September 19, 2022
Payers
  • A Wall Street Journal article explores how work-life policies like paid sick and medical leave are becoming a more high-stakes economic issue as workers in many fields are more willing to strike. In recent weeks, nurses in Minnesota, mental health workers in California and Hawaii, and nursing home workers in Pennsylvania have gone (or are) on strike because of pay and benefits. According to 2021 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 53 percent of workers in in the lowest quartile of earners have paid sick leave, compared to 94 percent of high-income workers. Even when workers technically have sick leave, workplace policies requiring doctors notes or finding someone to fill shifts can prevent people from staying home. (Article here)