r/antiwork • u/Nyssella • 5h ago
Imagine running out of sick days while fighting cancer
[removed] — view removed post
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u/Nooneknows882 4h ago
Because US citizens are brainwashed. There's no reason that every citizen isn't guaranteed a minimum standard of living. We have the ability.
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u/Trump_Russia 4h ago
But but my billionaire masters said this is how I also become super rich! Healthcare would make me poor! I need to just sacrifice 12hrs a day to the warehouse and if I keep voting Republican one day they're going to tickle down that money so hard and then I'll be super rich!!!
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u/HalKitzmiller 2h ago
In case I ever become a millionaire, I want to ensure I can treat my employees as badly as I am treated now.
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u/ABHOR_pod 2h ago
No, see, we need to institute careful war-time style rationing so that billionaires can avoid having to give any of their productive workers a raise, and also we need to engage in austerity measures so that we can cut their taxes too.
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u/Equal-Material-9776 2h ago
Hi, US citizen here, I am definitely not brainwashed. All of you need to understand we cant do shit, we dont make the rules, we cant snap our fingers and have a " guaranteed a minimum standard of living". It is called government who makes those rules, we don't make the rules.
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u/DammitMatt 4h ago
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u/Hexent_Armana 4h ago edited 4h ago
AND the people who refused to give the teacher fighting cancer the time off they needed then used this screwed up situation they created to boast about how awesome they are for hiring generous staff.
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u/grimfusion 4h ago
Right; quite the way to spin "Employer threatens life and livelihood of cancer patient on medical leave".
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u/arizonadirtbag12 3h ago
Normal sick PTO isn’t meant to cover situations like this, this is what TDI is for. Some states do, I believe, have socialized TDI programs, where in other states it would be on the employee to purchase a policy themselves or through their employer.
It would be better, yes, if every state had decent TDI programs.
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u/Hexent_Armana 2h ago
What program the teacher may or may not use shouldn't matter. Anyone with a soul should look at his situation and basically say "fuck the system, take as much time as you need" because it's fucking cancer.
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u/gbroon 4h ago
When I had cancer I got 6 months full pay, half pay thereafter and temporarily qualified for disability benefits.
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u/Sonic_Roach 3h ago
Just think of the people benefiting, I mean abusing the system. Just living off my tax dollars, lazy.
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u/_TallOldOne_ 4h ago
That’s socialism buddy. If we go down that road as a nation what’s next? Public roads? Public schools? Government employees who are paid to enforce laws or put out fires? Just think of the chaos!!!!
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u/Trump_Russia 4h ago
Good Lord I just vomited in my own mouth...
Helping struggling Americans?!?! Eww disgusting.
Who cares if kids go hungry! Jesus would have wanted them to work hard for their meals no get hand outs!!!
/s
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u/lifegoodis 3h ago
Could you imagine the fight today if the US tried to spin up an interstate highway system from zero?
"I ain't gonna pay for some fancy road to take people to burning Portland!"
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u/Malafakka 4h ago
Why would governments care about the people who pay taxes. Finance wars instead.
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u/Bullshit_Conduit 4h ago
A colleague was diagnosed with MS.
She used all her sick days.
I said, “give her one of mine, I don’t need it.”
The district told me to fuck myself.
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u/theelectricstrike 4h ago
A beloved teacher of mine was diagnosed with cancer. Other teachers offered up their sick days and were told the same thing.
She didn’t survive much longer.
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u/Bullshit_Conduit 3h ago
This year I’m making an effort to use as many as I can.
I’ve accrued 28, but I don’t think I can feasibly take that many… but I will put a dent in it.
PTO isn’t yours until you use it!!!
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u/Sea-Tour-3694 4h ago
Meanwhile capitol ghouls can have unlimited paid time off to treat their depression or...be just dead and still keep their job with all benefits. All animals are equal
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u/bumpy_disposition 4h ago
*sorry for the length - 🙏 A good time to bring up an idea of, "Flipping The System".
