Many are urging politicians and employers in the U.S. to offer paid sick pay for the benefit of individual workers and the general public.
A spike in the number of cases of the new coronavirus in the U.S. has reignited the debate around paid sick leave. Medical experts warn the current situation could exacerbate the spread of COVID-19 by dissuading people to take time off work.
The U.S. is unique among the most industrialized countries in that does not guarentee paid time off when ill. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, almost 30 percent of workers in the private industry do not have access to paid sick leave. This climbs to 42 percent among those working in the service industry.
It is not just people who have started displaying symptoms:"It is—or soon will be—the people who are told there is a case near them and are asked to self-isolate," said Mello. "This is a perfect example of how infectious diseases, and disease in general, disproportionately punishes the poor," Swartzberg told"When people who are in service industry get sick, they are going to be bringing the illness to everybody else," he said.it can be hard to encourage people to stay home even at the best of times:"Americans, in general, hardworking and even with sick days are loath to stay home and miss work.
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