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The U.S. is the only wealthy nation that considers paid sick leave a luxury and not a right.

Squaring that with the staggering numbers from the pandemic is becoming harder and harder. A staggering 79 million COVID-19 cases have been reported in the U.S. during the past two years, and many employees have taken time off work to attend to their mental and physical health and their family's well-being.

But with no federal law that guarantees a set number of days of paid sick time, workers' rights are left to the discretion of the state and employer.

Overall, more than 33 million U.S. workers are not guaranteed paid sick leave, and many of these are low-income and frontline workers. The lack of policy surrounding sick leave in the U.S. leads to issues of inequity, as BIPOC individuals, women, and LGBTQ+ workers are less likely to have paid time off to deal with mental or physical ailments.

With the expiration of President Biden’s emergency sick leave policy, some employees were left with few options but to go into work while positive with COVID. While about 77% of individuals employed in the private industry have paid sick leave through their employer, only 59% of service workers are granted sick leave by their company.

“COVID has shown us that it's incredibly important, not just for individuals, but for the public health, to ensure that people...

Read Full Story: https://fortune.com/2022/03/23/which-states-allow-paid-sick-leave-law/