Would You Donate Your Sick Days to a Colleague?

The Florida House of Representatives

Rep. Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart, has introduced a bill allowing teachers to donate sick leave to colleagues.

If a cancer-stricken colleague has burned all of his or her sick leave, would you want to donate yours to help them out?

A Florida lawmakers has introduced a bill allowing just that.

Stuart Republican Rep. Gayle Harrell told TCPalm.com that the bill was inspired by Karen Gangi, a Martin County elementary teacher who used all her time off helping her husband recover from a brain injury in North Carolina.

Currently the law only allows teachers who are related and work in the same district to directly donate leave time. Teachers can donate time to “leave banks” but can’t specify which teachers get to use the time.

Harrell’s bill would not require districts to set up the leave program.

What do you think of the idea? Do you know colleagues who could benefit? Should lawmakers approve the bill?