OPINION: Sick kids need their parents. Why don't we give them what they deserve?

According to calculations from the National Partnership for Women and Families, between April 14 and Aug. 16 of 2021, just 13 percent of Arkansas parents and 14 percent of Mississippi parents were backstopped by paid sick leave when they had a child who was too sick to attend school or day care. A mere 18 percent of parents in Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Texas were able to take paid time off to care for their sick children. Workers in some industries don’t have paid sick days at all. Employees in the rail industry nearly went on strike to protest their employers’ practice of penalizing them for taking unpaid leave.

Analysis: Some workers still don't have paid sick time post-pandemic

"The National Partnership for Women & Families said more than 4 million Ohio workers are without paid family leave as of February of this year."

Why Parents Feel Like 'Butter That Has Been Scraped Over Too Much Bread'

"But I wanted psychological and economic explanations of what might be going on, too. Part of the problem is that the (often inadequate) social and emotional support that exists has been further frayed, and it seems like no one is coming to mend it. For example, child care, which should be considered vital infrastructure, is still not functioning at prepandemic levels, according to Katherine Gallagher Robbins, a senior fellow at the National Partnership for Women & Families."

Employee Benefits to Support Family Caregivers

"In addition to offering adequate paid leave, employers should check to make sure their leave policies reflect the fact that families come in all forms," said Jessica Mason, senior policy analyst for the National Partnership for Women and Families, a nonprofit advocacy organization in Washington, D.C. "Can your employees use their sick leave to care for an aunt or grandfather, as well as a spouse or for chosen family, which is especially important to support workers with disabilities and LGBTQ workers?"

Pandemic Prompts More States to Mandate Paid Sick Leave

"We believe local governments know their populations better than the state does," said Vasu Reddy, senior policy counsel for economic justice at the National Partnership for Women and Families, which advocates for paid sick leave. "They are worried if the cities show how popular these policies are, there won't be an excuse for not passing them at a state level."

4 Strategies to Improve Workplace Efficiency in the Tech Sector

"According to the National Partnership for Women and Families, paid sick days help to reduce the loss of productivity that results when employees try to do their jobs while ill."

Where are our post-Roe reforms? It's about the children, right?

"Our nation's failure to provide a basic paid sick days standard has never been more apparent and workers and their families are paying the price," according to the National Partnership for Women and Families.

What Is the Average Number of Sick Days in the U.S.?

"Furthermore, BLS research found that, on average, workers who receive a fixed number of paid sick days use only around half of the sick days they earn per year. "This data dispels the myth that workers routinely abuse or over-utilize paid sick time," says the National Partnership for Women & Families."

All employees must have paid sick time

Per a 2016 National Partnership for Women & Families study, 70% of women in the fast-food industry reported going to work in the last year despite displaying symptoms of illness, including coughing, sneezing, fever, diarrhea and vomiting.

Why low income workers in the South can't afford to get sick

America falls far behind in supporting women with paid sick leave. Will Biden help with a national policy?

Fighting the Flu: Paid Sick Leave Reduces Infection Rates

[Associate professor Nicolas] Ziebarth says: "Recently enacted sick leave mandates have significantly reduced [influenza-like-illness] infection rates by giving employees the possibility to take sick days rather than going to work sick and spreading diseases."

Energy around Paid Leave Policies Continue to Grow

"We have a hotline for people to call if they're having problems accessing paid family leave or paid sick time, which we have here in New York City," [A Better Balance's Sherry] Leiwant said. "We hear all the time from people how life-changing it is having these benefits and how important they are for taking care of their families."

What Happens To Your Deskmates When You Go To Work Sick

Plenty of us have had to make the uncomfortable decision of whether or not to go to work sick. Thanks to unforgiving sick leave policies and company cultures that encourage you to "push through" illness, taking a legit sick day feels rarer and rarer.

Stuck at home with your kids this week and not getting paid? Your employer may be breaking the law

Can't go into work because you're watching the kids due to school cancellations this week? How about an elderly family member whose care center has been closed? If you live in Minneapolis or St. Paul, you may still be entitled to your normal wages.

Paid sick leave eludes many Nevadans, even Culinary members

The flu bug does not discriminate. But the equity ends there. Calling in sick is more costly in America to those who can afford it least, and we all share the burden via infected workplaces, schools and child care.

Lack of paid sick leave is inconsistent with Maine values

As Mainers, looking out for each other is a fundamental part of who we are. The lack of earned paid sick leave in this state goes against everything we stand for.

Asheville service industry workers plan to organize, 'achieve a little more dignity'

Paid time off may sound like a luxury, but it's also a public health issue: More than 90 percent of food-borne Norovirus contamination occurs during food preparation.

Opinion: Sick leave – Gutting new law disrespects voters

Anyone who says they believe in family should be willing to support the ability of a mother to stay home with a sick child. In fact, we have those policies in place with our staff in the Legislature.

Student workers can earn paid sick leave, effective February 2019

For Krystal Delnoce, ‘21, who said she is first-generation low-income (FLI) student who works at Dillon Gymnasium as a children’s swim instructor and at Murray-Dodge cafe, the rule may come in handy. She said that she has previously found it difficult to take time off from her jobs when she was ill.