“Work attendance by infected employees is a public health issue due to contagion,” says Robert Drago, Ph.D., Professor of Labor Studies and Women’s Studies, Pennsylvania State University and co-author of the Briefing Paper. “Employees who attended work while infected with H1N1 are estimated to have caused the infection of as many as 7 million co-workers.”

The United States is one of the few developed nations without universal paid sick days. The vast majority of public sector employees receive paid sick days, but two out of five private sector employees have no access to paid sick days, leaving the nation ill-prepared for outbreaks of contagious illness.

“The data suggest that only two-thirds of private sector employees took time away from work when infected with H1N1, despite advice to stay home. Workers without paid sick days must choose whether to go to work sick or lose pay, a choice that many can’t afford to make,” notes Kevin Miller, Ph.D., Senior Research Associate at IWPR and co-author of the Briefing Paper.

Absence due to illness during the H1N1 pandemic reached its peak in October. The drop in absence rates between October and November was twice as steep in the public sector as it was in the private sector, suggesting that presenteeism – attending work while ill – among private sector employees without paid sick days may have extended the duration of the outbreak in that sector.

the whole report can be found here

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tell us to stay home from work or school in order to decrease the spread of the H1N1 virus. President Obama says, “If you’re sick, stay home.” Common sense tells us to limit our contact with others when we are sick.

Yet for the majority of Mainers, staying home isn’t that easy. For workers who don’t have paid sick days, following this advice can lead to losing much needed wages, or even their job. That’s why, as a Maine business leader, I support paid sick days.

In times like this it is especially unfair — and unsafe — when people are forced to go to work sick.  And when employees in the food, retail, and health care industries can’t stay home, it’s a public health concern and a liability – for Maine’s business community and for citizens across the state.

Presenteeism, the lost productivity that occurs when employees come to work but perform below par due to illness, has an economic price.  Paid sick days help business benefit from reduced turnover, higher productivity, and reducing the spread of contagion in the workplace.

Making it possible to stay home when you have a fever is a shared responsibility for everyone in Maine. That’s why, as a business owner, I believe paid sick days are the right thing for my company, my employees, and community. It’s time to level the playing field so that everyone has paid sick days.

Good health is good business.

MDI Imported Car Service

Melanie Collins Childcare

Armand  Taschereau Builderd Inc

Khadighar & Scatterseed Project

Theresa Mattor Landscape Architecture

Reben, Benjamin & March

Plante Drywall

Farnsworth Law Office

Noah’s Ark

Rent-A-Geek, LLC

cunningham books

The Gorham Grind coffeehouse

Railroad Square Cinema

Tom Finn Shoe Repair

Ann Croket, PhD

Anytime Antiques

Uptown Appraising

Harbor View Eye Care

Kim Favreau, Custom Seamstress

The Art Guru

Finishing Touches

Solar Marine

Augusta Vacuum

Eastern Awards

Redstone Inc.

John Costin Studio

Woodman’s Grill

Iladel Couture

Otto’s Pizza

Zarra’s

Rhodes Concrete Corporation

The cost of being sick:H1N1 and Paid Sick Days

Here is Debra Ness testifying yesterday for the Healthy Families Act.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here’s a ridiculous amount of information about swine flu, paid sick days … and bagels.

Swine Flu and You

Swine flu a pandemic

More about the Healthy Families Act & Paid Sick Days

Description and history of the bagel

PS: If you don’t understand the connection between bagels and swine flu, then you’re obviously not reading our e-mails – subscribe today! Check out our email archive.