I love the accumulated sick time, as I now have somewhere in the vicinity of 8 weeks saved up. I can take that in the event of an illness before short-term disability would kick in (which is a % of my pay, not equal to it).

After year 1, I have 2 weeks vacation. We get 5 sick days a year and discresionary days of up to 5.

I still have 10 days left.

and sick time came out of our short-term disability time, which was 30 days.

They can do that?

Oh, right. America.

I used to have a ridiculous amount of accumulated sick days, but I'm using most of them for my maternity leave. (We get 8 weeks of paid parental leave, plus an additional 4 through the FMLA, which have to be taken out of our accumulated paid leave time before we can take unpaid time off. I'm only taking 11 weeks total because otherwise I'd have no sick days when I got back to use for doctor's appointments and such.)

Hours-wise my main complaint is the unpaid lunch. It seems wrong.

There was some weird thing here about buying more short term disability (which I did, because I've met me). Benefits are great here, and insurance is effective day 1. But no vacation or paid sick days until 6 months in, which is twice the waiting period at either of my last gigs.

They can do that?

Oh, right. America

Well, I never talked to HR about it, but that was what I was told. Since the STD was completely covered by the company, and I never needed to use it, it worked out fine for me. And I'm pretty sure the cost of LTD was quite reasonable. At least, it was when I worked there salaried. In the past four years, I'm sure insurance costs have gone way up.

But no vacation or paid sick days until 6 months in, which is twice the waiting period at either of my last gigs.

That's been the standard time everywhere I've worked.

A bit late to the cookery party but... flea got it, "Korinthen" are currants.

As to the rest....

Mehl is flour; "genebt" is nonsense, I'm afraid, could you check the writing? 1 Ei mit wenig Wasser - one egg with a little water - verfuiels - could this be verquirlt? it means whisked - in die Mitte des Mehls geben - in the middle of the flour.

1/4 # butterflocken - "butter flakes" - butter cut into little pieces; 160 g sugar; auf den Rand der doehles geben; on the edge of something is right, but "doehles" isn't German, I'm afraid. Can you have another look?

I'm around for a wee bit, Hil, if you have anything else you want to run by me.

That's been the standard time everywhere I've worked.

It's mean!

Okay, perhaps not the maturest viewpoint, but half a year before I can use sick time? If one accepts the need for sick time, that's a long while to go without.

As it is, I've taken one unpaid day so far, and may take unpaid vacation before all is said and done, in order to avoid too much stress.