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Sick Leave accrual cancellation

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B

Belfay

Guest
What is the name of your state?This pretains to a company in the State of Maryland.

My wife has worked for the same company for many years and as a result has accumulated several months of Sick Leave, as noted on bi-weekly leave and earnings statements, which she thought she could always use for either an extended illness or for maternity leave just as several other employees have done over the years. The Board of Directors is now planning to switch to a system where employees get 30 days a year (Sick and Annual Leave combined) to use as they wish with no accumulation or accrual allowed. This would allow them to take the liability off the books. The company is quite healthy with no financial problems but they do intend to cancel her accrued sick leave and switch her to the new system with all the other employees who may have accrued little or nothing. We feel this is unfair as part of the compensation over time was the knowledge that this benefit was in a sense vested as an accumulated right unless she for whatever reason left employment at the organization.

My obvious question is, can they do that? If they can I suppose she was a fool for relying on it as an entitlement, which I believe she was reasonable to do so. Thanks for any input I can get on this.
 


Beth3

Senior Member
My obvious question is, can they do that? Yes. An employer has no obligation to provide paid sick leave in the first place. If they do, they are free to change their policy as they feel appropriate. She does not have any legal "right" to paid sick leave, to unlimited accrual of sick leave, etc.
 

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