If you called in "sick" or walked out because of a protest...
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
United States
February 21, 2011 1:42pm CST
at your current place of employment what would happen to you? Would walking off your job constitute as self termination? Or falsifying an illness?
This is what has happened here in WI. Our newly elected Gov. Mr. Walker is trying to balance the state budget... his idea to save 12,000 state employee jobs to keep people working and balance the budget includes State of WI employees as well as school teachers to pay a small portion of their pension & tward health care premiums, and eliminate the unions ability to stick their nose in such things other than wages. We all want the biggest slice out of the cake but if he's offering the cake but remove the frosting and it will keep everyone working why not the private sector has had to make those sacrefices.
As a result of this "drama" many teachers in particular walked out on their students or called in sick. Even had Dr's walking thru the protestors giving out "excuses" I don't know about you but that seems a bit unethical to me! As many Dr's or the health systems they work for say no insurance no treatement so I'm sure they are used to unethical. But since it's been posted publically on tv and on the internet I imagine these excuses will not be acceptable by their employers.
If you did this in your State or Country would your employer dismiss you? or applaud such behavior?
2 people like this
6 responses
@GardenGerty (169568)
• United States
21 Feb 11
I am not working right now. If their time off is considered paid time off, I would say they should be able to use it, as paid time off, not sick leave. If not, then oh, well. When I did work in the schools we did have both PTO and sick leave, and people would want to use their sick leave because it accrued monthly based on the hours they worked. PTO you only got three days of, the entire year.
I believe your governor is doing what he can to try to keep the most people employed and critical positions like teachers and policemen covered. We had a coach/teacher who was caught using his sick days to go watch his kids play sports. As a result of this and other infractions, he did lose his job. I feel sorry for the people in politics right now who are trying to clean up the mess of people believing they are a privileged class.
1 person likes this
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
5 Mar 11
Well said. It's not uncommon for employers to make changes to your employment, duties, compensation, and benefits. Do you think if my hubby protested the extra $10/week we pay in medical insurance he'd still have his job? Probably not.
@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
6 Mar 11
the employers in my area have a hair trigger-they'll fire you on a dime,so i have no doubt i would be.they've been having a problem with teachers here too,the capital city just pink slipped ALL of them.and of course they're suing.
they make as much if not more here as fire fighters and cops,and every year they want more.and yet we have some of the worst test scores.and they usually wait til right before school opens to start this crap,so they're over a barrel on it.
@dragon54u (31633)
• United States
21 Feb 11
If I did that when I was working I'd be fired immediately. No warnings or anything, just booted out the door. That's what I think your governor should do to those teachers. All those kids missed class, they'll have to make it up in the summer and that will also cost the state money.
Reagan fired the air traffic controllers, why shouldn't Mr. Walker fire the teachers that have walked off their jobs?
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
5 Mar 11
Exactly! If we walk off a job or do a no show it's considered your termination. And why should the tax payers get punished to pay for them to teach a few extra days when they should of been in class in the first place.
I don't recall when Reagan did that as I was a small kid when he was in office. 
@hardworkinggurl (37062)
• United States
21 Feb 11
From what I udnerstood with the teachers is that their salary is cut by 50% to save and try and balance the budget, oh I don't know that any teacher deserves that especially in Wisconsin where they are so underpaid.
But if they walked out of their job, I believe they should not have done that as it is considered to be under subordinate. So I suppose if that being the case any job would have the right to dismiss as it is considered abandonment of their job duties.
I do hope they can resolve this as I so love Madison Wisconsin and I personally know a great many teachers.
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
5 Mar 11
No they are not loosing 50% of their salary. They were to contribute something like 12% to their health care costs and abt 6% of their pensions they will have to contribute tward just as you contribute to a 401K. The teachers are not underpaid at all do you consider the average wage of $50k underpaid? People who do not have to contribute to their health insurance under paid? Nor people who have a pension they have to contribute nothing to out of their pay checks underpaid?
Yes I do think they have abandoned their duties when they pulled this. They may be standing up for their union and showing how democracy works but they are showing in the same right their paychecks mean more than the students they teach.
I don't know that anything much has be resolved as we are still missing politicians in Illinois who have gone into hiding to avoid the vote on this.
@asyria51 (2861)
• United States
21 Feb 11
Those teachers are on a contract, and what your governor is proposing goes against their contracts. They have the right to strike. The government is breaking the contract not the teachers. I applaud them for sticking up for their rights. The union is there to protect the teacher and their rights, which are being infringed upon.
I am not a current union employee, but if my fellow union member was striking than I too would walk out.
