Paid Sick Leave Makes Us All Healthier

This blog has highlighted mandatory paid sick leave laws that have been passed by cities and states across the country. A new study shows one reason why those laws are important.

After studying the effect of new mandated sick pay laws in U.S. cities like San Francisco and Washington, DC, this new study found that flu rates dropped 5%. Because about half of the workers already had paid sick days from their employer before the new laws, the researchers estimated that paid sick days over all reduced the spread of flu by 10%. 

When sick employees are allowed to stay home without financial penalty it prevents the spread of communicable disease through the workplace. This is especially important for customer service employees who can spread the disease to customers as well as their fellow employees.

Links:

Cities Across the County Passing Paid Sick Time Laws (CWA Health Care & Retirement Security Blog, September 13, 2016)

Mandatory Paid Sick Time Spreading Across the Country (CWA Health Care & Retirement Security Blog, May 30, 2016)

When workers don't get paid sick days, everyone else is more likely to get sick (Chicago Tribune, August 26, 2016)