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Workers to get additional sick leave from proposed measure
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Posted on Feb 20 2001
Employees who have yet to recover fully from their illnesses can now heave a collective sigh of relief. This, after the Senate passed an amendment to a section of the current sick leave law last Feb. 9.
Senate findings showed that under 1 CMC Section 8273 of Public Law 8-25, employees who have not fully recovered from their serious illness were denied the use of additional sick leave hours due to the limitations imposed by the Civil Service Sick Leave Bank Regulations.
Under the amended law, employees can apply for an additional 160 hours of sick leave, on top of the original 160 hours, if he or she is not fit enough to go back to work because of his or her illness.
However, there is a catch. Employees granted additional sick leaves would have to repay any sick leave hours withdrawn from the CSSLB. The rate of which will be determined by the CSSLB Regulations.
Moreover, the bill understandably requires that a certified medical statement from the attending physician must first be presented before the request for additional leave is granted.
Employees applying for additional sick leave must also prove that they have already exhausted all personal sick leave, annual leave and allowable advance sick leave to justify the request.
Another feature of the amended law is the creation of a Voluntary Sick Leave Bank (VSLB) to be administered by the Civil Service. Employees can donate to the VSLB to their heart’s content.
The Senate passed amendments to the Public Law after discovering that employees who are forced to return to work immediately are faced with a double dilemma. Employees who return to work even if they have not 100 percent recovered, risk their health, while those who go on “leave without pay” become stressed, aside from being delinquent in paying financial obligations.
Among the illnesses employees had a long time recuperating from, hence get back to work as normally, are carcinoma of the colon, stomach, brain, lungs and breasts; coronary artery disease; and diabetic complications to name a few, the Senate findings showed.
