Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Study Finds Paying for Sick Leave Saves Employers Money

By now, most workers realize that paid sick leave is a valuable workplace benefit that is no longer guaranteed by many employers.

Reducing or eliminating sick-leave allotments has become increasingly common as employers over the past few years have evaluated all benefit programs for cost-savings.

Now comes the counterintuitive news that eliminating paid-sick leave may not be in the best interests of employers. A study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that workers who have the ability to take paid sick time are less likely to be injured on the job than people who don’t receive paid sick leave.

Sponsored
Sponsored

The study reports that employees with access to paid sick leave have a 28 percent lowered risk of workplace injury than people without it.

Clearly, the risk of workplace injury varies by job type. For health care workers, not having paid sick leave resulted in an 18 percent higher risk of workplace injury. Construction workers – who have some of the highest injury rates – had a 21 percent higher risk of injury when they didn’t have paid sick time.

Additionally, if sick or stressed workers are not able to take time off from work, they may be a greater risk for workplace-related injuries, according to the study. Previous studies have reported that sleep deprivation, fatigue, and certain medications may contribute to work injuries.

And, the added factor of a struggling economy means that some workers are reluctant to take time off for their illnesses if they have no paid leave. Employers report that paid sick-leave policies increases payroll expenses by 1.5 percent.

“Many workers may feel pressured to work while they are sick, out of fear of losing their income,” says study researcher Abay Asfaw. “If fewer people work while they are sick, this could lead to safer operations and fewer injuries in the workplace.”

It is estimated that more than 40 million American workers currently do not enjoy paid sick leave.

New York City is considering an ordinance that would require employers with five or more employees to provide paid sick leave. It would join municipalities such as San Francisco and Washington, D.C., along with the state of Connecticut, that require employers to offer paid leave. They report that the leave policy has resulted in lower turnover, higher productivity and morale, and reduced job loss for workers.

John Howard, who heads up the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, says the study shows how work and private lives are intertwined.

“This concept of total worker health, which involves creating an environment of well-being both at home and at work, is an important aspect of the American economy, as we depend on able and productive workers,” Howard says.

The CDC study shines a light on the previously underappreciated benefits of paid sick leave. But know that a clear economic benefit for employers has been spelled out by the reduced risk of workplace injuries, employers may welcome paid sick time as a benefit for both themselves and their workers.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Best Sports Betting Sites - 10 Online Sportsbooks Ranked for 2024

Best Sports Betting Sites (2024) - Reviews of TOP Online Sportsbooks
Next Article

20 Best Online Casinos USA For Real Money (2024 List)

USA Online Casinos: Top 20 Online Casino Sites of 2024

By now, most workers realize that paid sick leave is a valuable workplace benefit that is no longer guaranteed by many employers.

Reducing or eliminating sick-leave allotments has become increasingly common as employers over the past few years have evaluated all benefit programs for cost-savings.

Now comes the counterintuitive news that eliminating paid-sick leave may not be in the best interests of employers. A study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that workers who have the ability to take paid sick time are less likely to be injured on the job than people who don’t receive paid sick leave.

Sponsored
Sponsored

The study reports that employees with access to paid sick leave have a 28 percent lowered risk of workplace injury than people without it.

Clearly, the risk of workplace injury varies by job type. For health care workers, not having paid sick leave resulted in an 18 percent higher risk of workplace injury. Construction workers – who have some of the highest injury rates – had a 21 percent higher risk of injury when they didn’t have paid sick time.

Additionally, if sick or stressed workers are not able to take time off from work, they may be a greater risk for workplace-related injuries, according to the study. Previous studies have reported that sleep deprivation, fatigue, and certain medications may contribute to work injuries.

And, the added factor of a struggling economy means that some workers are reluctant to take time off for their illnesses if they have no paid leave. Employers report that paid sick-leave policies increases payroll expenses by 1.5 percent.

“Many workers may feel pressured to work while they are sick, out of fear of losing their income,” says study researcher Abay Asfaw. “If fewer people work while they are sick, this could lead to safer operations and fewer injuries in the workplace.”

It is estimated that more than 40 million American workers currently do not enjoy paid sick leave.

New York City is considering an ordinance that would require employers with five or more employees to provide paid sick leave. It would join municipalities such as San Francisco and Washington, D.C., along with the state of Connecticut, that require employers to offer paid leave. They report that the leave policy has resulted in lower turnover, higher productivity and morale, and reduced job loss for workers.

John Howard, who heads up the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, says the study shows how work and private lives are intertwined.

“This concept of total worker health, which involves creating an environment of well-being both at home and at work, is an important aspect of the American economy, as we depend on able and productive workers,” Howard says.

The CDC study shines a light on the previously underappreciated benefits of paid sick leave. But know that a clear economic benefit for employers has been spelled out by the reduced risk of workplace injuries, employers may welcome paid sick time as a benefit for both themselves and their workers.

Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

20 Best Online Casinos USA For Real Money (2024 List)

USA Online Casinos: Top 20 Online Casino Sites of 2024
Next Article

March is typically windy, Sage scents in the foothills

Butterflies may cross the county
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.