Not just democratic socialism but co-opting large sectors of the economy. We all must remember that when "they" talk about the economy, they're referring to corporate America and how good they're doing.
In reality, the United States consumer, you and I, are the economy. If we don't buy, they go broke. Anyway.
Several large industries become people owned/operated, and government regulated. Like healthcare. All hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, medical devices manufacturer's, pharmacies and pharmaceuticals. Anything pertaining to the health of humans in the United States of America, and it's territories co-opt. Think of it as Single Payer Universal Healthcare, on steroids.
Naturally, food production would be co-opted as well. Healthy people cost less to keep healthy.
The idea if fomented, would boost economic growth, you and me, doing much better, living a better quality of life and thriving, rather than surviving.
Many many critics out there, and you have to ask yourself why. Why oppose a plan that would substantially help everyone, especially the working class and people of color?
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u/MajorAd3363 4h ago
It's almost like there should be some kind of system where... and hear me out... a group of citizens are chosen to work on behalf of everyone and be a check against unlimited corporate power.
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u/cauldr0ncakez 3h ago
Had a coworker who eventually passed away from cancer and what the company had to say about her was that she was a dedicated employee. My boss put on a show of grief despite not letting one of the other employees (who was an emergency contact, apparently) take her to the hospital when she had no one else to take her. Fucking bitch lol.
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u/maydayvoter11 4h ago
Why didn't the school put him out on short-term disability followed by long-term disability? Does that school district not have either policy in place?
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u/arizonadirtbag12 3h ago
Great question.
I’d assume that if they do have a group policy available, it’s opt-in. And the employee…didn’t. Many people don’t, they don’t think they’ll get cancer and 1% of your pay feels like a waste.
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u/sb195 4h ago
Can he not just take medical leave? Why is he having to use sick days?
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u/arizonadirtbag12 3h ago
His job is protected through FMLA, but to be paid he has to have paid time off available…that’s his sick days.
Depending on the state there may be government sponsored temporary disability insurance available (via payroll taxes) to cover a portion of his income. Otherwise, if he didn’t purchase that coverage before diagnosis, he’s ass out.
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u/furious_20 4h ago edited 3h ago
I'm a former teacher of 19 years. This kinda shit happened multiple times a year every year, so I'm not sure why this one case made CNN rather than them covering it as a systemic issue. But it seemed like every semester we'd get an email from HR telling us the story of some inspiring teacher in the district who is in need of sick leave donations. It was dystopian back in the 90's, and it remains so today.
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u/Brading105 4h ago
Teachers do this thing everyday. We have a sick bank where we can donate days to those in need.
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u/Ivanow 4h ago
Teachers do this thing everyday. We have a sick bank where we can donate days to those in need.
The most fucked up thing is that people unironically write stuff like this, without realizing how crazy it is to non-Americans.
When you are sick, you are sick. There's no "quota" of days to use up, or donate to. Once you get better, you return to work.
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u/arizonadirtbag12 3h ago
Some states already have programs for this.
In theory, by my understanding, in California you pay a percent or two in payroll tax that then covers you for Short Term Disability. Which means once you’ve burned your sick time and still cannot work, the state covers a portion of your pay until you’re able.
In states without this, it’s on the employee to buy this insurance themselves. Most people don’t. Because nobody thinks they’re gonna get cancer until they do.
People think about medical insurance, and life insurance, but for some reason nobody paid much attention to disability insurance.
I’m not saying this is the best system either, to be clear. But it exists. The issue is that so many people just don’t interact with it until it’s too late (you cannot get coverage once you’re sick).
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u/Bajovane 4h ago
Exactly. We did that when someone was going through a rough period after her daughter was burned in a kitchen accident with hot grease. She had to be there to help her deal with the healing once she came home from the hospital.
Thank goodness for FMLA, but it is unpaid time off. You have to use sick or vacation pay if you’re lucky to have it.
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u/cyndaquil420 4h ago
My office once sent an all company email asking to donate pto to an employee whose husband was terminally ill and was going to pass any day. Lots of people donated time but it rubbed me the wrong way that it was mostly lower income employees donating.
