Only 27.6% of workers in the U.S. are covered by state-required sick leave. This “creates substantial inequities nationally” that have become more noticeable because of the pandemic, a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine says.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the inequities because Black and other minority workers often hold essential jobs that pay low wages and provide no sick leave.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the critical need for access to paid sick leave for workers, their families, and employers," study co-author Jennifer Pomeranz, an assistant professor of public health policy and management at NYU School of Global Public Health in New York City, said inA national policy mandating paid sick leave is necessary, especially for low-wage workers “who have no choice but to work when sick," Pomeranz said.
“Excluding low-wage workers—many of whom work in jobs that increase their risk for illnesses like COVID-19 and lack access to employer-based coverage—from paid sick leave protections only further exacerbates health disparities,” José Pagán, chair and professor of the Department of Public Health Policy and Management at NYU School of Global Public Health and a study co-author, said in the release.
Paid sick leave keeps workers healthier because they have time to recover from illness, the study says. It keeps workplaces healthier because employees will be less likely to work while sick with a communicable illness such asAmerican Journal of Preventive Medicine: “State Paid Sick Leave and Paid Sick-Leave Preemption Laws Across 50 U.S. States, 2009–2020.”
EurekaAlert: “States increasingly require employers to provide paid sick leave— but even more states block local paid sick policies.”
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
It is possible to remake our economy so we use less and waste lessIt is time to do away with buying new products and binning them at the end of their lives and instead create a circular economy in which old goods can be reused, recycled, or can restore the environment
Read more »
Prior Infection Offers Less Protection Against Omicron, Study SaysImmunity from a previous COVID-19 infection provides less protection from reinfection against the Omicron variant than other coronavirus variants, according to a new study in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Read more »
The Psychology of Placing EV Chargers Along Roads Less TraveledJust seeing a map of charging stations in rural areas can help alleviate “range anxiety”—and help get more EVs on the streets.
Read more »
I’ve Been to This Perfectly Kitschy Texas Beach Town No Less Than 75 Times“Like any weird beach town, Galveston is filled with characters. If you’ve seen the film Red Rocket, parts of which were shot nearby, you know what I’m talking about”
Read more »
Most GoFundMe Campaigns For Medical Bills Fail, Less Than 12% Reach GoalsFrom 2016 through 2020, the number of medically-related GoFundMe campaigns increased from 37,824 up to 196,955. Yet, 16% of them didn’t even receive any donations
Read more »