Canadian civil servants cashing in on sick days
Posted December 4, 2012 8:10 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Extra sick days are costing Canadians upwards of $3.5 billion a year, and new figures show civil servants are the ones cashing in the most.
According to a Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) report called ‘Calling in Sick,’ public sector employees take, on average 12.9 days a year, compared to those in the private sector with 8.2 days.
There are also differences in the size of private sector businesses; firms with fewer than 20 people take 6.7 days off while those with more than 500 use 9.1 days.
CFIB President Dan Kelly says civil servants have adopted a culture of entitlement in taking extra time off. “It drives Canadians crazy that those supported by their tax dollars… that they feel somehow more entitled to take more time off than they can themselves.”
“If you work in the public service and your family’s worked in the public service, you may not even be aware that you’re getting a better deal,” he adds. “In fact, your unions teach you that you’re being ripped off and that’s just not the case.”
Some civil servants are even allowed to bank their unused sick days. Kelly calls it a perverse idea and unfair to other Canadians.
“Sometimes people are retiring six months early or getting cheques for several thousands of dollars for their retirement, and I think that’s just converted straight into an entitlement for civil servants,” he explains.
The report suggests federal employees are the worst culprits, using on average 15.2 days a year.
“We think sick days should be used only when you’re sick,” says Kelly.
The CFIB says it doesn’t want to see benefits taken away but is calling for things to become more equal for those forced to kick into the system.
