ATT denies sick time pay to older employees

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.workdayminnesota.org/articles/att-denies-sick-time-pay-older-employees

By Greta Bergstrom
November 12, 2014

MINNEAPOLIS
Over the lunch hour Wednesday, a large crowd, including over fifty members of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), rallied outside the AT&T Tower in downtown Minneapolis calling on the corporation to stop denying sick leave benefits to its longest-serving employees. More than ten senior-tenured AT&T employees have been denied compensation for sick time used to care for relatives, including spouses and parents, a benefit now mandated by Minnesota state law under statute 181.9413.

“It’s time for AT&T to stop avoiding its legal obligations to its longtime employees, people who have helped build this company over decades,” said Susan Anderson, a thirty-four-year employee of the company who has been denied payment of sick leave benefits while caring for her husband as he was undergoing treatments for prostate cancer. “AT&T has refused to pay me for the time they owe, and that’s wrong.”

In August 2013, the Minnesota state legislature enacted Minnesota statute 181.9413, extending personal sick leave benefits so employees with these benefits could use their paid time off to care for an extended array of relatives including a sibling, parent, spouse or parent-in-law. The law allows for no more than 160 hours in any twelve-month period, with employers also allowed to offer additional time at their own choosing.

In June 2014, the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry issued a letter to AT&T instructing the corporation to comply with the new state statute. Since that date, AT&T has ignored the order and continued denying benefits to their most senior employees. As a result, many employees who have worked with AT&T for over twenty-five years have been denied the pay the law allows for while caring for ill or injured relatives, or have been forced to use vacation time or non-paid time to provide care. Other long-time employees struggle to find family or friends to provide the care rather than having to fight with AT&T management over compensation.

FULL story at link.

[CTyankee]

1. I had a long career working in nonprofit organizations and only one let you take your own sick

time for an ailing family member.

I don't see why more organizations and companies don't do this. People end up doing it anyway and lie about it.

In my last job I had to take my own personal leave/vacation days to look after my elderly mother. It was one of the reasons that I retired soon after I was 65 and could take my SS and get Medicare. I continued to work at a part time job for 2 years after that but had a serious illness and just decided to go into full retirement.

[appalachiablue]

2. This abuse and others to workers by corporate america are vile and unjust.

Walmart telling employees they'll lose their jobs if they don't show up for work Thanksgiving Day this year; retail workers not allowed a water break for 6 hours; employees too scared to take vacation even if they have leave; underreporting wage theft for hours worked. Record corporate profits, stocks way up.

Walter Reuther, major heavyweight, labor union leader and head of the UAW, 1946-1970 and other leaders and workers before and after went through organizing, strikes, violence and pressure for decades to attain rights for American workers. The result was a great America and the largest middle class in the world.

How did the Dem. Party expect to hold power with the demise of union power, votes and organized labor in the '80s and '90s from Reaganomics and outsourcing. Like a warrior who's lost his right arm. Were all to become so RICH from the 'New Economy', (IT) that it wouldn't matter? After 34 years of this disaster, it's clear we must rebuild organized labor and end neoliberal, trickle down economics. Time to get to work.

[asiliveandbreathe]

3. As a 30 year retired

AT&T employee I regret and am embarrassed by many of the policies that AT&T has imposed on it's employees and customers.

Please keep in mind, AT&T today, is NOT the AT&T of yesterday. 15,000 of us retired in 1998. SBC bought AT&T in 2005.

We all know SBC's mission statements and values statements are rogue. It is a shame they were allowed to keep the AT&T name..

This action not to pay an employee sick time, which is the law, is in keeping with their lack of loyalty to their employees. This is not the wonderful company we worked for, when combined years, is in the thousands.

Proud Pioneers of touchtone phones, and portable jacks. Of answering machines and multi-line phone systems - of cell phones - hard wired in autos, to what we know today..of decorator telephones - the sculpture, and the princess, and Americana sold in the Phonecenters that opened in the late seventies... of which two were in Massachusetts - Chelsea and Framingham..

So, anytime you see the AT&T logo - it is not AT&T - it is SBC..(Southwestern Bell) - have a go SBC - you have never been, and never will be a match for AT&T employees...long time employees know the meaning of loyalty - oh, and let's not forget - INTEGRITY!