Fight for Your Right to Use Sick Days

Studies show that many of us skip out on our vacation days and sick days, but it doesn’t help us in the long run.  When you don’t take your sick days, you tend to end up even sicker and you increase your chances for developing depression. But what about when you don’t have the option of staying home when you’re sick?

As many as 43% of Americans who work in the private sector don’t receive paid sick days. And for those who do have sick time, the number of days is steadily shrinking or being lumped in with vacation time. Experts acknowledge that sick time is not as generous among companies as it once was.

Fortunately, parts of the United States, such as California and Washington, D.C.,  recognize the value and importance of sick time and have stepped in to make sick time mandatory for workers. In San Francisco, workers earn one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked as long as they’ve been on the job at least three months. In Washington, D.C., workers are eligible for sick time once they’ve been with the company for one year. However, company size affects the rules of sick time. For example, smaller companies tend to offer less, if any, sick time to their employees as a way to save money in other areas.

What’s the sick-time policy at your job? If you’re unhappy with it, have you considered writing your local Congressperson about the importance of mandatory sick time? [Los Angeles Times]