Paid Sick Leave

When people have to choose between wages and their health or the health of someone they care for, they are left with an impossible decision. In the short-term, employees have to take unpaid leave thus impacting their income and/or wages. While in the long term, it may impact their career trajectory as they miss out on position promotions or wage increases due to missed work. The American Medical Association strongly encourages private employers to offer paid sick and medical leave and allow employees to use that leave to care for their children when they are sick.

On the other hand, when employees are sick and have to work while ill, there’s the risk of potentially infecting others and productivity is reduced by an average of 20% [1]. It is important to have structures in place that promote taking time off to care for yourself and others and devalues productivity over wellness. Paid sick leave allows employees to take care of themselves and their families without fear of losing income or employment.

We imagine comprehensive sick leave to include paid leave for employees to care for themselves or a family member during a temporary, short-term medical issues, such as illness, preventative health care, or safety needs.

“Nearly one in three workers—and seven in Ten low wage workers—do not have access to paid sick leave through their employer [2].”

  • Eliminating waiting periods to access leave is a way to move towards a more equitable and family-friendly workplace. Most employers implement both a waiting period for accrual and usage, however that time can vary widely from workplace to workplace. Having immediate access to leave allows greater flexibility for families to meet their needs.

  • Employees should not have to earn the right to take care of themselves and their loved ones. Having employees start with a pool of leave allows room to settle into a new job while still managing their personal lives.

  • Also known as safe leave, leave for survivors to recover or seek assistance after experiencing intimate partner violence or sexual assault should be included in paid time off for employees. Attending to a critical safety issue improves both short-term and long-term outcomes for both caregivers and children.

  1. National Partnership for Women & Families. (2023, November). Paid sick days are good for business [Fact sheet]. https://nationalpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/paid-sick-days-good-for-business-and-workers.pdf  

  2. Family Forward NC®. (2025, March). Guide to family forward workplaces.  https://familyforwardnc.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Guide-to-Family-Forward-Workplaces_2025.pdf