Greater than two years into the pandemic (nonetheless not over, President Biden!), there have been practically 100 million circumstances of COVID-19 in the US. Within the starting of the pandemic, some employees have benefited from a first-ever federal regulation on paid sick go away and a rising variety of states require paid sick go away for a lot of employees. However many employees have confronted COVID-19 with out paid sick go away, and as traditional, the burden falls most closely on these employees who have already got the least.

Solely 38% of the poorest 10% of employees have paid sick go away, whereas 96% of the highest 10% profit, writes Elise Gould of the Financial Coverage Institute, pointing to current information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. And for those who’re within the backside 10% of employees, you possibly can’t afford to take unpaid day without work with out severe sacrifice. Leisure and hospitality is the trade the place the bottom share of employees – 53% – have paid sick go away, although many of those jobs are open to the general public, resulting in an elevated threat of contracting the virus. COVID or another virus, and an elevated threat of loss of life. on.