Pandemic Sick Leave:
How U.S. Policies Aid in the Spread
of Virulent Diseases within the Healthcare Setting
J. Hunter Martinsky
Saint Joseph’s College of Maine
Introduction
Currently, the U.S. does not
guarantee paid sick leave for short or long-term illness. It is one, of only three, modern economies
where it is not nationally mandated (Kim, 2017). This benefit has commonly been an agreement
between employees and their company, along with serving as an incentive to
attract new workers. As most Americans
continue sheltering in place because of COVID-19, there are others who continue
to work due to the necessity of employment.
This can be a dangerous combination, especially with the ability of the
virus to take multiple days to incubate and can initially present as mild
symptoms (Klompas, 2020). If these
workers are unable to take the needed time off to slow the spread of a virus
due to fears of losing a paycheck, then quarantines serve no purpose. This is most important within the U.S.
healthcare systems as workers are on the frontlines of the epidemic and have
daily contact with those patients most susceptible to the virus.
Implications
The issue at the
present time is whether COVID-19 efforts would be improved if all Americans had
access to paid sick leave. As the U.S.
has quickly begun to take the lead in global cases and deaths due to the virus,
one outstanding conclusion to be made is whether it has to do with this near
global benefit for workers (Renken & Wood, 2020). Legislation entitled, Families First
Coronavirus Response Act was created to help those employers offer paid
sick leave to their employees but this response may be too little too late as
it took effect on April 1st of 2020, well after the virus had taken
a foothold within the country (Department of Labor, 2020). Special efforts need to be made within
healthcare systems to ensure that paid sick leave is always available not only
during pandemics but to prevent spread of illnesses overall. National attempts also must be made to
guarantee this benefit for all workers in order to alleviate the U.S.’
overcrowded emergency rooms and lessen the costs of healthcare. Without these endeavors, America will only
continue its struggle with the spread of COVID-19 and similar respiratory
illnesses.
Conclusion
Overall, the research has shown that
access to paid sick leave allows workers to take the time off needed during
courses of influenza-like illnesses.
This can result in fewer workers getting sick as it mitigates the spread
of the viruses (Kumar et al., 2013). It
also could prevent employees from practicing presenteeism as they work during
their illness which results in inadequate productivity and potential financial
loss (Allen et al., 2018). While there
is an upfront cost to this benefit being offered, the incentives provided are
fully realized during courses of pandemics and even the seasonal epidemics (Gianino
et al., 2019). All of this translates
into the healthcare systems as healthcare workers are often the guiltiest of
presenteeism and increase the potential spread of these viruses to not only
fellow employees but also potentially patients (Mitchell, & Vayalumkal, 2017).
As this pandemic continues to run
its course globally, the research and information collected will continue to be
deciphered and explored to identify ways in which governments could have
prevented its spread. One aspect that
will need to be investigated is the effect of the pandemic and its relation to
paid sick leave. This will include the
rate of infections within specific organizations such as those with paid sick
leave and those without. Additionally,
there will be a need to examine reinfection rates in countries with paid sick
leave along with their ability to reduce the spread of the virus. One positive aspect of this virus in this
modern age is the treasure trove of research being collected which allows for
countless research opportunities to decipher and explore for years to come.
The benefits of paid sick leave go beyond
the workplace as its absence effects workers, their families, and impacts the
healthcare system. While initially paid
sick leave was created as an added benefit to working for an employer, this
research has shown that its availability makes it a necessity. Previous research indicated that the U.S.
healthcare system would be most prepared during a pandemic, but it has become
quickly overwhelmed due to its spread (Nuclear Threat Initiative, 2019). This may be the result of workers’ inability
to stay home as they develop symptoms and continue passing the virus to more
bystanders. The lack of guaranteed paid sick leave has been noted as a
contributing factor in past pandemics. (Zhai, Santibanez, Kahn, Black, & de
Perio, 2018). Other countries have
already proven its usefulness in everyday life. Furthermore, the impact of COVID-19
upon American society has demonstrated an urgent need to change our old
standards and guarantee this benefit to all workers. While this virus continues to ransack
everyday life and impede normal businesses, it is clear that the world will
never be the same after the virus has run its course.
About the Author
J.
Hunter Martinsky, MT (AMT), is a Lead Laboratory
Scientist at Parkview Randallia Hospital in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He is also a 2020 Graduate of the M.H.A.
program of Saint Joseph’s College of Maine and a baccalaureate graduate in
Human Biology from Indiana University.
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