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Managers don’t monitor and track the use of sick leave as they should, a weakness that, when combined with a generous sick-leave benefit, has invited abuse. Whatever is unused can’t be cashed out when employees leave, which critics say tempts some to take more time off as they approach retirement.

The plan was designed when the nature of injury and illness taking employees off the job was very different. Cancer patients rarely returned to work and mental illnesses, such as depression and anxiety, weren’t even talked about.

Q. What else?

A. Employees also don’t have equal access to benefits. Those who don’t have enough sick leave banked to bridge the 13-week waiting period don’t get paid and have to rely on employment insurance. The government estimates that half of all employees don’t have enough banked sick leave to cover the waiting period. Older workers typically have more sick leave banked than do younger employees, who are most vulnerable to lost income if they fall ill.

As well, the requirement that all banked sick leave be exhausted before going on disability delays getting the support, treatment and case management necessary to help get employers back to work. Studies show the longer employees are off work, the less likely they are to return.

Q. What’s the consequence?

A. Absenteeism has been rising and public servants take an average of 11.5 days of paid sick leave a year.

Q. What’s the government’s proposed “Wellness” strategy?

A. Accumulated sick leave would be replaced by a short-term disability plan with more focus on prevention, case management and rehabilitation so the sick and injured get earlier care and are back to work faster. The new plan would be a combination of sick leave, short-term, and long-term disability.