Pros and Cons of a Paid Sick Leave Mandate

From 3arf

As employment law and healthcare reforms continue to take shape in the US, the issue of a legal paid sick leave mandate is continuing to rear its head.

According to theMSNBC website, some state and local governments are already starting to introduce compulsory paid sick leave legislation. While a national mandate does not yet exist, the idea was previously proposed when the bird flu epidemic was a hot topic, and the suggestion is sure to be made time and again. So what are the pros and cons of a paid sick leave mandate? The answer to that question depends on your point of view.

Pros

Offers employees more protection and consistency

Many employees are currently in employment with limited benefits. Whereas one person might enjoy a generous paid sick leave allowance, another may receive no paid leave at all. A mandate would redress this imbalance. It is a commonly-held belief that being paid when you are not well enough to work should be a basic employment right and such legislation could dramatically improve working life for many Americans.

Could reduce absence overall

When employees are not paid for their time off, then their financial commitments may mean that they have to go to work. If they are ill, then the chances are that they could spread the illness that they are suffering from. Overall, that can have a dramatic impact on the rest of the workforce, who could drop like flies as one person quickly becomes affected after another. Staying away from work when you are ill is not just about getting better. It's also about making sure nobody else gets sick too.

Better customer experiences

Ever been served by a waitress with a cold? It's not a particularly pleasant prospect and it also increases the chance that you will catch whatever it is that she has. Sick employees don't create great customer experiences and it pays to keep your workforce fighting fit. In retail and catering environments, the reputation damage from a poorly front line workers could be significant.

Cons

Could lead to job losses

Small business owners, in particular, stand to lose a lot from this legislation. When your margin is very small, having to shoulder the cost of paid sick leave may be a bridge too far for some employers. With the best will in the world, a small business owner may not be able to afford to pay sick leave, which could see job losses if employers are forced to comply.

Potential discrimination

The co-founder of an advocacy group named A Better Balance highlights that 64% of retail workers in New York City do not get paid sick leave. If those employers were forced to pay, then they may start to discriminate in who they employ. Older workers, obese workers, smokers and even men might start to find themselves struggling to find work if, statistically, they are in a group that has a higher instance of absence.

Increased employee misuse

Unfortunately, some employees see their sick leave entitlement as a mandatory benefit and will exhaust their annual limit, whether they are ill or not. That creates additional cost for their employer, problems for their co-workers and a host of potential performance management issues. Legislation could complicate that even further. Will employers have the chance to withhold pay if absence is not genuine? The whole issue raises a lot of questions.

While some people may take for granted that they will get paid for being sick, others should remember that paid sick leave is not yet a right. Although that may change in the future, for now, it's more complicated than the issue might first appear to be.

Image:Gwent Hospitals Blog

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