Giving a Gift of Time

Posted by Shore Publishing on Nov 20 2008, 11:01 AM
By Fay Abrahamsson, Harbor News Senior Staff Writer:

    Would you donate some of your sick days to a co-worker in need? Two local groups have answered “yes” to that question–the employees of the Clinton Police Department and Clinton Town Hall.

    In a bad news/good news situation, two employees of the Town of Clinton, one an officer with the police department and one at clerk at the land office, have experienced personal issues forcing them to take time away from work.

    Officer Glenn Smith was diagnosed earlier this year with thyroid cancer. After miraculously beating that cancer, he received more bad news: he has throat cancer. The 39-year-old is currently undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Smith, who is married with two young girls, recently returned from an assignment in Iraq with the military police for the National Guard. Smith was featured as a “Person of the Week” in the Harbor News in June of 2006 prior to his military leave.

    Karen Hathaway, a 20-year employee at the land office at Andrews Memorial Town Hall, is also experiencing a double-whammy in her life. She was planning on retiring this year, said First Selectman William “Willie” Fritz. She and her husband had purchased a home in the south and had their shoreline residence on the real estate market.

    “A family member and her spouse both have serious health issues,” said Fritz. “Karen needs her medical benefits and time away from work in order to survive this.”

    In an effort to help, Chief of Police Joseph Faughnan, when he heard about Smith’s second bout with cancer and the time he would need off from work to fight it, approached Fritz with an idea: set up a special program where employees can donate a portion of their accumulated sick time to another employee in need. The donation is completely voluntary on the employees’ part.

    Fritz said he and Faughnan worked within the legalities of Smith’s union and devised a one-time only program whereas other employees of the police department could donate up to five days of their unused sick time to Smith. Employees donating sick days must have accumulated a minimum of 10 days of sick time to donate. The cap was set at 50 days total that Smith could be given.

    Fritz said the deal was applicable only to Smith and could not be used in future contracts with the police union.

    Shortly after the selectmen approved this program for Smith, it came to their attention that Hathaway needed a similar program.

    “Last Wednesday, Karen’s deal was passed by the selectmen,” said Fritz. 

    Hathaway’s arrangement is similar to Smith’s–employees at town hall can donate up to five days of their sick time (if they have a minimum of 10 sick days on the books) up to a total of 50 days for Hathaway to use. Fritz this time worked with the clerical union to create the one-time program exclusive to Hathaway.

    “I have not heard of another town in this area with a program similar to these two,” noted Fritz, who said he has heard of a similar agreement happening within the state police.

    The results of the program have been truly remarkable, according to Fritz and Faughnan, as fellow employees stepped up to donate their sick days for both employees.