U.S. Has Little Respect For Its Workers

Although most politicians would probably argue the point, the truth is that the United States government has little or no respect for working men and women. The established minimum wage is just a poverty wage (and smaller as a percentage of the median wage than in other developed countries), and there is no law mandating a paid annual leave for workers (even though all other developed nations require that from employers).

But perhaps the thing that shows the most lack of caring about the well-being of workers is the fact that the United States does not mandate any paid sick leave at all by employers for workers that are ill. Note in the chart above that of the 22 developed nations (richest nations), the United States is one of only three nations that does not mandate any pay for short-term illnesses (such as a 5-day flu). The other two nations are Canada and Japan.

But when you consider a more extended time off from work (like 50 days for cancer treatment) the United States looks even worse, since all other nations (including Canada and Japan) provide at least some paid time off for that.

Of course this does not mean no one gets any paid time off for being sick in the United States -- just that it is left up to the individual employer whether to grant that or not. And if you think most American workers get paid time off when they are sick, then you are living in a dream world. The truth is that only about 61% of American workers get any paid time off when they are sick. That means 39% of American workers will get their pay docked for any time they take off when they are ill.

And the sad fact is that the people making the least money (the people who can least afford losing any money for missing work) are the least likely to get any paid sick leave. Only 28% of those making under $20,000 a year ($9.60 an hour or less) get any paid sick leave at all -- which means 72% of them must go to work when sick or have their paychecks cut below the pitiful level it already is.

Something else to think about is the danger these low-wage workers put their fellow employees and the general public in when they go to work sick -- because many of them work in food service or other service occupations that put them in contact with many other people (including unsuspecting members of the general public). In other words, the lack of paid sick leave mandated by the government not only shows a lack of respect for the physical and financial well-being of workers, but also poses a public health hazard for all Americans.

It is time for the government to show American workers just a little of the same respect that they show for the giant corporations. They minimum wage should be raised to at least $10.10 an hour, and paid annual leave (vacations) should also be mandated (at least a week, if not more). But perhaps the most important of these is that the government should mandate that all American workers be granted some paid sick leave time each year.