Health and Economic Consequences of Universal Paid Sick Leave Policies During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Importance: Universal paid sick-leave (PSL) policies have been implemented in jurisdictions to mitigate the spread of SARS-CoV-2. However empirical data regarding health and economic consequences of PSL policies is scarce. Objective: To estimate effects of a universal PSL policy in Ontario, Canada's most populous province. Design: An agent-based model (ABM) to simulate SARS-CoV-2 transmission informed by data from Statistics Canada, health administrative sources, and from the literature. Setting: Ontario from January 1st to May 1st, 2021. Participants: A synthetic population (1 million) with occupation and household characteristics representative of Ontario residents (14.5 million). Exposure: A base case of existing employer-based PSL alone versus the addition of a 3- or 10-day universal PSL policy to facilitate testing and self-isolation among workers infected with SARS-CoV-2 themselves or because of infected household members. Main Outcome(s) and Measure(s): Number of SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19 hospitalizations, worker productivity, lost wages, and presenteeism (going to a workplace while infected).

Download Full-text

Benefits of Paid Sick Leave During the COVID-19 Pandemic

10.47326/ocsat.2021.02.25.1.0 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Alison Thompson ◽

Nathan M. Stall ◽

Karen B. Born ◽

Jennifer L. Gibson ◽

Upton Allen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Sick Leave ◽

The United States ◽

Sickness Benefit ◽

Model Program ◽

Health Measures ◽

Paid Sick Leave ◽

Sick Leave Policies ◽

Spread Of Infection ◽

Staying At Home

Multiple jurisdictions have adopted or adapted paid sick leave policies to reduce the likelihood of employees infected with SARS-CoV-2 presenting to work, which can lead to the spread of infection in workplaces. During the COVID-19 pandemic, paid sick leave has been associated with an increased likelihood of workers staying at home when symptomatic. Paid sick leave can support essential workers in following public health measures. This includes paid time off for essential workers when they are sick, have been exposed, need to self-isolate, need time off to get tested, when it is their turn to get vaccinated, and when their workplace closes due to an outbreak. In the United States, the introduction of a temporary paid sick leave, resulted in an estimated 50% reduction in the number of COVID-19 cases per state per day. The existing Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB) cannot financially protect essential workers in following all public health measures, places the administrative burden of applying for the benefit on essential workers, and neither provides sufficient, nor timely payments. Table 1 lists the characteristics of a model paid sick leave program as compared with the CRSB. Implementation of the model program should be done in a way that is easy to navigate and quick for employers.

Download Full-text

Educating Restaurant Workers About Paid Sick Leave: A Pilot Study From New York City

NEW SOLUTIONS A Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health Policy ◽

10.1177/1048291118775049 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 28 (2) ◽

pp. 358-377

Author(s):

Emma K. Tsui ◽

Madeline Duffy ◽

Sherry Baron

Keyword(s):

New York ◽

New York City ◽

Sick Leave ◽

York City ◽

The United States ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Coalition Building ◽

The Public ◽

Paid Sick Leave ◽

Sick Leave Policies

Across the United States, cities, states, and counties are rapidly adopting paid sick leave laws. Paid sick leave policies for restaurant workers may be particularly beneficial, since these workers are less likely to have these benefits and have the potential to spread infection through food-handling and engagement with the public. In order for paid sick leave laws to work, workers and employers must be educated about these laws broadly and effectively. Focusing on New York City, we conducted a pilot research using key stakeholder interviews to learn about New York City’s successes and challenges in educating workers and businesses about the law. Our findings indicate several lessons learned, including allocating sufficient funding, combined use of coalition building and organizing models, and attention to the needs of immigrant restaurant workers. Findings also suggest that greater attention should be paid to proactively addressing workplace organization and practices that thwart paid sick leave use.

Download Full-text

Do we value good health? Costs and savings of paid sick leave

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e571932011-002 ◽

2005 ◽

Author(s):

Vicky Lovell

Keyword(s):

Sick Leave ◽

Good Health ◽

Health Costs ◽

Paid Sick Leave

Download Full-text

Paid sick leave benefits among essential frontline workers serving people experiencing homelessness in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic

Public Health ◽

10.1016/j.puhe.2021.04.022 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 195 ◽

pp. 142-144

Author(s):

N. Kerman ◽

J. Ecker ◽

E. Tiderington ◽

S. Gaetz ◽

S.A. Kidd

Keyword(s):

Sick Leave ◽

Frontline Workers ◽

Paid Sick Leave

Download Full-text

The Relationships among Employment, Paid Sick Leave, and Difficulty Obtaining Health Care of Single Mothers with Young Children

Policy Politics & Nursing Practice ◽

10.1177/152715440200300104 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 20-30 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Shawn M. Kneipp

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Young Children ◽

Sick Leave ◽

Single Mothers ◽

Paid Sick Leave

Download Full-text

Paid Sick Leave and Nonfatal Occupational Injuries

American Journal of Public Health ◽

10.2105/ajph.2011.300482 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 102 (9) ◽

pp. e59-e64 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

Abay Asfaw ◽

Regina Pana-Cryan ◽

Roger Rosa

Keyword(s):

Sick Leave ◽

Occupational Injuries ◽

Paid Sick Leave

Download Full-text

The market for paid sick leave

Journal of Health Economics ◽

10.1016/j.jhealeco.2017.07.008 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 55 ◽

pp. 244-261 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Simen Markussen ◽

Knut Røed

Keyword(s):

Sick Leave ◽

Paid Sick Leave

Download Full-text

Union Efforts to Reduce COVID-19 Infections Among Grocery Store Workers

NEW SOLUTIONS A Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health Policy ◽

10.1177/10482911211015676 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 104829112110156

Author(s):

Nancy A. Crowell ◽

Alan Hanson ◽

Louisa Boudreau ◽

Robyn Robbins ◽

Rosemary K. Sokas

Keyword(s):

Sick Leave ◽

Grocery Store ◽

Infection Rates ◽

Safety Practices ◽

Vaccination Uptake ◽

Union Local ◽

Specific Safety ◽

Paid Sick Leave

Grocery store workers are essential workers, but often have not been provided with appropriate protection during the current pandemic. This report describes efforts made by one union local to protect workers, including negotiated paid sick leave and specific safety practices. Union representatives from 319 stores completed 1612 in-store surveys to assess compliance between 23 April 2020 and 31 August 2020. Employers provided the union with lists of workers confirmed to have COVID-19 infection through 31 December 2020. Worker infection rates were calculated using store employees represented by the union as the denominator and compared to cumulative county infection rates; outcome was dichotomized as rates higher or lower than background rates. Restrictions on reusable bags and management enforcement of customer mask usage were most strongly associated with COVID-19 rates lower than rates in the surrounding county. Stores that responded positively to worker complaints also had better outcomes. The union is currently engaging to promote improved ventilation and vaccination uptake.

Download Full-text