i mean who PLANS for getting sick and if fortunate, burn through your PTO. now its only February, and you are staring at the 10 month s to go until you will be allowed to schedule vacation next year. no emergencies, no sick kids, no doc appointments, if you happen to get sick again in the fall, well too bad. you come in sick, you spread your germs and your whole department is miserable trying to get things done.
yes there will be those misuse it, but then you have escalation company policies. even covid couldnt get any progress on this.
and this is just visible, measurable , hearable feeling sick. temps high, cough, skin pale.
there is no recourse if you had a traumatic event happen on your day off and you have to go to work like nothing happened. no mental health day, no processing anything.