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Tuesday, October 27, 2009
One sick child away from unemployment

I went out to lunch yesterday with Linda Hahn, executive director of the Metropolitan Career Center, a Philadelphia nonprofit workforce development organization. We were talking about barriers to employment, especially for those moving from welfare to work. One of the biggest? Lack of childcare, she said. Often students can't even complete their training because their childcare arrangements fall apart, despite what seem to be valiant efforts. 

Even when women have a reasonably secure situation for day care, it can fall apart easily if a child gets sick and needs to stay home. You need back-up and back-up to the back-up. None of that is easy. Some people always have an "emergency" and it is easy to wonder whether those people are gaming their employers. But I think people go through extraordinary lengths to work, especially when resources are scarce. What should be done?

When companies give "sick" time, they shouldn't be strict about who is sick. How many people have called in "sick," when they are perfectly fine, but are taking care of a youngster? It's upsetting to have to lie in that circumstance. It is upsetting to have a sick child and it is really upsetting to have to choose between your child and your job. Lying breeds cynicism, but cooperation breeds loyalty and a better ability to manage the demands of the workplace with the realities of life.   

 

Posted by Jane Von Bergen @ 12:06 PM  Permalink | 12 comments
Comments   
Posted 10:41 AM, 10/27/2009
The Truth
I totally agree with the above statement. Just my two cents!
Posted 12:21 PM, 10/27/2009
EdgarX
The sad reality is that this recession has been used by most corporations as the perfect excuse to roll back most of the last decade's gains in the family-work balance arena. They are using fear tactics to scare their employees into giving up perks and benefits previously considered part of employee compensation. Nowadays, these are "privileges" most workers are afraid to use. What we really need is effective legislation to protect the corporate workforce from unethical, profit-minded exploitation. Companies have shelved the social responsibilities they once felt they needed to have.
Posted 01:09 PM, 10/27/2009
david wayne
How many people call in sick because they have a hangover from the night before?
Posted 03:34 PM, 10/27/2009
pencilchair
If a sick kid will make you lose your job, you shouldn't have a kid in the first place. The mistake is on that person, not the employer. Employers can't be expected to accomodate every mistake anyone cares to make.
Posted 05:19 PM, 10/27/2009
Hamlin
I actually have a pretty good relationship with my boss. I can call him up and tell him I'm staying home to take care of one of my kids, and he'll let me use my sick days for that.
Posted 06:50 PM, 10/27/2009
EVA9601
Employers need to get for real, when you have kids, you have obligations to them too- (first). Employers want to own your life, they should p--- off. They have tooooo much control and we need reform in employment laws.
Posted 10:10 PM, 10/27/2009
The Baron
If push comes to shove, we obviously know what is more important: a job or a human life.
Posted 08:10 AM, 10/28/2009
gfunkerror
This is something I know all to well. Lets call it what it is though....Anti-Family. In other nations around the world families are protected from losing employment due to illness. Having a special child I have faced losing my job(s) many times. I have come very close. It is not the fault of the parents that they have a sick child, and if you show up to work and get accommodations all the time, why would I have to fear losing my job? That is why I finally got a job that has a Union. At least I can sleep well not worrying. But even that is not 100% fool proof. It just seems there is no compassion. Business in America would benefit in the end by having employees wanting to work harder for a company when they are secure in having the job. Each year it seems we are getting less time off, less holidays and less room to work with as far as family time. We need to start protecting the family.
Posted 08:19 AM, 10/28/2009
gfunkerror
The Baron, I agree, but here is the ugly side. Kid gets sick, you lose your work. Now you do not have Medical insurance. By the time you get anything else going, like CHIPS, you could have a kid sicker or worse! We need laws to protect us.
Posted 10:39 AM, 10/29/2009
InternetToughGuy
So annoying when i'm stuck doing the work of my coworkers because their brat is sick. Why should i have to come to work more because i havent made the mistake of having children?
Posted 04:42 PM, 11/11/2009
Jane Von Bergen
My point is that there should be a certain number of sick days. Use them when you are sick or a family member is sick, or don't use them if you don't need them. If you need more time off, then there should be a reasonable amount of unpaid leave available. That being said, companies need to make money and they need to can the miscreants who ruin it for others by scamming the system.
Posted 04:45 PM, 11/11/2009
Jane Von Bergen
One more point about being sick from a hangover. Again, I say, so what? If you use up your sick days that way, you won't have them when you really need them. Your loss. Your stupidity. By the way, I hope the hungover dude stays home so he doesn't hurt his co-workers by doing something dumb and unsafe.
12 comments
About Jane M. Von Bergen
Jane M. Von Bergen covers workplace issues, health insurance and organized labor for the Philadelphia Inquirer. A longtime business writer, she is now covering her second recession. Von Bergen began her reporting career in fourth grade and then married into it, falling in love with a photographer she met working while working for her college newspaper. They have two college-age sons, neither of whom is studying journalism.
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