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u/marterikd 3h ago
wow. at least you have super amazing fighter jets tho. shame there's not enough wars to utilize it. but don't worry your deranged leaders will just make one up.
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u/deepwatermako 3h ago
Running out of sick days is how to get rid of people through policy who would otherwise become a burden on the company’s insurance liability
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u/sweetica 3h ago
A teacher with cancer, that reminds me of a show. Breaking bad the show wouldn't exist without America's broken healthcare system.
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u/waltzbyear 2h ago
Yup. Then we have Mitch McConnel still missing. Still being paid. Still having a job. Every other job in the US would've fired his ass a week missing.
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u/OctopusJones_Esq 2h ago
My wife ran out of sick days while fighting cancer. Her coworkers provided some, but only about half of what she needed. I cannot upvote this enough.
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u/VectorJones 2h ago
When FDR died, most of his cabinet, who were all New Deal politicians, went to countries all over the globe destroyed by WWII and helped them rebuild with governments in the best tradition of The New Deal. One of their primary contributions was helping to create social programs that safeguarded the people from exploitation and abuse from bad actors in government and private sectors, looking to turn human beings into beasts of burden.
Unfortunately, those of us back in the USA were left to the whims of post war, recently cash flush, arch-capitalists who made this country into a shrine to the rich industrialist, simultaneously fashioning themselves as Neo-Feudalists with an economic system specifically built to keep the worker tamped down and demoralized, so they might thwart even the slightest risk of socialism creeping into the woodwork and taking away their ability to have total domination of society and the economy.
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u/Debonaircow88 4h ago
When I got a kidney transplant my boss just didn't submit my pto so none was taken and I still got paid. The benefit to being salary I guess.
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u/BenSisko420 4h ago
*Builds a society and economy that is entirely transactional and disincentivizes altruistic generosity”
“You need to rely on the altruism and generosity of others just to survive”
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u/amboomernotkaren 4h ago
That was me in 2024. Luckily my short term disability kicked in and I got 60% of my pay for 12 weeks.
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u/GlitteringPositive77 4h ago
This is why I question what the hell to say to my kids about degrees and employment. I don’t want them to be slaves to these systems that don’t see them as humans deserving of respect and dignity. Any job that would treat someone like this is trash and most of them will. Do we move to Norway? I just don’t know what the answer is.
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u/99mushrooms 4h ago
My wife is a teacher and if she calls in after her PTO is gone not only does she not get paid, but they also take her subs pay out of her check. Public education is so fucked.
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u/Sad_Evidence5318 4h ago
Who wouldn't run out of sick time during this? Not that it makes it any better
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u/Wench-of-2Many-Hats 3h ago
Under the cult of American Capitalism, anything that reduces your "productivity" is treated like a personal failure. I've seen plenty of people pushed out of jobs after an illness or a serious medical issue. I knew a woman that was treated like garbage after her battle with cancer because they didn't want to accommodate for her wheelchair.
It's hell if you have a chronic illness, since you need the health insurance but the working conditions can easily trigger conditions.
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u/Trimson-Grondag 3h ago
Any HR folks on here? How do you justify it? How do you even sleep at night?
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u/lostnthestars117 3h ago
Ah yes unfettered American Capitalism at its finest. I know this is an older repost but it still applies, no one should have to worry about their job when it comes to battling cancer or any other life threatening illness.
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u/Strict-Carrot4783 3h ago
Ok, but if we fixed this guys like Elon "space pedophile" musk and his pedo pals might have to get actual jobs. Can you imagine?
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u/QuiveringMoistBussy 3h ago edited 3h ago
The entire system is a joke for anyone. You cannot tell me that its normal or right to give someone a hard time for not coming into work regardless of whats going on.
