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The recent thread about substitute teachers got me thinking about leave balances. I currently have just under 890 hours of leave saved up, which amounts to about 118 days. We earn .063 hours per hour worked which equals about 91 hours per year. At times, especially over the past couple of years, I think I should use some of it, but for various reasons I don't use many unless I'm sick. I don't hesitate to take a personal day or two, but being out of the classroom can be a hassle. Is there really any reason to accrue so much leave? We have a short term disability plan that kicks in after 20 consecutive workdays missed and long term disability 5 months after that. Unused leave can be redeemed for service credit at retirement.
Do you have different incentives which encourage you to save your leave? Do you save as much as you can, save only up to a certain amount, or do you burn through it?
Our incentive is that upon retirement (not resignation) we will get a check for up to 250 days at 30%. Also, pension credit will accrue for pension purposes.
I have 300 days.
I'm out several days a year for meetings (18 or so last year) and will take days if I'm really sick. I al;so use a couple personal days during goose season. You're right, though, taking off is a pain and just creates more work.
Our incentive is that upon retirement (not resignation) we will get a check for up to 250 days at 30%. Also, pension credit will accrue for pension purposes.
I have 300 days.
I'm out several days a year for meetings (18 or so last year) and will take days if I'm really sick. I al;so use a couple personal days during goose season. You're right, though, taking off is a pain and just creates more work.
Getting paid for the unused days would be nice, but we don't have that option. That would be a very nice incentive to have!
You don't have to use your own leave for meetings, do you?
No, I should have put in that those meeting days are professional leave. Still have to do plans, though. I missed one this week because we're on an every other day block and I'd been absent/called out on that class day 3 out of the last 5 days I had them in class.
No, I should have put in that those meeting days are professional leave. Still have to do plans, though. I missed one this week because we're on an every other day block and I'd been absent/called out on that class day 3 out of the last 5 days I had them in class.
They have been pulling us from class more and more too.
Our incentive is that upon retirement (not resignation) we will get a check for up to 250 days at 30%. Also, pension credit will accrue for pension purposes.
I just took a second and did the math. At 30% of my daily salary right now x 250 days, I would get a check for almost $29k?! Can that be right? If so, you have a sweet deal there! I wouldn't think twice about saving my leave.
I just took a second and did the math. At 30% of my daily salary right now x 250 days, I would get a check for almost $29k?! Can that be right? If so, you have a sweet deal there! I wouldn't think twice about saving my leave.
Yes, my mother-in-law retired from NY City schools in 1996 and back then she got a deal like that, but I don't know the exact amount.
Our sick days are capped at a certain amount when we retire but I know most of the older teachers try to carry 100+ days so that between leave time and sick days, that if they have a catastrophic illness and cannot work they do not lose their insurance.
For example, if you get sick in May, and you run out of leave and sick days before September you would lose your contract and thus your health insurance.
I always wanted to have at least 1/2 year of leave (90 days) in case of a catastrophic illness, so I could keep my pension, insurance and step on guide. When I left NJ after 10 years I left 90 days (took 21 sick days in 10 years). Always used my personal days because if we didn't we lost them.
In PA I started over, accruing the days again, just in case. Upon retirement, there is a formula for so much for the first 100 days, and then a little bit each more for chunks in excess of 100 days. The last
contract settled gave everyone $7500 upon full retirement in an IRA to be used for insurance or savings, thus to save your sick days became a joke.
I regret not taking more through the years~like many of the above posters, I felt it too much of a hassle to be out of the classroom and then return only to have to deal with what the sub left in the way of completing plans, discipline issues, and general comments about the behavior of students. I was grateful when my current district changed sick days to illness and family leave days, it allowed me to be upfront and honest with them when I had to travel or tend to a family member who lived a good distance (short flight) away from where I reside.
Our sick days are capped at a certain amount when we retire but I know most of the older teachers try to carry 100+ days so that between leave time and sick days, that if they have a catastrophic illness and cannot work they do not lose their insurance.
For example, if you get sick in May, and you run out of leave and sick days before September you would lose your contract and thus your health insurance.
We have the long term (after 20 days) and long term disability plans that kick in.
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