayers should expect is accurate accounting so these benefits do not falsely accumulate.
Regents should insist on it.
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The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of beloitdailynews.com.
Sandy Ellis wrote on Dec 6, 2007 4:35 PM:
" I teach in the UW system. I agree that everyone should take sick leave when they're sick and do not work. However, I almost never miss work nor do many of my colleagues. Why is that? Because most of us feel we can't afford to miss class. Trying to fit material in that was missed because we weren't there to teach is simply a big hassle. If I'm sick to the point of being nonfunctional, I stay home and take sick leave. Otherwise, I (and nearly everyone I work with) gut it out. The idea that we're avoiding filing sick leave to stash away benefits for retirement is ludicrous...and insulting. I know there are always people who game the system but most people I know, including me, work 50-60 hours a week. In addition to working many days until 6:00 or 7:00, I usually spend 6-7 hours on the weekend at my office. If this sounds like a rant it is. We are asked to take on more and more responsibilities as our salaries fail to keep up with inflation and health insurance costs increase enough to wipe out any raises. I love what I do. I don't appreciate people who assume I, and my colleagues, are all slackers abusing the system. "
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Dave wrote on Dec 5, 2007 1:28 PM: