Chart of the week: Support for paid sick days extends across the political spectrum

A recent survey designed and conducted by National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago asked Americans about their support for paid sick days as a labor standard — similar to workplace safety laws or the minimum wage.

When asked the question: “The government sets various standards to protect workers’ rights. How important do you consider [paid sick days]. Would you say [it is] very important, somewhat important, somewhat unimportant, or very unimportant for workers?”, 69% of respondents indicated they considered paid sick days a “very important” workplace standard. But perhaps the more interesting result of the survey is in this week’s chart.

Respondents across the political spectrum expressed strong support for paid sick days as a labor standard. The lowest support came from Independent and Republican Leaning Independent respondents, which polled at 61% and 59% respectively — still a quite solid majority. Overwhelming support for paid sick days (80% or more) was shown by Strong Democrat, Democratically Learning Independent, and Not So Strong Republican.

PSD chart

As demonstrated by Milwaukee voters in 2008, where a paid sick days referendum passed with 69% of the public vote, paid sick days is not a wedge issue. It is considered ‘very important’ among the majority of the electorate, regardless of political affiliation. Isn’t it about time we considered it here at home?

New Survey Shows Widespread Support for Paid Sick Days

From the Public News Service:

SEATTLE – More than half the people questioned in a new national survey said they’ve either gone to work with a contagious illness or sent their kids to school or child care sick, because they didn’t have paid sick leave and couldn’t afford to stay home.

The University of Chicago’s National Opinion Research Center found that 86 percent of people surveyed think workers should be able to earn a minimum of seven paid sick days per year. Senior fellow and survey director Tom Smith says employers have several ways to minimize paid time off for illness.

“We found that many workers have only a very restricted or limited version [ of paid sick days]. They may not be able to use it for family members, or they may have only a few days of paid time off, which has to cover not only sick days, but vacations, jury duty, etc.”

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Lack of Paid Sick Days Takes Significant Toll on Workers, Public Support Growing

Via the Public Welfare Foundation:

Nearly one in six people polled in a national survey (16 percent) say they have lost a job for taking time off from work to care for a sick child or family member, or to cope with their own illness. Released today, the survey was conducted by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago this spring.

It finds that the lack of paid sick days is harming our public health, and straining the national health care system, in measurable ways:

  • More than half of workers without paid sick days (55 percent) have gone to work with a contagious illness like the flu, compared to 37 percent of workers with paid sick days.
  • People without paid sick days are twice as likely as those with paid sick days to use hospital emergency rooms (20 percent vs. 10 percent) because they “were unable to take off from work to get medical care during normal job hours.”
  • Nearly twice as many workers without paid sick days (24 percent) have sent a sick child to school or daycare than workers with paid sick days (14 percent).

Government data show that more than 40 million workers in this country do not have paid sick days, and many more do not have paid sick days that they can use to care for a sick child or family member. “This new survey shows conclusively that our nation is paying a high price for not allowing workers to earn paid sick days,” said Deborah Leff, president of the Public Welfare Foundation. “It demonstrates that not having paid sick days drives up the costs of health care and causes more people to go to work sick, creating public health risks for everyone. It is no wonder that a strong majority of people across every racial group, every income level, every age group, every part of the country, and both political parties see paid sick days as a basic worker’s right, just like being paid a decent wage.”

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