Owen778

For professionals, at least, it's not always as bad as it sounds. If I were to go on long-term sick leave, I would first use up my allocated sick days. Once I'd done that, I would be on "short-term disability". My company pays this for 6 months, with a certain period at 100% salary and the rest at 60%. If you have less than 1 year service, you get 2 weeks at 100%, and if you have more than 10 years service, you get all 6 months at 100%. After that, long-term disability is 2/3 base salary, up to a maximum of $15k/month.

Hotscot

A reform? Of what?

There's no laws dictating time off in America.

Ricky_85

A reform like when they forced people to buy health insurance otherwise be fined...

Hotscot

Unlikely to happen here regarding time off.

retzie

Posting on BE

This thread leads me to the conclusion that this is all hypothetical.

Michael

Short and long term disability benefits can also be tax free. In the last company I worked for, each employee had a tax free flexible spending account provided by the employer and at the end of the year, the employee would get a list of benefits that can be purchased including health insurance, life insurance, short and long term disability, and other benefits. Short term disability was mandatory but benefits could be taxable income or non taxable income and basic health insurance was also mandatory. If the employee didn't spend all the money, the employer would pay the remaining amount to the employee monthly but then it was taxable income.

RICH

Same here. It is essentially unpaid days off. Why prepay, unless you have specific plans.

In most circumstances if you "need" to take time off above your allowance, you are going to do it regardless of the employer's point of view.

Ricky_85

That's refreshing;-) But you just can't force the employer, I suppose, to accept it