OCR Text |
Show Hilltop Times March 18. 2004 Commentary SICK LEAVE Action Line Ql Entitlement or benefit? want to complain about by Gus Burbank Deputy director. Comptroller Directorate A friend gave me the following caution as I was about to enter the U.S. Army as a young draftee: "When the time of need arises, the time for preparation ceases." This word-plaon natural laws for time management seemed pretty obvious to me. However, on a number of occasions since, I have violated my friend's advice only to be harshly reminded that one cannot make up for lost time nor gracefully recover when caught For civilian personnel the "time of need" could require the use of extensive sick leave. Ogden ALC's civilian workforce used more than 850,000 hours of sick leave during 2003. That equates s to more than 460 worth of work on our nation's defense that wasn't accomplished here last year. Many seasoned, healthy workers ended the leave year with little or no accrued sick leave bal ances. On average, y work-year- every civilian on base used two weeks of sick leave last year. The onset of a new year is a great opportunity for conserv- ing leave, building up a balance and preserving a great safety net not afforded many workers in the private sector business world. Sick leave seems to be viewed by the I) g weekend. Medical experts admonish us to make Personnel with little or no sick leave should assess their personal lifestyle. "use-or-los- end, overdoing it on vacation or calling in sick after an extra-lon- a tinctive ways. For some it is looked upon as an entitlement. Others view it as a benefit. How do you view and manage your sick leave? Manag- ing sick leave as an entitlement doesn't produce good results. little or no sick leave is accumulated by this mind set. On rare occasions, I wake up "sick and tired" and momentarily consider all my options for the day, including calling in sick. Almost always, getting up and going to work is the best decision. Managing sick leave in terms of a benefit produces entirely different results. The benefit and urgency for conserving sick leave is the same for everyone, independent of which retirement system they are in. Sick leave is not a entitlement for Federal Employees Retirement System employees and it isn't a "gold watch" for Civil Service Retirement System employees. Either retirement system depends on good attendance habits and enhanced well being for individuals, the organization, the center and the Air Force. Air Force Instructions and Office of Personnel Management guidelines define the "time of need" including medical appointments, medical operations, procedures and recuperation, accidents and sickness. Guidelines allow using sick leave under cer-- Hill A Viewpoint workforce in two dis- , tain circumstances when immediate family members require care and attention. The instructions and guidelines afford civilian employees this great benefit and provide leaders with tools for sick leave abuse prevention and mission accomplishment. All employees, managers and leaders need to be familiar with the instructions and help conserve sick leave at the center. During my career, I've observed a common theme, or work ethic, among colleagues who build and maintain their sick leave balance. Whether they seem to be, endowed with good health or plagued with poor health, they consciously limit their use of sick leave by, (a) shifting medical and dental appointments to their own time, (b) maintaining sensible diet and exercise habits, and (c) limiting "burning the candle at both ends." Personnel with little or no sick leave should assess their personal lifestyle. Look at their family history and their propensity for staying healthy or for getting sick. They should keep track of their sick leave usage to find a " ' ' " tern or correlation, such as always getting sick before or after a long week- life-lon- g, lifestyle changes. Their counsel includes quitting smoking, limiting use of alcohol, eating smaller portions, exercising more and even invoking oper-ationrisk man- al opportunity to make Hill AFB a better place to live, work and play. When you call Ext. on Outlook to or send "HILL ACTION LINE." your comments will be recorded and our horses got loose and ran into the road It would be hit. Also, people frequently walk and Jog on that stretch of road. The speeds of these drivers are extremely dangerous. Please accept their apologies. staffed through the agency responsible for action. Please give your supervisor and chain of command the oppor Col. Seb Romano ; tunity to work with you in 75th ABW Commander : solvanswering questions and ing problems before calling ACTION LINE. This w ill help me better serve your interests. Items of basewide interest to the Hill workforce will be published in the Hilltop Times. ing, one of the trucks almost Contracted personnel are monitored while workhit me. I reported this to a ing here but, unfortunately, they cannot be monisecurity forces officer who tored in all areas at all times. Contracted personnel told me that he often gets are briefed that they must follow all base regulaabout the dri- tions including posted speed limits. The contraccomplaints vers. I worry that 4f one of tor has been notified of his employees' behavior. AThank you for bring this situation to my attention. Providing a safe environment is my number one goal. The behavior of the contracted truck driver was inexcusable. Kudo A local resident recently called to thank and uniden-tifie- d senior airmen, who came to the aid of someone who had lodged their vehicle into a snow embankment, on Utah Route 193 near the South Gate. The resident explained that the airman stopped at the accident scene at about 12:30 a.m. "It's is nice to know that local citizens can depend on the generosity and outstanding character of the men and women of the U. S. Air Force when all others fail," said the resident. This chapter is not in the PFE "I want to get back by Command Chief Master Sgt. Doug Hodge repeatedly: 65th Air Base Wing this important mission of free- LAIES FIELD, Azores As many of you (AFPN) in the for study promotion agement before I should caucoming days, on an embarking Gus Burbank adventure. Once tion you. There is a chapter every so often, I