Will Coronavirus Pandemic Result in Paid Sick Time for All American Workers?

Can your cleaning and maintenance workers afford to stay home when they are sick? As COVID-19 spreads through the United States, more workers will be forced to stay home to prevent passing on the contagious illness to others. The U.S. government is considering legislation that would make sick leave mandatory for all workers, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Currently, there is no federal law guaranteeing paid sick leave to workers. About 32 million U.S. workers must go without pay if they take a day off due to illness. Service industry workers such as hotel housekeepers, waiters, cashiers, and cooks are the least likely to have paid leave.

The state of California requires employers to offer a minimum of three days a year of paid leave. Other states and cities have enacted laws similar to California’s requirement, but a guarantee of three paid sick days a year might not be enough amid the outbreak.

A bill introduced by Sen. Patty Murray (D-Washington) would have required employers to allow workers to accrue up to seven days’ paid leave, and an automatic 14 days if there is a public health emergency. However, the bill was rejected this week by Republican lawmakers, who agree mandatory paid sick leave is a good idea but believe it should be paid for by the government, rather than by businesses.

Sick leave wasn’t part of the initial US$83 billion emergency funding package that Congress passed last week. Since then, U.S. coronavirus cases have increased to more than 1,000 and more than 30 people have died.

A new multi-billion dollar bill addressing the pandemic—with emergency provisions that include paid sick leave, free coronavirus testing, food aid, and unemployment insurance—is currently awaiting legislative approval.