Nine out of 10 Americans support the idea that all workers should have the right to take paid time off from their jobs. So why is getting paid time off so hard for American workers?
The United States is the only advanced economy that does not guarantee workers any paid time off. That stark fact tends to get lost because our public debates usually focus on specific categories of time off like paid sick leave, paid parental leave, short-term disability leave, and vacation days. While those debates matter, they’ve also distracted us from a simpler truth: All workers need some time off, and too many have no paid time off at all.
When a worker can’t take a paid day off, the ordinary disruptions of life can become financial emergencies: the fever that turns into lost wages; the parent-teacher meeting you can’t afford to attend; the appointment you delay; the day you should rest but don’t. Over time, a culture of work without rest not only pushes costs into the future but causes a cascade of growing costs that spill over to families, workplaces, and communities. These are the kinds of hidden costs that make the economy feel unfair to so many Americans, leaving them feeling like they’re doing their part, but not getting a fair share in return.
That’s why I proposed in a Hamilton Project policy proposal that earned paid time off (ETO) should be a basic right for workers. Just as all American workers should be paid a minimum wage, all American workers should be able to take an...
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