Your right to paid sick leave
Senior Fellow Chris Lu argues that American workers deserve protections when they fall ill
Read the full story at Newsweek
The COVID-19 pandemic has left many workers in the United States with a difficult choice when they are sick. They can either go to work, endangering the health of their co-workers, or they can give up a day's pay to care for themselves and sick family members, often jeopardizing their family's finances in the process.
But the truth is that U.S. workers have always been faced with this impossible choice; the current global health crisis simply raises the stakes. The United States is the only major world economy that does not guarantee paid leave for workers, no matter what job they do. The consequences of forcing people to choose between a paycheck and their health are now devastating not only for individuals and families, but for the public at large.
U.S. workers deserve pay and protections. They deserve solutions. But instead, many workers across the country find themselves confused—for good reason. While Congress has made progress on making sure those who need to stay home can do so, the Trump administration has undermined many protections Congress tried to put in place.