Does your boss fine you if you stay home sick? Maybe you don’t get paid for that day but you don’t have to pay him.
I just quoted a piece of your statement as I wanted to comment on these questions you posed. So my employer does not fine the employees for calling in sick but if it happened too often people would be fired. And there are other companies that yes their employees do get fined for things like this. The thing is the employees know the rules, they may not like them and they may not seem fair but they know the rules. Now knowing the rules of employment they can choose to work there or not, and they have exercised that right and moved on, not big deal it happens. Now is the fine rule fair, well that can be left open to everyone's own opinion, however, having managed people, if you try to be nice and "fair". not all but some employees will take advantage of this. If the rule is you cannot call in and cancel your shift at the last minute without being fined unless you are on your period, then every girl calling in at the last minute is going to cancel because they are on their period, whether they really are or not, because they know they will not get fined for that reason but will for any other. It sucks, but if you start opening up the rules to be nice then you are asking to be taken advantage off. It may start out that only one employee takes advantage, but then others will see it and ask, why is that person getting away with it and I'm not, they will then learn and next thing you know, all of the employees are using the loophole.
Could they maybe change the rule a little, give the girls maybe 4 grace days a year or something where they can basically have free passes, sure they could. But then what happens when one of the girls has already used up all 4 and calls in for the 5th time, is it fair, she really was sick or whatever. Where do you draw the line?
I know this is just one part of the whole list of issues, but it is something I have seen time and time again in other workplaces. Unfortunately you have some people who are going to try and take advantage and they basically ruin it for everyone.