Link:<http://www.marketwatch.com/story/calls-grow-for-paid-sick-days-for-all-workers>


A 25 year old girl has to report to work, while her daughter has just come down with pneumonia, because she does not get paid for sick time. She couldn't afford to stay home so she had to leave her daughter home with a babysitter. She is one of the millions of workers that do not have sick time. Jobs like waiters, child-care staff, and nursing-home aides, are many who do not receive sick time and who may feel like they have to attend work when sick in case of losing wages or even their job. The U.S. is the only wealthy country that does not require any form of paid sick days or leave, says a new report from the Center of Economic and Policy Research. "What we know right now is that tens of millions of Americans go to work while they are sick. There are dollar implications, and they spread illnesses to the people they work with. This contributes to billions of dollars each year that businesses lose because of absences, but also because of presenteeism, when people go to work sick and have lower productivity and influence the productivity around them." says Jody Heymann, co-author of the CEPR report and founding director of the Institute for Health and Social Policy at McGill University in Montreal. Advocates say federal law to mandate paid sick leave is mandatory to protect public health and because it is the right thing to do. Congress is considering legislation called the Healthy Families Act, which will give certain workers the oppurtunity to earn one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours they work, for up to seven days a year. Workers can use this time to tend to and care for their loved ones or themselves. A couple business interests think the legislation may threaten employers during the already tough recession.


I chose this article because I think its ridiculous that people do not get paid for sick days. Mothers or guardians have to take care of their children or sometimes other family members when they are ill because no one else will. No one gets sick on purpose, its not like its their fault. Although the job and economy is bad right now, sickness should be an exception at all times.

No, I do not agree with this article at all. If people are sick or a family member is, that they have to care for, they should get excused and paid for a sick day. Unless you are taking "sick days" off frequently, then you are really sick and should get paid for your one day off, especially when you should be relaxing and not having to think about losing the money for that day.

Yes, I think the information was presented fairly. They gave an example of a poor young girl who had to leave her sick daughter home while she worked. They gave some pros and cons of why they should pay people for sick days and why they should not.

Yes, I would use this news source again because the writer wrote a good article and they had some interesting stories on this website.