come in the Promotion Fitness across a request for Examination that has been donated leave where I wonder if the person in "need" left out. It is called "expericould have prepared, could have maintained a bet- ence." We senior noncomter attendance record or whether the supervisor's missioned officers asked the plea for help is a belated reaction to the absence of book's makers to leave it out for a good reason. Here is good counseling and discipline. ' Looking back, I'm grateful for my first Hill AFB why. Recently, I had the privilege boss who was displeased when I tried to schedule three sick days for a fairly routine oral surgery. He of being allowed to spend strongly suggested I have the surgery done on Fri- time with wounded soldiers day and see if I recovered by Monday. He considered at Landstuhl Regional Medthe leave a benefit while I, at the time, thought it an ical Center in Germany. Injuries entitlement Because he took the time to explain the to the patients there varied. Some would be returning to career-lonbenefits for good atteneven dance, I accumulate sick leave and weathered bad the fight. Others were fightthings that happened beyond my control while my ing a second war in intensive family was young and struggling to make ends meet care to stay alive. Many of these brave recovReviewyour lifestyle and set high attendance standards. Should the need for sick leave arise, you're ering soldiers are my son's on your own balance may age. As I listened to their stoindependent be the peace of mind you need to recover and get ries and asked them quesback on your feet Our nation's great Air Force depends tions about their service, I heard the same message on us all, 247! life-lon- g, g, ACTION LINE is your the civilian contractors dumping snow near the base's horse stables. I was recently out working with my horses and noticed that the contracted drivers, dumping snow in a nearby area, were driving way too fast. I was parked in front of the stables and one of the trucks went by so fast that the force from the vehicle pushed my truck door Shut. Also, as I was leav- self-relian- to my unit." "I want to fight again." "I want to continue dom." Sometimes we become numb to a fact we should never overlook. Those of us who wear the uniform swore to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies for- eign and domestic. Lying in those hospital beds, those soldiers with missing arms and legs have more than fulfilled that oath. However, at times, the fact we are sworn to give our lives for our country can escape us. The routine, the gray cubicle walls, the comfortable vinyl seat of a GMC pick-utruck and the monotp ony of daily work can dull our edge. What may help is keeping in mind the greater good, the big picture, how our mission fits in the overall effort. It is about knowing that your efforts contributed to helping an Fighting Falcon put a bomb on target or helped F-1- 6 a combat controller guide an II air strike on target. You need to tie it all together. The experience of seeing those wounded warriors, feet ing their spirit and sharing camaraderie could not be read in a book. Moreover, knowing that all of those soldiers wanted to continue supporting America's message of democracy and freedom is an emotion I cannot fully describe here. It is overwhelming and reinforces the message of duty, honor and country. Their collective experiences cannot be written into any book, studied or shrunk into flashcards. It is something you can and should see for yourself. While none of these experiences are something you will find in a book, we can all learn from the experience we get from sharing, working and promoting our mission of freedom and peace across the globe. Continue to study hard. Street views 'What is your cure for spring fever?' Technical Sgt Jerry Gagnon 388th FW4th FS Expediter for flight line maintenance "It's still a little chilly for me to think of spring, but Tm going to Nel-li- s AFB for two weeks near Las Vegas where ifs warm." Peter and Vicki Peterson retired Navy medical officer and school teacher from Cache Valley "We just came back from Florida Staff Sgt Erik Bennett Dental Clinic "I'm going on leave to Arizona because it's nice and warm there." Brad Shirra Expeditor for Medical Operations Staff Sgt. Walter Morgan Crew Chief 388th FW 4th FS "Go out on walks, play some sports and enjoy family picnics outside." "Go fishing up at Pineview Dam and go riding on my motorcycle." where we watched Major League Baseball spring training. We still have snow in our yard, but we like to work in our yard and go for walks." "The U.S. Air Force Quality Systems for America's Air Force Hilltop Timos Published by Ogden Publishing Corp., a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force, under exclusive written contract with Hill AFB. This commercial enterprise Air Force newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the meeting the challenge through Global Vigilance, Reach and Power." U.S. military services. Contents of the Hilltop Times are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense or the Department of the Air Force. The appearance of advertisements in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the Department of the Air Force or Ogden Publishing Corp., of the products or services advertised. Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age. marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other nonmerit factor of the purchaser, user or patron. Editorial content is edited, prepared and provided by the Ogden Air Logistics Center Public Affairs Office staff in Bldg. 1 102. Call Ext. 7598 with story ideas to "hilltop.pahiIl.af.mir. or comments, or send Unless otherwise indicated, all photos are U.S. Air Force photos. TO PLACE AN ADVERTISEMENT, CALL 625-430- 0 Hilltop Times Editorial Staff: Maj. Gen. Kevin Sullivan Maj. Shawn Mecham Bill Orndorff Kari Tilton Commander, Director, Public Affairs Editor Assistant Editor OO-AL- C Gary Boyle, Beth Young, 1st LL Sean Carter Staff writers Airman 1st Class Micah Garbarino Hill" "Around Editorial and the Deadlines: items, 3 p.m. Friday, sports articles, 9 a.m. Monday, classified ads, 2 p.m. Tuesday, week of publication. For more information, call the editor, Ext |