Stay Home with Swine Flu? Fine, If You Have Sick Time

I had a bad cold recently, and although I have sick time, I foolishly dragged myself into the office anyway. I spent the day hacking and coughing and getting the subsequent hairy eyeball from my coworkers. I can’t say I blame them; after all, we’re in the middle of a possible pandemic with swine flu, also known as H1N1. I smartened up and called out the next day, and in a related story, I got some rest and quickly got better.

But then again, I’m lucky enough to have paid time off when I’m not feeling well. Not everyone does. According to this article, it’s estimated that 57 million working Americans have no paid sick days. And a study mentioned in the article says 68 percent of those without paid sick days went to work with a contagious illness. Here’s more:

"The problem has really come into sharp relief the past few days," said Debra Ness, president of the National Partnership for Women and Families, which has long pushed for paid sick leave. "Many people don't even realize that almost half the private sector -- 48 percent -- has no sick days, not even a single one."

"We have officials telling people to stay home when they're sick," she added. "Well, guess what? That can be the beginning of economic disaster for many, especially in this economy."

Making matters even worse: Those least likely to have sick leave are low-income workers, particularly in fields like food services, child care and the hotel industry -- in other words, the people you most want to be staying home if they're sick. "The public health implications of this are huge," Ness said.

So what are you supposed to do with no sick time when you (or a family member) gets sick? The swine flu has brought attention to this issue, and there’s hope on the horizon. The article says:

President Barack Obama mentioned the problem, saying the administration is working with the US Chamber of Commerce "to ensure that businesses are supportive of their hourly workers who need to stay home but may be worried about losing their jobs because they don't have sick leave."

And Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., and Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., wrote colleagues seeking sponsors to reintroduce the Healthy Families Act, which would let workers earn up to seven paid sick days a year -- days that could also be used to care for a family member. They didn't specify a date, but a Kennedy aide said they hope to make the move by the end of May.

I say these are moves in the right direction toward a healthier workplace. In the meantime, check out these resources on the best ways to manage your sick time, one way or the other:

 

·         “Don't Work Yourself Sick”

 

·         “Pleasures and Perils of Paid Time-Off Plans”

 

·         From the Monster Blog: “Working Sick: Come to the Office or Stay Home?”

·         From the Monster Blog: “Working When You're Sick Is Bad News for Everyone”

Share this post: Digg, StumbleUpon, del.icio.us, Facebook, Twitter, etc.