It's Time For Congress To Mandate Paid Sick Leave

The chart above should be an embarrassment for citizens of the United States. The nations in blue (which is most of the world) have laws that guarantee their citizens paid leave when they are sick. The United States does not. When many American workers are sick, they must go to work anyway or lose a significant part of their pay -- something low-wage workers simply cannot afford.

But it's not just the penalty suffered by workers when they are sick. These workers also pose a danger of infecting co-workers and customers when they go to work sick. Ask yourself -- Do you want sick people working at the businesses you frequent? Don't they pose a danger to you?

This is an especially important question these days, as the Coronavirus continues to spread across the country. At least a quarter of American workers do not have paid sick leave, and most of them cannot afford to miss work (and pay). These workers will pose a danger to American consumers, but they will be working because they cannot afford to stay home.

Isn't it time to change this?

The congressional Democrats think so. They have been trying to pass a law mandating paid sick leave for all workers for many decades. But their efforts have been blocked by Republicans. Short-sighted business interests oppose paid sick leave, and the Republicans care more what they think than the health and safety of the American public (or the economic well-being of workers).

In light of the Coronavirus epidemic, congressional Democrats are once again trying to pass a law mandating that all workers get paid sick leave. Their bill would let all workers accrue up to at least seven paid sick days, and would immediately provide fourteen additional days in the event of a public emergency (like an epidemic such as the Coronavirus).

Sadly, the Republicans in the Senate will likely once again kill this bill. It's just one more reason to vote them out of office next November.