Policies that affect the health of individuals also affect the health of the community. MassBudget’s new fact sheet Earned Paid Sick Time: Supporting Healthy, Thriving Communities examines the effects on the general public, families, and the workplace when workers who are sick, or caring for a sick child, are required to go to work.
In Massachusetts, about 1 in 3 workers do not have earned paid sick time. The rate is higher for those working in jobs that require frequent contact with the public, such as in the service sector. In fact, over half of workers in the service sector, which includes food and child care workers, do not have earned paid sick time. This fact sheet looks at the evidence about the effects on public health when workers don’t have paid sick time to address their own health issues or to care for a sick child.
