Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-28
Should Sick Leaves He Abolished:
To the Editor of The Evening Star.

Should Sick Leaves he Abolished.
To the Editor of The Evening Star:
A bill has passed the House. and now
awaits action in the Senate which practi-
cally abolishes sick leaves to employees of
the government. This, like every other
question. has, however, two sides to it.
There are certainly some reasons why sick
leaves should be abolished. and there are
also some stronger reasons why they
should not be abolished. In support of the
view that sick leaves should be abolished
1t may be argued, first, that if a govern
ment employe is allowed to be absent for
thirty days during the year. with pay,
which 1t is still proposed to allow him in
the shape of Ills annual leave that should
be sufficient for him, as that is probably
more consideration than the average en-
ploye throughout the country receives.
Second, there are doubtless some employees
who use the thirty days sick leave. or
some portion of 1t, for drunkenness or
feigned sickness, and when this evil exists
the only way to correct it is to deny the
privilege to all. 1t certainly would not be
expedient to pass a law giving only the
virtuous the sick leave. Third, the gov
eminent already gives its employees more
salary for the same work than private
institutions would do, and this should be
enough TO satisfy them without opening the
door to privilege which can be SO easily
abused. These are probably the arguments
upon which tie abolition of sick leaves is
based.
On the other hand, in support of the view
that sick leaves should not be abolished, 1t
may be argued: First, that 1t is only law
of common humanity that, when a man
breaks down in the faithful service of an
employer, he shall receive some extra con-
sideration and kindness while so Frustrated.
What If there are few undeserving ones
that get the benefit of a sick leave? That
Il ia az a
best. According to the civil service report,
Japan allows ninety days sick leave on full
pay and Indefinitely after that on half pay.
Austria allows one calendar year for sick
leave. Bavaria allows indefinite sick leave
with pay. SaXony allows full pay for a
year, and seven-tenths of his pay for the
second year: Prussia makes 10 reduction
of pay for sick leave until after two years.
Switzerland allows full pay except in cases
of prolonged sickness, where a substitute
must be furnished. England allows six
months sick leave with pay; after that the
employe may be granted sick leave for ad
dftional six months at half pay. China
allows one p'cnth sick leave, besides two
months annual leave with pay. Canada al
lows six months sick leave with pay. In
New Zealand there is no limit as to sick
leave. In Victoria sick leave is allowed
rot exceeding six months. The civil serv-
ice report does not state the practice in the
other countries, but it is fair to presume
that there is rot a government on the globe
that allows its employees no time at all for
sick leaves.
Second: In regard to the salaries being
higher than they would be for the same
work under private employer. They may
be for the lower grades of work. but for
the higher grades the salaries are not as
good as the same work and responsibility
would entitle one to under a private en-
ployer. But, even If the salaries are bet
ter, that is no reason why an employe
should not have some consideration shown
him when he is sick. For years past 1t has
been the constant tendency to curtail the
privileges of the clerk, from the time I'M
der the spoils system. when every member
of Congress had constituent in Office and
wanted to see him comfortable and happy
in his employment and was willing that he
should have every privilege that he could
secure for him. until now, under the civil
service retreEchment system. when no
member of Congress has any special inter-
est in any government employe. he seems
inclined to squeeze him down to the last
point that he can with safety go for the
government Where the clerk used to work
but six hours a day, he now works seven.
Where he used to have an indefinite SICK
leave with pay, it is now down to thirty
DAYS, and that probably to be taken away
under the pending legislative bill. and In
addition he is not under the law really
entitled TO any time to eat his lunch. Inc
departments allow half hour, but they
only do it because of the impossibility of
CARRYING out a law that requires man TO
work from morning till night without any
thing 10 eat. Indeed if the present plan OF
cutting into the clerks continues, IL Is hard
to tell where it will end, unless it should be
with a strike of the employees. the same as
private institutions suffer under the con-
slant pairing down of the privileges anu
nav of their employees on the part of those
ent day civil service clerk. Who can tell
where the thing will end? Az
January g. 1898.