CONTAGION NATION

PAID SICK LEAVE IN THE UNITED STATES AND AROUND THE WORLD

Jody Heymann, M.D., PhD

Founding Director

McGill Institute for Health and Social Policy

AMERICANS: STAY HOME WHEN SICK

“If you are sick with a flu-like illness, stay home for 7 days after your symptoms begin or until you have been symptom-free for 24 hours, whichever is longer.” Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention Guidelines for H1N1 Flu “I've asked every American

to take the same steps you would take to prevent any other flu:  Keep your hands washed; cover your mouth when you cough; stay home from work if you're sick; and keep your children home from school if they're sick.” April 29, 2009

White House Photo/Chuck Kennedy

WHY CARE ABOUT SICK LEAVE?If you go to work:

CDC recommends that Americans with influenza stay home when sick Influenza leads to 200,000

hospitalizations and over 36,000 deaths in an average year

Vulnerability highlighted by recent outbreak of H1N1 influenza

At least 20 million Americans go to work sick because of a lack of sick leave

WHY CARE ABOUT SICK LEAVE? If you eat at restaurants:

When food service workers are able to stay home when sick, they are less likely to pass on their illnesses to customers

If you have a child: When parents lack paid sick days,

they are more likely to send their sick children to day care or school

If you have a loved one in a nursing home: Nursing homes that provide

employees with paid sick days have lower rates of respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses among their patients

WHERE DOES THE U.S. STAND?

SHORT-TERM SICK LEAVE POLICIES: FIVE-DAY FLU

Among 22 affluent countries :

17 countries provide at least 1 day’s worth of pay

14 countries provide over 3 days’ worth of pay

11 countries pay all 5 days

The United States guarantees 0 paid sick days for short-term illnesses

LONG-TERM SICK LEAVE POLICIES: CANCER

If a worker is absent for 50 working days, such as for cancer treatment, almost all affluent countries ensure pay during this leave 5 countries provide at least 40 days’ worth of pay 11 countries provide 20-40 days’ worth of pay 5 countries provide 5-20 days’ worth of pay

In many of these countries, paid sick leave available to low-wage workers is even more generous

The United States is the only one of these countries with no guaranteed paid sick leave

FIGURE 1Paid Sick Days and Leave in 22 Countries, Worker at Median Earnings(Full-time equivalent working days)

0

55

0.410

510

515

0.717

518

022

124

028

3.528

129

1.233

3.535

536

3.238

539

544

545

548

550

550

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Working Days

United States

New Zealand

United Kingdom

Australia

Switzerland

I reland

I celand

Canada

France

J apan

Greece

I taly

Spain

Netherlands

Denmark

Sweden

Belgium

Germany

Austria

Finland

Norway

Luxembourg

50-Day Cancer

5-Day Flu

FIGURE 2Paid Sick Days and Leave in 22 Countries, Worker at Half the Median Earnings(Full-time equivalent working days)

0

55

519

510

515

1.534

525

022

124

028

3.548

129

1.233

3.535

550

3.238

539

5

445

455

505

505

50

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Working Days

United States

New Zealand

United Kingdom

Australia

Switzerland

I reland

I celand

Canada

France

Japan

Greece

I taly

Spain

Netherlands

Denmark

Sweden

Belgium

Germany

Austria

Finland

Norway

Luxembourg

50-Day Cancer

5-Day Flu

CAN THE U.S. AFFORD IT?

Top 4 most economically competitive countries (as ranked by World Economic Forum 2008-09): Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, United States

Short-term leave: The Flu All but the U.S. provide at least 3 paid days of leave Switzerland and Denmark provide a full 5 days’ pay

Long-term leave: Cancer All but the U.S. provide at least 15 paid days of leave Sweden and Denmark provide over 35 days’ pay

WHAT ABOUT THE MOST ECONOMICALLY COMPETITIVE COUNTRIES?