Accumulating Sick Days
May 21, 2020
What Happens to Sick Day Accumulation Once I Reach the Maximum Bank of 250 Sick Days?
For FSA members who accumulate sick days, we often get asked this question. When it comes to the topic of sick leave accrual when one is at the 250 maximum banked, we must first look to the language in the Collective Agreement. Article 9.3.1 states:
“A full-time Employee shall accrue one and one-half (1.5) days of non-occupational sick leave per month for each month of continuous service, to a maximum of two hundred fifty (250) sick days…”
Once one reaches the 250 maximum, there is no more accrual of sick leave until the bank dips below 250 again. Accrual at 1.5 days per month only occurs when the bank is below 250; there is no accrual of sick days after a bank reaches 250. Therefore, it is not possible to earn anymore sick days once one reaches the 250 max.
The two examples in the table on this page may help illustrate this. For these two examples, let us assume that both “Jordan” and “Kelly” are carrying 250 sick days in their banks into the new year from December 31.
“Jordan” and “Kelly” are not actual FSA members. Any resemblances to members named Jordan and Kelly is completely unintentional.
In Jordan’s example, there are 18 sick days of accrual throughout the year as 18 sick days were used on the very first month of the year which brought Jordan’s bank down below 250, which allowed the 1.5 per month accumulation to begin over a 12 months.
In Kelly’s example, there were no sick days taken for the first 6 months of the year (which meant no accrual of sick days), and only when sick days were taken in July, which resulted in the bank dipping below 250, did the 1.5 per month accumulation begin.
Although both Jordan and Kelly took 18 sick days, they are not at the same balance at the end of the year because sick leave credits at 1.5 per month only starts accumulating once a bank is below 250.
Therefore, in Kelly’s case, Kelly was not entitled to 18 sick days even though they carried 250 into the new year because they did not earn any sick leave for the first 6 months of the year, as it is not possible to earn sick leave when one’s bank is maxed out at 250.
We hope this helps! Don’t hesitate to contact the FSA if you have questions about your specific circumstances.