Dear John,
Paid sick leave is good for everyone -- employees, coworkers, customers, and companies. So why are nearly 33 million American workers still without it?
Among wealthy nations, the U.S. is one of very few that does not guarantee paid sick leave. A patchwork quilt of local laws and the good will of some employers provides sick leave for some workers, but there are glaring inequities between those who receive it and those who do not.
As our latest video explains, the holes in this quilt are costing Americans our health, our safety, and our livelihoods. And businesses are on the losing end as well.
Research indicates that paid sick leave is actually good for businesses, despite what you might hear from corporate America. Paid leave draws workers to jobs, and improves satisfaction once on the job, reducing the costs of turnover, hiring, and training. It increases productivity by reducing stress, workplace accidents, and transmission of illness -- both in the workplace and beyond.
Workers with paid sick leave are also more likely to see a doctor when they need to, getting needed treatment and returning to work sooner. They are also less likely to visit the emergency room, which helps keep health insurance premiums lower, which is, again, good for both employers and employees.
But currently, the benefits of paid sick leave are heavily skewed toward the privileged few.
Find out the facts and how the lack of paid sick leave in America is costing everyone -- companies, workers, and consumers -- by watching and sharing our latest video now.
If businesses don't provide paid sick leave on their own, we need to require them to provide it by law.
It’s good for everyone in the long run -- and it's the right thing to do.
Thanks for watching,
Robert Reich
Inequality Media
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