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I wonder why Amazon did this.. Is it because people were taking too many sick days in Germany ? If so, then it means the company thinks that people were takin

I wonder why Amazon did this.. Is it because people were taking too many sick days in Germany ? If so, then it means the company thinks that people were taking sick days when they shouldn't have, so they're indirectly calling their own employees liars and making them all pay for that. Is it a way to save money ? I didn't know things were so tight at Amazon ... In fact, next time I try to order, I'll remember to remember that the lower product prices are funded by people's sick pay... Either way, very shitty move, Amazon.

Mz 9y ago
This is one of those moves that can probably be attributed to stupidity rather than malice.
- user5994461 9y ago
  Nope. It is definitely attributed to malice for money savings. Some European countries have very stringent laws to cover employees sick leave, potentially for very long time. That can cost sizeable money to companies and that goes against what American companies are used to.
  - Mz 9y ago
    I worked at Aflac for a time. At the time, it was supposedly the largest company in Columbus, GA and had around 5000 employees. I was recently looking for data on them and they appear to have shrunk substantially. While I was there, they cut back on janitorial service to save money. It basically has a similar impact to this policy: Exposing employees to more germs and health risks. I can't prove cause and effect (between this bad policy and their decline), but it looks to me like there is one (though I am not suggesting this is the sole cause of their decline). Even if there is genuine malice, this is just stupid. Making sure people come to work sick and spread the germs does not lead to excellence. Quite the contrary.
deleted 9y ago
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abruzzi 9y ago
While I'm not a fan of this approach, sick leave abuse is a common issue. While I've never seen actual studies to back that up, anecdotally I've seen it a lot. My employer had to institute a policy that if you take sick leave on the work day immediately before or after a holiday, you need to bring a doctors note to receive the holiday pay. They did this because it was common practice to call in sick on Friday when Monday was a holiday, turning a three day weekend into a four day weekend.
- rbobby 9y ago
  > sick leave abuse is a common issue Reminds me of a legal case in Ontario. Guy was fired for calling in sick in advance. He said he would be attending a wedding, or maybe a bachelor party, and would "be too hungover to come in" the following day. The court sided with the guy that got fired. Recovering from a hangover, even a scheduled one, must be treated as a sick day... and you can't fire someone for taking a sick day.

Mz 9y ago

This is one of those moves that can probably be attributed to stupidity rather than malice.

user5994461 9y ago
Nope. It is definitely attributed to malice for money savings. Some European countries have very stringent laws to cover employees sick leave, potentially for very long time. That can cost sizeable money to companies and that goes against what American companies are used to.
- Mz 9y ago
  I worked at Aflac for a time. At the time, it was supposedly the largest company in Columbus, GA and had around 5000 employees. I was recently looking for data on them and they appear to have shrunk substantially. While I was there, they cut back on janitorial service to save money. It basically has a similar impact to this policy: Exposing employees to more germs and health risks. I can't prove cause and effect (between this bad policy and their decline), but it looks to me like there is one (though I am not suggesting this is the sole cause of their decline). Even if there is genuine malice, this is just stupid. Making sure people come to work sick and spread the germs does not lead to excellence. Quite the contrary.

deleted 9y ago

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abruzzi 9y ago

While I'm not a fan of this approach, sick leave abuse is a common issue. While I've never seen actual studies to back that up, anecdotally I've seen it a lot. My employer had to institute a policy that if you take sick leave on the work day immediately before or after a holiday, you need to bring a doctors note to receive the holiday pay. They did this because it was common practice to call in sick on Friday when Monday was a holiday, turning a three day weekend into a four day weekend.

rbobby 9y ago
> sick leave abuse is a common issue Reminds me of a legal case in Ontario. Guy was fired for calling in sick in advance. He said he would be attending a wedding, or maybe a bachelor party, and would "be too hungover to come in" the following day. The court sided with the guy that got fired. Recovering from a hangover, even a scheduled one, must be treated as a sick day... and you can't fire someone for taking a sick day.