Never were truer words spoken: “Everybody gets sick – especially children.” And no-one knows this better than the working parents who struggle to care for their sick children without losing pay, their workplace credibility, or their job. This new issue brief from the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire takes a hard look at how parents and children are affected by sick leave policies. Three of the report’s key findings really struck us:
- In 2008, more than 1/2 (52%) of employed parents had fewer than 5 paid sick days to care for a sick child; lower-earning parents had the least access.
- Although employed mothers and fathers have similar access to paid sick days to care for their sick children, mothers more often miss work to care for a sick child.
- Employed parents with paid sick days to care for a sick child are nearly twice as likely to be very satisfied with their job than those without it. [Given how costly turnover is for employers (150% of a salaried workers’ pay!), job satisfaction is good for business.]
Read the whole report here.