We already knew that as a direct result of relying on voluntary employer policies to provide paid sick leave to employees, over fifty million U.S. workers have no paid sick days at all.

A new study reports that more than a third of working women who work for companies that have more than 15 employees have no paid sick leave. Being forced to work while sick is bad for all workers, but it disproportionately affects women. The report by the Joint Economic Committee, “Expanding Access to Paid Sick Leave: The Impact of the Healthy Families Act on America’s Workers,” describes the clear benefits that passing a minimum standard of paid sick days for workers across the board in the U.S. Being forced to work while sick disproportionately affects women. According to the report’s findings, if the Healthy Families Act were passed, a total of over 30 million people would be given the ability to earn paid sick days.
Who this would affect:

• 13.3 million women workers, who would have increased access to paid sick days.
• Workers in jobs with critical public health implications, including 5.9 million additional food service and preparation workers. (This is something that would benefit not just the workers in this sector, but anyone/everyone whose eaten out at a restaurant or fast food place)
• 14.7 million low-wage workers and
• Minorities workers, including 3.9 million additional African-American workers and 5.6 million additional Latino workers.

It’s not just public sector workers that are negatively impacted by lack of paid sick leave–at least 40 percent of the entire private sector doesn’t have any paid sick days either. With the Healthy Families Act, all this could change. Via Momsrising, send a letter to your Congressional leaders and remind them that parents need paid sick days to keep everyone healthier.

More disturbing statistics demonstrating why we need to address paid sick leave for workers after the break.

Did you know that right now…

• 75 percent of low-wage workers don’t have any paid sick leave.
• 68 percent of those not eligible for paid sick days had said they had gone to work with a contagious illness like the flu. Think about that.
• One out of every six workers have been fired, demoted or otherwise punished for taking time off because they weren’t covered by paid sick days.

There is a rising recognition that employers need to recognize the changing dynamics of families, and institute guaranteed paid sick days for employees. So, what are we waiting for? Tell your member of Congress to support the Healthy Families Act now.

Paid Sick Leave Would Have Significant Impact On Women / Low-wage / Food service Workers

originally appeared on

SEIU.org

on Friday, Mar 12, 2010.

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