12 Nov: Homily (Sick Leave) and Tweets

by | Nov 12, 2017 | Tweets | 19 comments

I got these tweets yesterday, but the post never got completed because I’m unwell. I’m still a bit of a wreck, but there are some good tweets and I didn’t want them to go to waste.

I don’t have much to bore you with today as the ole brain isn’t up to much.

The New Zealand Breakers basketball team still haven’t lost a game this season and are therefore still on top of the Aussie League. I love watching the basketball, but I keep missing the games.

Oh, and we held Peru to a 0-0 draw in a soccer international. We’re trying to qualify for the World Cup, which we’ve only done twice in the past.

I remember being outraged yesterday at the re-discovery (I’d forgotten – my bad) that the US doesn’t have any mandatory sick leave legislation. Of course, those most likely to miss out are those already in low-level jobs who can afford to miss work the least. If Donald Trump really wants to do something to help the working poor, he should do something about this. I feel a proper post coming on!1

These are the minimum sick leave requirement in New Zealand (from business.govt.nz):

Once they’ve worked for you for six months, employees are entitled to at least five days paid sick leave each year. You must also:

Carry over unused sick leave into the next year. The maximum accumulation is 20 days — although you can provide more if you want to.
Let employees use sick leave to care for a spouse, partner, dependent child, elderly parent or other dependent.
Pay employees what they’d usually earn for the days they’re on sick leave.

Those requirement are actually quite low by OECD standards. However, some employers do better than the minimum. One of my sisters works for a company that has unlimited sick leave. People don’t abuse it – there are other rules that can be used when people do. In fact, most people, wherever they work, never use all their sick leave.

In addition, there’s a mandatory four weeks annual leave, bereavement leave, parental leave, and paid leave on public holidays.

People in the US worry about jobs products they buy being produced in sweat shops. Most of the OECD views US employment law as little better than those in countries with sweat shops. I vaguely remember from the past that US employers don’t even have to provide bathrooms for their employees. Is that still the case? Outrageous!

Anyway, on with the show, and I’ll go back to sleep. (Sorry if there are mistakes. I haven’t checked. Let me know and I’ll fix them tomorrow!)

 

Political Tweets

The BFFs are back together …

 

Again, what is wrong with some people in the US that there is a question over who will win?

 

Seriously? FFS!

 

WTF is there to think about? What do you need to digest? He forced himself sexually on a fourteen year old! End of!

 

Absolutely unbelievable! This sort of thing – making it the victim’s fault – is why most of this stuff doesn’t get reported. #MeToo
(Via Ann German.)

 

Gun Safety Tweets

Un-effing-believable. What is wrong with these people?

 

This was my response …

 

History Tweets

This tweet brings out the Sheldon Cooper in me!

 

Hilarious! She’s the first Dalek!!!!

 

Funny Tweets

Hilarious!

 

Scenic Tweets

This is so cool – an example of earthen clay architecture in Morocco.

 

Wow! There’s so much beauty in Japan away from the hustle and bustle.

 

Another gorgeous view of the Eiffel Tower.

 

Freshwater Tweets

I didn’t know about this! What a cool adaption (or whatever the proper name for it is)!

 

Insect Tweets

(This section includes all creepy-crawlies – I barely understand the difference between insects and spiders!)

I adore the eyelashes on this jumping spider! Wow!

 

Introducing the collembola.

 

Another in the “Go home evolution, you’re drunk” series …

 

WOW!!! A blue tarantula! It’s beautiful!

 

Other Animals Tweets

I want to join them!!!

 

I don’t get why some people don’t like bats!

 

Wow! Look what a great job the lovely people have done in helping Patch the Hedgehog!

 

I think it’s world domination!

 

This video shouldn’t be allowed! It displays white supremacy!!!

 

How to look after joeys …

 

Bird Tweets

I’ve never seen an eagle like this before!

 

Dog Tweets

This one is for my sister Brenda, a corgi love from way back …

 

Animals so often make everything easier to cope with.

 

Another in the “Dog Still Learning” series …

 

Cat Tweets

Ha ha!

 

What a lovely kitteh!

 

Well that’s not very cat-like! (Sarcasm alert!)

 

Awwwww! What a sweetie!

 

Look out for the interloper!

 

 

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19 Comments

  1. rickflick
    rickflick on 12th November 2017 at 10:22 pm

    Sick leave in the US is historically something that unions had to fight for. The thinking of employers has been that you shouldn’t give in to unions on any issue or the next thing you know they will want the moon. This, often vicious, adversarial relationship has been in place for many decades – I suspect it goes back to the time when Irish immigrants were brought in to do railroad construction, etc. The workers lives were considered like equipment and could be fired for no reason. There is a case of a dozen or so workers that were murdered after completing some construction and the bodies disposed of in shallow graves near the tracks. The employees struggle to get more labor for less money and that has carried over into the attitude in modern times. I believe the states have different levels of sick leave and other benefits, but the national law is very limited – “For companies subject to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Act does require unpaid sick leave. FMLA provides for up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for certain medical situations for either the employee or a member of the employee’s immediate family. Employees are eligible to take FMLA leave if they have worked for their employer for at least 12 months, and have worked for at least 1,250 hours over the previous 12 months, and work at a location where at least 50 employees are employed by the employer within 75 miles.”

