(This is crazy. If he never called in sick, its more likely than not that he came into work sick on at least a few occasions. Problem is that others will use their sick leave and he is probably responsible for making coworkers sick and increasing overall sick leave usage of his facility and perhaps the customers he may have come in contact with. What he considers as necessary may be far above what others consider as necessary.  Sick leave is an earned benefit. USE IT, but do so responsibly with a concern for your coworkers and customers! That is the work ethic his father should have instilled in him. – RZ)

McKenzie, TN, Letter Carrier James Putnam has never missed a day of work in his 49-year Postal Service career, accumulating almost 5,000 hours of sick leave.

“My dad instilled in me a work ethic that you only call in sick when it’s necessary,” said Putnam, 71.

Sick leave can provide far greater benefits than time off when an employee is ill. When properly used and conserved, sick leave is a long-term investment that can continue paying long after an employee’s postal career has ended.

Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) retirees this year joined Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) retirees in having all unused sick leave credited towards their annuity computations.

“When my daughter died of breast cancer at 38, it made me more aware that you never know when you’re going to need your sick leave.”

via USPS News Link Story – Day in, day out.