Olive Garden's Parent Company Will Now Pay Sick Leave To Hourly Employees In A Watershed Moment for

[appalachiablue]

Source: Business Insider

Darden Restaurants announced late Monday that it will give all its hourly employees paid sick leave benefits, effective immediately, amid the coronavirus outbreak. Darden owns Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, Eddie V's, Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, Yard House, Seasons 52, and Bahama Breeze.

Previously, hourly employees of these restaurants were not paid for any work hours they missed due to illness. Under the new policy, paid sick leave will accrue at a rate of one hour for every 30 hours worked, the company said.

Current employees have been granted a "starting balance" of paid sick leave based on their most recent 26 weeks of work and "can use this benefit immediately," a spokesperson said.

The company said it has considered adding paid sick leave for a long time, and "now is the right time to do it."...


Read more: https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/darden-olive-garden-paid-sick-leave-policy-coronavirus-impact-2020-3-1028981810

[jayfish]

1. We Got Paid Sick Leave In Michigan Last Year.

It's a scam. As usual, a catch was added for wage slavers to exploit. ...and they do. They get to consolidate all leave under "paid time off" (PTO) and lump sick leave in with your vacation time. Before the rule, and after six years of service, I had 120 hours of vacation and no sick leave. After the rule I have 120 hours of PTO. How grand. Sorry, I'm not going to waste my vacation time calling in sick to work. The world can burn and I will enjoy watching it.

[Boomer]

4. I prefer having them lumped together

It makes no sense to create these artificial categories of sick leave and vacation time. I have a pool of paid days off, and I can use them any way I want. If I reach the end of the year and I haven't been sick, then I get a longer holiday at the end of the year. If I was sick, the time was right there and I didn't have to jump through hoops of going to the doctor's office for a note, or worry I wouldn't be well the allotted time for sick leave.

[jayfish]

6. No, That's Fine.

What I'm saying is that I (and untold others) do not get an additional 40 hours for sick time. I had 120 hours before and I have 120 hours now.

[Boomer]

9. Ouch

Yes, I'd be pissed off too over that.

[hamsterjill]

11. I've experienced this and it sucks.

It’s the latest, fashionable way to screw over employees in this area of the country.

[Fla Dem]

2. Glad to see a corporation taking a progressive step in supporting their Hourly workers.

[appalachiablue]

3. Excellent move on their part, many more need to step up!

[jayfish]

5. How Quaint.

There's always a catch.

Darden Restaurants Announces Paid Sick Leave for Hourly Workers

New employees begin accruing time when they start working, but cannot use the time earned until they reach 90 days of employment.

This is a move to improve optics, not employee or public health.

[CurtEastPoint]

7. That is nearly standard in the workplace. I had to do 30 days and it was a chi-chi law firm!

[jayfish]

8. Yes, That Is Standard.

So as long as they haven't been there for 90 days it's OK to come into work sick? Where they are serving the public food?

[Marrah_Goodman]

10. one big issue is that a server is paid next to nothing

Their "checks" are tiny. They rely on tips. No work, no tips.

[Recursion]

12. The back of the house usually outnumbers the front of the house

And they don't get tips except in restaurants that require that servers tip them out.