Country Tires of Tired Workers Taking Sick Leave

Oddly Enough - Reuters ^ | Fri Sep 17, | Reuters

[kahoutek]

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Swedish welfare authorities plan to launch a campaign to educate Swedes about when they can take sick leave, after a study showed 40 percent believe it is enough to feel tired to stay home and draw benefits.

"Our mistake could be that, in some misdirected benevolence, we were not clear enough on where the limits are," the National Social Insurance Board's head Anna Hedborg wrote in a column for the Dagens Nyheter daily.

Sweden, famous for its generous welfare policies, has seen sick leave absenteeism double over the last two years to 800,000, or one fifth of the workforce, by late 2003.

The benefits cost 87 billion crowns ($11.63 billion) or 15 percent of spending. Combined with a drop in tax income caused by economic slowdown last year, it pushed central government finances into a deficit for the first time in five years.

A survey of 1,002 Swedes by the board also showed 65 percent believed they could go on sick leave if they felt stressed at work and 41 percent thought a conflict with their boss or workmates was a good enough reason.

One fifth thought a strike at the child care center also made them eligible for the benefits and 71 percent said family problems entitled them always or sometimes to sick leave. "People should really know sick leave is linked to sickness and. .. nothing else," Hedborg wrote.

[kahoutek]

Welfare without limits.......

It just don't work.

[eno_]

"Our mistake could be that, in some misdirected benevolence, we were not clear enough on where the limits are,"

My crew knows that if I ever opened a staff meeting with that line, they better do a mental health intervention.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

How about being sick of your job?

You know, on second thought, I've worked on a lot of projects where paying some peoples' bar tabs in Bimini would have been money well spent. There may be something to paying shirkers, screw ups and obstructionists to stay home.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

. "People should really know sick leave is linked to sickness and. .. nothing else," Hedborg wrote.

Now if only I could get this through the heads of those who have FMLA. 12 weeks or 60 days a calender year they can take off and the company cannot fire their lazy butts. Sure, some are sick but the majority are not.

Thank goodness we don't have to pay them or we would go broke in a hurry. As it is they are still a drain as we have to keep their benefits going regardless.

[joesnuffy]

I just call in scared.....

scared?

I'm afraid I wont be in today...

cymbal crash....

[Arguss]

It seems that women are most often called upon to "take care of things" when there is an emergency in the family, such as a sick child or be there for the cable man.

Should we begrudge them getting paid for taking that time off?

[Clintonfatigued]

As an American of Swedish ancestry, I'm embarrassed. If someone is that tired on a work day, they should use a paid vacation day, or take afternoon naps during the weekend.