California Study Shows Mandatory Paid Sick Days Would Improve Public Health

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.laborradio.org/node/9106

By Doug Cunningham

Millions of workers nationwide have no paid sick days. That includes 5.4 million in California; 40 percent of the state’s workforce. California’s Healthy Families, Healthy Workplaces Act would change that by requiring employers to provide 5-9 paid sick days per year for workers. A new report on the public health effects of this proposal shows it would improve public health in California. Dr. Rajiv Bhatia co-wrote the report.

: “Workers with paid sick days were more likely to go to doctors for preventative care, to take time off when sick and to care for their own children when their children were sick. We were really struck by the fact that those with the greatest need for paid sick days had the least access. California workers in poor health and with chronic diseases like hypertension were less likely to have paid sick days.”

Alicia Hershey is a San Francisco restaurant worker who sees the need for paid sick days firsthand.

: “When people are sick we tend to come into work anyway, because we need the money for that shift. So I know as a restaurant worker myself I rarely take off sick time, even when you might have a cough or a cold and then that gets spread around to the people that you work with. And then not taking the time off to care for oneself ends up perpetuating that illness and having it affect ones life in maybe a longer time period and a more dangerous way.”

Harvard’s Dr. Jodi Heymann says it’s possible to mandate paid sick days and remain economically competitive. Just look at the rest of the world.

: “To me one of the most compelling pieces of evidence is just how many countries around the world are able to do this. A hundred and forty-five countries around the world have some kind of paid sick leave.”

[SheilaT]

1. Absolutely.

In addition, those who already have paid sick time need to take it when they're ill. Way too many people take great pride in never missing work, not caring what diseases they're spreading to co-workers.

Of course, along with paid sick leave, companies have to not punish the workers who take time off. I've gotten into several interesting discussions with people who think workers basically shouldn't take sick time, even when they have it. I contend that if you have paid sick time, and there's no reward for not taking it, you may as well use it all up. I once left a job after ten years and more than 100 days of accrued and unused sick time, and I've always regretted it. I never got so much as a thank-you note for my not taking the time, whereas co-workers who managed to use up all their sick time didn't lose raises or promotions (this was a job in which all raises were scheduled ones and there essentially were no promotions) and they got the extra days off over time.

[LWolf]

2. I believe that's true.

I get them. I don't spend them the way I should. It's more work to be gone for a day from the classroom than it is to just show up. To be out, I have to spend a few hours setting up for a sub, and it does take that long. I've yet to have a sub that can jump in and do what we are supposed to be doing, so I recreate a bunch of review and practice work, and rearrange my schedule to accomodate the lost time.

Then, when I get back, I have to deal with whatever the sub left behind, as well as that days' work, which extends the day back by a few hours. By the time I'm done, I've spent all the extra hours a paid day away got me. The sub is only there while the students are. He doesn't do all the before and after school stuff that piles up.

So I have to be unable to get out of bed before I don't show up at work. Even then, I'd have to get out of bed and drive to work to write the sub plans, lol. I try to schedule routine maintenance after school and over breaks, and how much of that I get done depends on how much I can afford to pay. Copays and deductibles, on top of what comes out of my pay every month for insurance, determine whether or not I get the general maintenance recommended.

It's hard enough to manage with paid time; if the days weren't paid, I'd never take them.

[pinto]

3. Kick. Paid time off and preventative care - saves lives and money.

:thumbsup:

[Truth4Justice]

4. Self-evident. Some people drive to work so sick they may as well be driving drunk. then everyone....

gets whatever they have.