[cranky908canuck]

So the response from the host of the column is "don't do that, that's abusing the benefit".

I get that.

I do think there are a lot of other issues though... in some environments, for some people, sick days are another form of PTO. So "'Joe is sick today' ... 'ok, yeah he got allocated a day, we expected that'".

On the other hand, if you don't take them, and retire/get laid off/ etc ... "thank you for your service".

Some organizations do treat unused sick time as a retirement allowance (eg., 0.60 credit). That's an incentive to bank them but maybe not if you run the numbers...?

This seems like a 'hard problem'... I'm interested in stirring up a discussion!

[PaulHoule]

At a lot of places (like where I am now) there is a limit for how many vacation/sick days you can accrue and you get paid cash for them if you leave without using them so it is not quite "use it or lose it"... Though my sick days can also be used as "personal time" and I don't think there is a real difference with vacation days.