Swine Flu...the case for sick days

Mandated time-off is one aspect of family friendly work that has very little government support. As noted many times, the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is the only provision for U.S. workers to be able to take time off without threatening their job security. And the FMLA has serious limitations as it only applies to companies with more than 50 employees, and the time-off provided is unpaid.

Time-off allowances would help those trying to raise a family significantly. Many who have family friendly work arrangements note that their ability to take time off helps them create harmony in their life. However, it is time to understand the public interest in allowing employees to take time off when needed.

I suspect that we will see the Swine Flu spreading more quickly in the U.S. as we don't have federally mandated time-off provisions. Many workers with the flu will report to work and share the flu with their co-workers. Why would they do such a thing? Because if they don't, they may lose their job. Or, at least they will often lose a day's wages which might make the difference on paying the rent this month. Many children with the flu will likely go to school because their parents must go to work and do not have another alternative.

I would hope that companies would see the benefit of offering paid time-off benefits to employees. But, when times are tight, companies cut back where they can and paid time-off is not required. If it were required of every employer, then one company would not be able to have a financial advantage over another by not providing time-off benefits.

The argument against providing paid time-off is that it would put many small businesses under to provide such a benefit. However, I see it as a cost to doing business. Further, by allowing your workers paid time-off, you can prevent them from coming to work when they are sick. If you can recover from an illness properly, you can be more productive at work. You will also prevent other workers from getting sick.

A few websites with some further discussion on the topic:
Momocrats
Center for American Progress
CommonDreams
MomsRising
9to5