    In New York where I live, “Starting January 1, 2018, nearly all private employees in New York State will be eligible for Paid Family Leave. Insurance coverage for Paid Family Leave benefits generally will be added to an employer’s existing disability benefits policy. Paid Family Leave coverage is funded by employee payroll contributions.”

    Reply
    • Heather Hastie
      Heather Hastie on 13th November 2017 at 5:37 am

      Man that’s awful! In certain situations they’re obliged to keep your job open if you’re sick and want to come back, but you don’t have to be paid! And only if they work for a big company. It’s outrageous!

      USians criticize the British system they got away from, but most of the nobility looked after their workers for life. They didn’t have to, so some didn’t, but they were looked down on by other members of the nobility.

      If people can’t work temporarily, we have a sickness benefit, and of course there’s a disability benefit if you can’t work permanently. If the reason you can’t work is due to some sort of accident you get a weekly benefit of 80% of your pre-accident earnings. In all cases there’s other help available too, depending on your situation, like home help, payment of doctor and prescription costs, including transport costs, rehabilitation treatment provided for free. If you’re off work for a long time, they’ll even help with things like redoing your CV, interview techniques etc.

      Several European countries provide a lot more than us. It makes economic sense as well as moral and ethical sense to provide an income etc for the poorest and sickest in society. We spend more of our tax take on that than on the military.

      The US could do it and still have an impressive military. Your military is good of course, but it’s not very efficient financially. I suspect it could easily save billions with virtually no change in readiness and effectiveness.

      Reply
  2. Linda Calhoun
    Linda Calhoun on 13th November 2017 at 2:10 am

    Fun fact about guns in daycare, etc. –

    Places where guns are prohibited under all circumstances include public sessions of Congress, public sessions of the US Supreme Court, and all NRA events.

    L

    Reply
  3. Lee Knuth
    Lee Knuth on 13th November 2017 at 3:05 am

    Hope you feel better soon. America has a lot to learn about taking care of its citizens: sick leave, family leave, maternity leave, child care, etc. We certainly are behind the rest of the developed world. Perhaps the emphasis on individuality has something to do with it.

    Reply
    • Heather Hastie
      Heather Hastie on 13th November 2017 at 5:55 am

      We have plenty of emphasis on individuality too. (This isn’t a dig at you of course.) I feel like the individuality thing is trotted out at times like this, and it’s really an excuse. Our society is actually much more free than the US, partly because people can express themselves as individuals without ending up on the street, or at least out of a job. In NZ, no one would lose their job for flipping the bird at the PM’s motorcade, for example. No one is trapped in a job because of worries about medical insurance. No one fails to go to the doctor at the early signs of illness because of worries about cost or losing their job or even a day’s pay.

      International freedom indices have NZ, Australia, Canada, and several European countries ahead of the US. So when Republicans go on about US individuality, it’s not true. It’s about keeping the poor down and the rich getting richer short term – because more and more inequality eventually leads to a collapse of society.

      Reply
  4. nwalsh
    nwalsh on 13th November 2017 at 10:18 am

    all of the above atrocities are the reason the U.S. in rated number 19 in quality of life.

    Reply
    • Heather Hastie
      Heather Hastie on 13th November 2017 at 2:06 pm

      They’re up to 7 for 2017, but still behind NZ of course!!! 🙂 (4) https://www.numbeo.com/quality-of-life/rankings_by_country.jsp?title=2017

      However, that particular index doesn’t take employment law into account. Also, what gets the US so high up the ladder is how cheap houses are compared to incomes. They’re outrageously expensive here, especially in the bigger cities and more desirable locations.

      Reply
      • nwalsh
        nwalsh on 14th November 2017 at 9:34 am

        Have not seen that index previously. The latest ones I find showed Canada second only to Finland. Cannot believe the 7th place for the U.S.America still has very much a fend for yourself mentality. Canada’s house prices have reached the stratosphere too, especially Vancouver and Toronto. FWIW both have implemented non residency taxes.

        Reply
  5. Miss Ironfist
    Miss Ironfist on 14th November 2017 at 3:08 am

    One would never know you were poorly from the quality of your prose. Wish you better soon ????

    Reply
      • Miss Ironfist
        Miss Ironfist on 14th November 2017 at 7:30 am

        I love your blog! I wish WordPress would keep me up to date! = )

        Reply
        • Heather Hastie
          Heather Hastie on 14th November 2017 at 7:32 am

          There’s a problem there. People haven’t been able to subscribe for a while either. I’ve got someone looking into it.

          Reply
  6. Miss Ironfist
    Miss Ironfist on 14th November 2017 at 3:11 am

    I forgot to say that I have worked for the NHS, and was appalled at the levels of sickness; in two months my direct Line Manager took off eight random days for colds…

    Reply
    • Heather Hastie
      Heather Hastie on 14th November 2017 at 7:31 am

      I worked for the NZ equivalent. Flu jabs were offered free to staff every year, and there was a huge focus on basic hygiene such as hand washing between patients etc. That wouldn’t help a cold of course, but did reduce sick leave a lot, and helped protect the patients.

      Reply
      • Miss Ironfist
        Miss Ironfist on 14th November 2017 at 7:36 am

        The NHS has five steps: water, soap, wash, rinse, dry: because humans know not how to wash. Sarcasm notwithstanding, some, doubtless, don’t!

        Reply
        • Heather Hastie
          Heather Hastie on 14th November 2017 at 8:43 am

          It actually never ceases to surprise me how many people don’t know how to wash their hands properly, or think it doesn’t matter much.

          Reply

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