For Many, Staying Home Sick Not an Option

Millions Who Don't Have Paid Sick Days are Going to Work and Potentially Spreading H1N1 Flu

(CBS)  At Barrio Foods in Brooklyn, N.Y., an egg timer goes off every thirty minutes reminding workers to wash their hands.

It's an attempt to keep germs to a minimum because owner Spencer Rothschild says if hourly employees do get sick he cannot afford to pay them while they're away, reports CBS News correspondent Jeff Glor.

"It's a huge challenge," Rothschild said. "Hugely expensive challenge to put on top of a restaurant, anytime, but especially in the current economy we're in."

He's not alone. Forty-eight percent of Americans working in the private sector have jobs that do not offer paid sick days, mostly small business employees - 54 million in all.

"A week off of work would be really bad, that's like rent," waitress Kara Knoche said.

What's more? A recent survey said 68 percent of workers who aren't eligible for paid sick days admitted they'd gone to work with a contagious illness. Eleven percent said that they had lost a job for taking a sick day for themselves or to care for a family member.

Mary Pappas is a school nurse at St. Francis Prep in Queens, N.Y. She spotted the first case of H1N1 in New York last April. After sending 200 kids home, the school shut down for a week.

"Can you just imagine 100 or maybe 75 of those parents saying, 'you're stuck with them because I can't take off because I don't want to lose my job,'" Pappas said.

Pappas is supporting state legislation that would provide all employees a mandatory five days of paid sick leave. In Washington, Congress is considering a similar law.

Some larger employers are taking steps in that direction. One county in Minnesota is offering its 7,500 employees 20 extra sick days if they make them up the following year. And financial giants CitiGroup and Goldman Sachs have received more than 1,400 vaccines to give to their workers.

But for smaller businesses providing these services can be more difficult. This September more than 9,000 filed for bankruptcy - a 27 percent increase from last year

"There are no easy answers," Rothschild said.

The harsh reality is for some keeping out the flu may also mean closing their doors.

[msimamaji]

Let's give a shout-out for capitalism. Because of our inhumane capitalist system, underpaid workers cannot get sick leave and,like John Henry in the folk song, they must work themselves to death. (Say, aren't we the only country in the world that glorifies people who commit suicide this way???)
And what happens when these workers get so sick that theywind up in the emergency ward. Many of them do not have health insurance, and if they do, the health insurance company will probably refuse to cover their illness. Who pays for this treatment? Everyone who has health insurance.
This is the reason we need health care with a public option. It's also a reason we need strong labor unions. We are supposedly in Iraq and Afghanistan because we want to civilize the natives. We become righteously indignant over the hideous customs of these countries. Very well, Iraq and Afghanistan have many savage customs, but what about the US. Maye before we try to civilize others countries, we should civilize ourselves.

[mari1963]

All employees who are sick should stay home. No question about it. I can't stand it when people come to work sick and spread their virus all over the place, by coughing all over everyone else. Stay home! And don't send your children to school if their sick either. That is how this flu is spreading because of people who don't stay home and create more contagious situations for the rest of us. Stay home!!!!!!

[goneagain09]

I have no paid sick days. We are expected to go through the FMLA process. You have to be out more than three days to qualify. Thats if it gets approved. If not each day counts against you on your attendance. It sucks. So I usually go to work sick as do alot of my co-workers. This process is courtesy of people who habitually miss work and say that they are sick (but not). Cant afford lost wages.

[emh1701]

All employees should get paid sick leave, if they are temporary or permanent. I've temped for most of my career. We are the most vulnerable employees to these policies because we can be fired/laid off at a moment's notice, without any previous warning, for any reason.

If we are sick for something more than a cold and have a signed doctor's note, we should be able to be paid for time off. At least, there should be a law that people cannot be fired for being out sick for a few days.

[ramos1129]

I am a small business owner and have 42 full time employees and one part time. When one gets sick, he/she stays home and the others pitch in to do the work. That sick person is expected to secure a doctor's excuse if he/she misses three days of work. I pay his/her full salary while they are out sick as long as they are really sick. The way I see it, I have great people working for me and I want to keep them.

[zebra8835]

Unfortunately, many companies that have sick leave also harass their employees so much that they won't use it. Some companies call you into the office for any occurrence, even if your last sick call was five years ago. We are very fortunate that the H1N1 virus isn't more lethal. Many offices also are taking no precautions of any kind.