Taking advantage of unpaid leave can increase the chances that workers will face economic hardship

Using her recent research on paid sick leave, a researcher from Brandeis University summarizes economic challenges that the pandemic poses for workers who become sick or need to care for a family member. The patchwork of sick leave policies through employers, local, state, and now federal law (through the Families First Coronavirus Response Act) are largely capped at two weeks, which would be insufficient for those with long hospital stays, more severe symptoms, or multiple cases in the household. More importantly, sick leave is unaffordable for most workers: six weeks of unpaid leave would cost workers more than twice in wages what it would cost their counterparts with paid leave. #covid-19 #workforce