THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, May 16, 1996 TAG: 9605160407
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Charlise Lyles
LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
Joe Ladisic is a man for all seasons.
In fall, the Portsmouth teacher coached Wilson High School football.
In spring, he coached baseball.
But this summer, Ladisic will be off the field.
He's in cancer's hold. And his sick leave and disability are due to run out May 30. That means no pay, and no medical or life insurance benefits, unless he returns to the classroom.
Not a healthy prospect for the 34-year-old man whose immune system is under the assault of chemotherapy. A tumor was recently removed from his colon. Over the telephone, his voice is a hardy, hopeful whisper, reminiscent of the coach who once yelled heartily at the 50-yard line or gave spirited pep talks in the dugout.
Ladisic needs a return on the time he put in on the playing fields.
And a bunch of good-hearted Portsmouth teachers wants to give him an assist by donating their sick days.
But School Board policy doesn't allow for such altruism.
That's pretty primitive.
Chesapeake, Norfolk, Suffolk and Virginia Beach - all neighboring school systems - offer sick leave banks. Teachers join by volunteering to donate one day of sick leave to a pool. Employees stricken with long-term illness who have exhausted all sick and disability leave can draw 45 days or more each fiscal year.
In some systems like Suffolk, employees must first exhaust all leave and be off the job an additional 30 days without pay for the same illness or disability.
The borrowed time allows an employee to continue receiving pay and benefits when a long-term illness or personal injury has put him out of commission.
Maybe Ladisic should have given his teaching time to another city. Then he wouldn't have to worry about personnel matters while he's in so much pain.
Portsmouth ought to fix this first chance it gets. That's tonight at the School Board meeting. City Hall. City Council Chambers. 7:30 p.m.
Be there. Your voice needs to be heard at this time when the American workplace is growing more and more insensitive to the needs of workers.
And, Lord knows, Portsmouth cannot afford to lose hard-working, dedicated teachers due to stingy benefits.
School Board Chairman Thomas J. Benn III says he's all for some type of policy that would allow employees to donate sick days. After all, folks do get sick.
``It's not unheard of. The federal government will allow it,'' says Benn, who works at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth. However, it applies only to civilians. Benn is not expecting major opposition. And a few other board members told me this week that they would support a sick leave bank or other policy.
Apparently, Portsmouth had a policy some years ago, but no one in the personnel office seems to know what became of it.
Let's hope that by Friday morning, those teachers who want to give their days to Ladisic can do so.
That's all the man is asking for. Time. MEMO: Contributions also can be made to the Joe Ladisic Fund, which is being
handled by the Signet Bank branch at Portsmouth Boulevard and Elmhurst
Lane. Checks will be accepted at Wilson High School.
by CNB