It's Labor Day . . . Stop lollygagging. Get back to work

We take many things for granted. Our benefits at work, for instance. What? You don’t have any?

Well, it turns out you’re not alone. More than one-third of American workers get no paid sick leave. That’s more than 43 million people. Nearly 25 percent of all workers get no paid vacation or holidays. Only 39 percent of workers at the bottom of the scale receive paid vacation, while some 93 percent at the top of the scale receive paid vacation. Some think that disparity contributes to the wage gap over the long run. Clearly, it contributes to an inequity in how workers across the board are compensated.¹

The U.S. is the only wealthy nation that does not mandate a minimum for sick leave, vacation or parental leave.

Access to paid sick leave varies considerably by occupation. While 88 percent of private sector managers and financial workers have access to paid leave, more than double the rate among service workers (40 percent) and construction workers (38 percent).²

Later today, President Obama will propose legislation designed to remedy some of that by mandating 7 days of paid sick leave to workers every year.

To me, one of the scariest things is that the U.S. provides no job protection for workers who are forced out of work for an illness. So while many states are “fire at will” states requiring no “cause” for firing an employee (been there), employees can be fired for missing work because they are out sick. Studies show that internationally we lag other countries in both short-term (usually defined as 5 days) and long-term sick leave policies. So again, a worker who misses work for, say, a 30-day cancer treatment takes that time without pay and then can be fired because of time missed.

There’s something wrong with that.

Now I understand some of the issues, especially the fear that small businesses would bear a heavy burden for giving employees 7 paid sick days and 2 weeks of paid vacation time. In all probability, new any new requirements would separate big from small . . . Perhaps companies with more than 50 employees and those with fewer than 50 is where the requirement split would be.

So if we can offer every worker in the country health insurance at a reasonable cost, and offer more of them a vacation, leave and sick leave then we’re getting somewhere. Maybe not every worker will get a paid vacation, but how about offering any vacation time without penalties. Or a sick-day policy that lets an employee stay at him if the flu hits without worrying if that will get him or her fired? Doesn't that help us all? Isn't that a reasonable way to help the middle class and start to close workplace inequities?

It’s Labor Day . . . Now get back to work.

1. Bureau of Labor Statistics, FOX and Economic Policy Institute

2. Bureau of Labor Statistics