geekchick | (no subject)

Alison Yowell teaches in the Loudoun County public school system, in Sterling. She also has Hodgkin's disease, which had been in remission but recurred in September. After she used up all her sick days (ten, plus three personal days) for treatment and asked to take unpaid leave, her school administrators, in a stunning display of sensitivity, fired her. Well, technically she was forced to resign before she was fired because she hadn't been working for the school system long enough to be eligible for leave without pay.

Yowell said she knew Loudoun policies when she was hired.

"I know what they've done is completely legal," Yowell said. "I don't feel this policy is ethical."

School Board member Priscilla B. Godfrey (Blue Ridge), who chairs the committee that oversees personnel issues, said the district views matters differently.

"As an employer, you have to watch out for yourself," Godfrey said. "To her, it would be an unethical result. But legally, if you have a policy on your books, everyone is treated the same, and everybody has to toe the line, whatever that line may be. Otherwise, it's not a policy."

I can't imagine why Loudoun says they're having trouble recruiting enough qualified teachers. If I can go work in Fairfax, one county over, and not have to wait 90 days to take unpaid leave in case of medical emergency, why wouldn't I?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Of course, if she were fired, she would have been eligible for Unemployment.

The disparities between the counties is odd. Although, not so much odd as the disparity between companies who make new employees wait 90 days for benefits and those whose benefits kick in on day one.