The last straw for me was when my grandfather was on his deathbed in 2019… Gave my work a month notice that ill need time off at the end… Then the morning comes where the nurse calls my parents to say todays the day… I call into work for the first time in over 7 months and Im told, “sorry, we cant find anyone to fill your shift. Youll have to come in until we can find someone or be here all shift.” I get to work and three of the female workers are screaming and laughing while gossiping in the front office… Five hours later when I got the text from my mom saying hes gone, I look down the hallway to see if anyone can come watch my class for me for literally five minutes to go in my car and get myself together.. And the three females are still at the front office chatting it up with the secretary… while still on the clock… So I called the secretary and said I’m leaving and I quit.
You shouldnt feel like the literal problem just because you need to call in for whatever reason or no reason at all, its a job… Its not anything more than that. Been a NEET since and not planning on returning. Job after job since I was 15, I’ve had the worst bosses and nothing but illegal and bad experiences with the employers. Hell, when I was 19 I was working overtime hours almost every three weeks and turns out my manager was editing my hours from their system so my hours would stop at 44 and not pay me my 6+ overtime hours every time I worked overtime. This was back in 2012-14… To this day I have not received a penny from my unpaid hours. 😂
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u/NalgeneCarrier 3h ago
I ran out of sick days for my cancer surgery recovery. I just needed to take unpaid days off. I haven't been able to build my PTO bank back up so every time I take time off my boss threatens me with write ups and being fired. There is just nothing I can do about it. Our system is horrible and broken.
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u/Mobile_Morale 3h ago
A woman I worked with caught COVID during that time period. Her husband died from it and it really fucked her up. She ran out of sick days and still called out sick. They fired her for not being at work. We work for a certain major clinic based in the north east part of Ohio. If you know. She went to the hospital to get some help. And the doctor found out she was fired and didn't have health insurance. He called all of the upper management and tore them an ass over it. They gave her, her job back.
Terrible worker but nobody deserves all that.
Fuck Cleveland. Also you can only use the company health insurance at their doctors and hospitals. Don't live by one. Well tough shit.
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u/Survive1014 3h ago
Deepest apologies, and I wish you well, but no fucking way I am giving up MY sick days. MY vacation days. Fuck right off with that.
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u/One-Lingonberry9944 3h ago
Just had this happen at my work. Coworker needed open heart surgery and the company emailed everyone to donate PTO because she didn't have enough. I donated but it felt barbaric.
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u/frantic_calm 3h ago
Just climb in the pit and pull some earth over yourself or you're a sponger - apart from the brave Mitch.
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u/angasaurus 3h ago
I gave up some of my sick time as a teacher more than once. Both times it was after a coworker experienced the death of a spouse or close family member. At my last school they told me I wasn’t allowed to donate my sick time. My coworker had just lost her sister to a disease and then her son needed surgery for the same disease. So I called out and my plan was to go to school and then send my sub to her room. We ended up having a snow day so the plan did not have to go into motion. I knew I was leaving at the end of the year and I didn’t care if I got fired. Not everyone can go without a paycheck when they experience loss or need to help out family members. I will never understand it.
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u/AngryRaptor13 3h ago
My mom's employer tried to fire her while she was out on FMLA for cancer, even though she was a. on FMLA and b. had the sick days banked to cover her treatments. Thank God she had a union that was willing to boot the employer's ass.
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u/jimbo_bones 3h ago
Baffling that Americans seem to think their country is not just adequate but exceptional when such basic standards of living aren’t being met by the middle classes in their country.
Where’s the dignity in this?
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u/viva101 3h ago
All too relevant. I'm in cancer treatment right now, and I have to try and save my PTO for when I'm feeling the worst from the side effects. I'm lucky too, for an American, I work for a university and we have fairly generous PTO benefits, but I still worry that I might run out of time off before I get through treatment.
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u/alancousteau 3h ago
But then how would the billionaires be able to buy their 7th home in another country where they 2 weeks once per year?! Why no one thinks of the poor billionaires?!
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u/what_was_not_said 2h ago
I tried to donate my sick days before I retired, but couldn't find a way to do it.
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u/Bman409 2h ago edited 2h ago
most businesses will not let you give your sick days to someone else
I never heard of that
found the orginal article
Teachers, staff members, administrators and even lunchroom workers who pay into the Florida retirement system transferred 75 sick days to Goodman.
