Drafted Revived - HHR Diaries - Certified Sick: Part 1

So I had this in my draft for quite a while and although I am no longer in HR will try and share some of my findings. Enjoy!

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

Please understand that dealing with staff is not easy. For the Head of Department (HoD) they have to do their scheduling and making sure that their department runs smooth. However illnesses do happen. In a department of 30 persons you may have 1 person sick for an entire week or 2 and a few persons who call in sick the day they are scheduled to work. All of these do put a tight strain on the HoD. 

As a business you never budget for when people call in sick. So when you receive that dreaded form called the "Certified Sick Form" you know that something is going to go down. In some cases you know what is going on with the staff whether it is surgery or contagious illness. In other cases you know you saw the staff skipping around one day and then the next day they send in the form like they suddenly caught the plague. 

Now it seems like the "Certified Sick Form" (CSF) has a lot of red tape when it is ready and lots of loopholes when convenient. My tip is to make friends with a person from the Social Security to assist you when you have any questions or concerns. I will call my girl Cris.

This CSF can be easily accessible to staff if they go for a "doctor's examination" and they advise the doctor that they are ill and don't believe that they are suitable to work. The doctor would fill out the CSF and get paid their consultants fee (normally EC$150) and get paid for this time that they do not have to work. 



A few loopholes I have encountered:

• Staff are allowed to get 12 sick days in a year which fall under the CSF. This will allow the staff to get paid the full day's pay during their sick leave plus 60% from the Social Security. 
• If staff are working days short weeks and send in a CSF they will be paid for the full 40 hour work week.
• On the form it states that the CSF must be sent in within 21 days of the beginning of the sickness. This is just to encourage the Employers to send in the form as soon as possible.
• For Temporary Staff they are not entitle regular 12 sick days unless they send in this CSF. 
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A few red tapes I found quite safe for the employer:

• Staff are allowed to get ONLY 12 sick days in a year. The CSF days come out of these 12 sick days. This results in after the 12 days are up, 40% will be paid by the company plus 60% from the Social Security. 
• While on sick leave under the CSF the employee is not allowed to leave the country unless the doctor recommends that they person needs to travel for foreign consultations. A copy of the recommendation letter must be sent to the company.
• The employee must be contributing to the Social Security Scheme for a minimum of 6 months before they are eligible to get their 60% from the Scheme.
• If the employee was out on leave of absence (or just did not work) before the CSF was sent in they will not receive any benefits from the scheme. 

I hope this is not too much info on the joys of this special piece of paper. The CSF is an employer's worst dream (not nightmare because worst things can happen). I will explain a little bit more in Part 2 and a few of my experiences with the CSF.

XX

Mayeshah!!!

Hospitality Human Resources Diaries - Introduction

Welcome one and all to the Hospitality Human Resources Diaries (aka HHR Diaries)

Working in the hospitality industry gives me such an interesting high that I just cant fathom leaving it behind. As well as the 4 year education and the hella huge ass loan I got reminding me why I am there. 

I enjoy making people feel happy, solving their issues, and just meeting new people and sharing experiences with them. I worked in the Food & Beverage Department for three (3) different properties, worked in Housekeeping and worked in Guest Services. These departments are some of the most Exciting departments because you always are on your toes making sure that the guest are satisfied.

I have also worked in Stores, Kitchen, Payroll and in the Executive Office. These may not have been quite direct with the guest satisfaction but it assist with making the property run smooth and efficient. I have trained a bit in the Front Office but it has never really peaked my interest to the highest due to them being .... uhh... special. 

I have been finally placed in the Human Resources Department and I have encountered some of the most interesting scenarios ever. Whether it is experiences with staff, experiences with management, or even experiences with persons not even working for the company. 

I wanna share some of the things I have experienced. I wont be stating any names, may change some departments to the best of my ability if they are quite obvious and hope to keep this as entertaining and educational as possible. 

Please note that the Human Resources Department is a highly confidential department and a lot of things cannot be shared. So just know that this is just the tip of the iceberg with regards to the experiences I encounter.

I cannot state the frequency of these entries but I will state that while things are still fresh and still urgent I may express my feelings and lessons on the matter.

So once again Welcome to HHR Diaries

XX

Mayeshah!!!

Show a little skin sometimes.

I have noticed that once you show a little more skin than usual people start to notice. I am the type of person who enjoys wearing a shirt, whether it be Tee, Polo, or a nice blouse, and a pant such as jeans or slacks. But the moment I put on shorts or a skirt people go ape shit. 

Like Saturday I decided to put on a shorts, mainly because I had no other bottoms to wear. So I had on my shorts and reached my mom's store and everyone is like "Look at legs" or "She showing off some skin today" or "She legs clean* she should wear skirts more often". Then I had parked the car and had to walk quite a distance to get back to the store and I was intercepted by a guy who said to me "You came to town to tantalize the men? You are raising my blood pressure you know." And proceeded to try and get me to go to the beach with him. 

My parents saw me during the day and they asked me if I was not going to change before I go on doing my errand. My response it was hot and I was achy after a long three hour walk I did that morning. While doing my errands one guy who I have grown accustomed to seeing and interacting with on a Saturday starts commenting on my shorts and so on.

Ok, for those who don't know what I look like I am on the thicker side. I am bottom heavy but not too big.  I have big thighs and a decent sized backside to go along with my thighs. 

Then at work yesterday I fell into the same category where I didnt have any pants to wear so I wore the only skirt I have in my wardrobe. My work skirt and I had left my shoes that I normally wear with the skirt by my parents house. So I asked my sister to wear her slippers. Then people who don't remember ever seeing me wear a skirt commented on my wearing a skirt saying that I looking out. Then others commented on the fact that I wore an open toe slippers to work. 

I believe that because while growing up I have always been a bigger child and got lots of attention from the males I decided to cover up. So that meant no more skirts or dresses or shorts. But being a "grown woman" I sometimes do enjoy a few skirts, a nice sundress, and a nice booty hugging shorts. They are good for my self esteem and makes me feel all kinda happy.

I would encourage others to try and take a step back and try doing something that you are not used to. It can be quite fun and you might get some good stories or receive interesting comments about them.

OXXO

Mayeshah!!!