Paid medical leave for the temporary care of oneself or a family member should be a basic and fundamental rights of workers in the United States. This would allow workers to continue to receive their salary and not risk losing their job due to an illness or accident. In fact, more than 145 countries provide paid sick days for short- or long-term illnesses. Many high-income countries require employers to provide paid sick leave, including the Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Singapore.
The US is not one of those countries. Only 19% of workers in the United States have access to paid family leave granted by their employer and only 40% have access to short-term disability insurance, according to the Paid Leave for All campaign.
Statistics show that one in four employed mothers return to work just 10 days after giving birth and one in six people spend an average of 20 hours each week caring for a sick family member. There are many more examples that show how this problem severely affects society, especially groups such as immigrants, people of color, women and people with disabilities.
The United States is the only industrialized country that does not have a national policy that ensures paid family leave. While there is the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) which regulates the maximum hours of weekly working hours, overtime, minimum wage and child labor, does not protect a worker’s free time.
This means that the decision on payment, in the event of a period of leave, whether its sick leave or holidays, are subject to negotiation between employee and employer. The need for negotiation on this point can lead to serious consequences for the mental, physical and emotional health of the employee if they are not able to take time off of work when required.
Due to this problem, it is necessary for Hispanic communities to educate themselves and support the initiatives of different organizations that promote the creation of a law that protects the economic and social security of workers in all fields. This is especially important for frontline and essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as medical staff, supermarket operators, packers, drivers, etc.
NHCOA advocates for the creation of laws at both local and national levels that recognizes paid and medical leave as a basic worker’s right and not a benefit given to a few. The passage of this kind of legislation can ensure fair labor treatment through the law and provide a better quality of life for workers.
If you would like to take action with the Paid Leave for All initiative, you can sign the virtual petition addressed to senators and representatives to support the access to paid leave for all working people, at the following link: https://paidleaveforall.org/coronavirus-emergency-and-paid-leave-resources/take-action/
References
Paid Leave For All: https://paidleaveforall.org/
U.S. Department Of Labor: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/flsa
