From the Federal Times:
An amendment to the Defense authorization bill containing several federal employee benefits, including the FERS sick leave credit, was withdrawn Thursday.
Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., an outspoken critic of what he deems unnecessary federal spending, said he planned to talk on the Senate floor Thursday until cloture — a vote to end debate on an issue — was offered on the amendment.
“We’ve institutionalized sick leave. We’ve made it an entitlement,” he said, criticizing the expansion of benefits for employees he said already are paid better, enjoy better benefits and have more job security than most taxpayers.
The amendment would have allowed:
It would allow Federal Employees Retirement System employees to credit unused sick leave as time worked when annuities are calculated, a benefit Civil Service Retirement System employees already have. Supporters say the benefit would help prevent employees from using excessive sick leave prior to retirement. Estimates say the problem costs $68 million in lost productivity.
I HAVE ACCOUMULATED ALMOST 4 YEARS OF SICK LEAVE , SURELY WHEN I RETIRE THAT WILL BE THE TIME I WILL START TO GET SICK, IF THEY PAY MY SICK LEAVE AT LEAST I WILL HAVE THE MONEY WHILE SICK, OR ELSE I WILL KEEP ON WORKING AND USE MY SICK LEAVE . I AM NOW 64 YEARS OLD. PAY ME NOW AND I COULD RETIRE NOW. THANK YOU.
If USPS wants more people to retire, give FERS employees credit for unused sick leave. I know that is what I’m waiting for. The economy is bad and I have almost a year of sick leave that I would lose. Give me some incentive to retire.
As usual, what the Republicraps in Congress are telling you is: F#@K YOU, WE ALREADY GOT OURS!