Paid Sick Days Makes Good Business Sense

This information comes from our friends at the National Partnership for Women and Families.

Healthy workers are critical to a productive economy

• If workers were offered seven paid sick days a year, our national economy would experience a net savings of $8.1 billion a year due to increased productivity and reduced turnover.

When people have no choice but to go to work sick, they risk infecting others

• Nearly half (48%) of private-sector workers (57 million people) are not able to take a paid sick day when they are ill.

Our national economy cannot afford “presenteeism,” when sick workers come to work rather than stay at home

• More than half (56%) of human resources executives say that “presenteeism” is a problem because employees risk infecting others and may lower productivity.
• “Presenteeism” costs our national economy $180 billion annually in lost productivity. For employers, this equates to an average of $255 per employee per year and exceeds the cost of absenteeism and medical and disability benefits.

Paid sick days would save employers money by reducing turnover.

• The costs of replacing workers, including advertising for, interviewing, and training replacements, are often greater than the costs of paid sick time to retain existing workers. A minimum standard of paid sick days levels the playing field for employers that already provide paid sick days.

Healthy workers are critical to a productive economy—and providing paid sick days does not hurt employers’ bottom line.