Nancy knew it was a bad idea to go into work. She was feeling fluish, so she called the manager of the restaurant where she worked to ask for the day off. She did not have paid sick leave—so she would be losing a day’s salary—but Nancy decided her health, and the health of coworkers and restaurant patrons, was worth the sacrifice. Her employer, desperate for help during a VIP party, demanded that she come in. So she did, only to feel woozy and nauseous ten minutes into her shift. While helping to arrange the pan-seared scallop appetizers, she threw up on them. Her employer told her to take ten minutes and gather herself, then come back in and continue setting up.
If you happened to be dining in the restaurant where Nancy worked, chances are you would be horrified to find out a manager allowed a sick person to handle your food. But the situation might be more common than you might think. According to the National Partnership for Women and Families, almost half of private sector employees and a whopping seventy-nine percent of low income workers do not have paid sick days. Many of these people work in the service and hospitality industries, including restaurants.
Savvy companies have realized that offering paid sick leave cuts down on what is known as presenteeism. This is when sick employees, who cannot afford to miss a day’s pay, or have too much work or guilt to take a day off, come to work when they shouldn’t. An employee who is sick at work is not only less productive, but also threatens the health of other employees. In this way, presenteesim can affect overall productivity, and ultimately cost the company more than offering paid sick leave.
The affects of unpaid sick leave have ramifications greater than company productivity. When parents and caregivers are unable to take a day off to care for a sick child, schools become burdened with sick kids unable to be sent home. This stretches resources and puts other children and school staff at risk for infection.
