Islip Town workers donate days to the sick

Islip Town employees donated 174 earned sick and vacation days in response to an initiative started in March aimed at helping colleagues in need.

The "sick bank" was conceived by Councilwoman Trish Bergin Weichbrodt, and modeled on a similar program at JetBlue, after Bergin Weichbrodt's sister became ill with cancer and her brother-in-law's company provided him with time off to be with her.

Employees who want to donate sick or vacation days place them in a "bank;" other employees who become critically injured or are suffering from a life-threatening illness may withdraw them. The town board unanimously backed the concept in a vote March 8.

The bank took donations between March 10 and April 11, during which 69 employees donated the 174 days at an approximate value of almost $40,000, the town estimates.

Six others offered, but were not eligible to donate -- employees need to have been on the town payroll as full-timers for two years and have accrued at least 20 paid sick days. Those employees can donate a maximum of three vacation or sick days.

Employees who've worked for the town at least five years can donate up to five days.

Islip has about 720 employees, said labor relations director Rob Finnegan, who helped set up the program. "This is an extraordinarily generous stepping-up by town employees," he said.

Full-time employees get 13 sick days a year; those hired after January 2010 get 12.

A town committee including a representative each from Teamsters Local 237, the United Public Service Employees Union, the Town Council legislative staff and the town offices of supervisor, comptroller, and labor relations and personnel will review applications for withdrawals from the bank.

Employees will get another opportunity to donate in December, though the bank could reopen at short notice for further anonymous donations if an emergency strikes an employee, Bergin Weichbrodt said.

To apply, employees must be full-time, have at least one year of service and have exhausted all paid-leave benefits. They must be suffering a medically documented, non-service-connected, catastrophic and life-threatening illness. They have to already have been off work for 45 days and the maximum amount they can draw from the bank is 20 days, Finnegan said.