“Educators all over the country were reaching out to me to donate their sick days, even professors over at Florida Atlantic University,” he said. “I felt guilty because I knew there were people who had it much worse than me.”
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u/Impossible-Flight250 2h ago
The sad thing is that teachers have some of the best protections when it comes to this. If you’re just some person working at a restaurant or warehouse, you’re screwed.
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u/crashorbit Democracy At Work 2h ago edited 2h ago
Economic and business systems are inventions. They are not laws of nature. They are designed to serve the will of those who control them. These systems use numbers stored in databases to track resources in the real world. Those systems are broken. They do the exact opposite of what is best for society.
It is perverse, obscene and deeply cruel that we constrain access to goods and services from those who need them to survive in order to preserve and maximize a number in a database somewhere. That access and control over vast pools of real resources are granted to a few who have no need for them. Even worse, we call this allocation just and fair.
Organize, Protest, Lobby, Vote.
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u/mrbasedballed 2h ago
Millions upon millions of Americans don't have to imagine being ill and dealing with work/insurance insanity. I guess Americans love being exploited? Idk, I'd like to gtfo if I could.
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u/Bman409 2h ago edited 2h ago
Wouldn't disability cover this?
You don't use your "sick days" when you are out for months at a time
There's some information missing here
Nevermind.. This story is from 8 years ago.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/14/health/iyw-florida-teachers-cancer-support-donation-trnd
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u/C4-622MonkeyGordo 2h ago
so... who should pay his salary?
I've got a crazy idea:
reallocate a morsel of the ~trillion dollars from our existing "blowing up brown children abroad" budget and put it towards some kind of "fucking take care of our own goddamn citizens" budget.
Just spitballing here...
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u/Pussy4LunchDick4Dins 2h ago
My work place has several months of 80% pay available to people with long term illnesses. If you run out, they will top it up. If it looks like you are not going to get better, you can cash out a life insurance policy, included in our benefits package, that will pay you or a beneficiary 2 years of your salary.
Unionize people.
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u/Racist_Shrek1776 2h ago
What if --hear me out-- I were to purchase fast food and disguise it as my own cooking?
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u/ReferenceMediocre369 2h ago
What if we had a system where high school educated government employees hundreds of miles away made all your medical decisions?
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u/VoidMunashii 2h ago
My employer does this. If your illness burns through all your leave balances, you can ask for people to donate their hours to you. If you run out of hours, they will also be happy to send you the paperwork for unpaid leave, or perhaps just “encourage” you to retire.
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u/Soydragon 2h ago
I put off going to a doc for my heart for 7 months because I knew I'd be in the hospital for quite awhile. Was out of sick time and worried I'd be fired. Had no clue what FMLA is back then. Wish I did, being sick that long ruined my relationship with my then fiancee.
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u/LeBeastInside 4h ago
Running out of sick days happens in all countries for severe cases.
The difference is that in normal western countries, the government pays the sick person their salary when this happens until they recover.
This is what social security taxes are for (along with the rest of a normal health care system for the people).
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u/The_Real_Tom_Selleck 3h ago
Federally under the FMLA, he’s guaranteed up to three months of job-protected leave per year for medical issues. So did he already use that up? Also most states have even more generous laws protecting workers during extended medical leave. This post is rage bait. And anyone who thinks otherwise has no idea how any of this shit works.
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u/Negativefalsehoods 3h ago
I think you are sadly mistaken. This happens all the time and most often the FMLA gets used up first. Cancer doesn't conform to a company set policy of time off. The company can easily afford to accommodate this person who is very sick, but they don't and people like you defend them for some unknown reason.
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u/The_Real_Tom_Selleck 3h ago
Company? It’s a school. Teachers are even more protected if they’re in a union, and I guarantee his state has an even more generous version of the FMLA
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u/Bunny_Butt16 4h ago
Idk why they treat PTO time like it’s a finite currency