Although 65 percent of full-time employees in the U.S. are covered for sick leave, coverage rates were below 20 percent for employees making less than $10 per hour, part-time workers and those working in leisure and hospitality. Additionally, women, low-income earners and 25 to 34-year-olds were the most likely to work when sick.
“Particularly employees in the low-wage sector lack access to paid sick leave, and many of those employees work sick and spread diseases,” Nicolas Ziebarth, PhD, co-author of the study, said in a statement. “Mandating access to paid sick leave and changing the sick leave culture would help to reduce the number of employees working sick.”
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