Sick time is seperate from time off due to any work related injury. Work related injuries are covered under the workers comp system.Eric Conroy wrote:How many of those "sick calls" are long term injuries? Your figure of 850 hours/month equals about 35 days or just over one guy per day. Do any companies you know have a perfect attendance record? How about any companies where employees are exposed to hazardous conditions and infectious illness?
The questions here are: How did 13 EMS workers handle 5,000 calls per year prior to moving to the fire stations? Why is it that 144 fires and 78 firefighters cost the City $1.3 million in overtime? Why the nearly 400% increase in sick time by the fire department? Why did other City departments have no increase in sick time hours used?
Perhaps its time to consider the hiring of part time fire fighters. Those part timers would be required to live in the City. That part time force could be used to cover for sick or injured fire fighters and would be available for cover for those days when more than 33% of the force is absent. As the existing force retires they could be replaced (in part) by that part time force.