Workforce Development

The Cost of Living Without Paid Sick Leave

February 3, 2014

The video above is the full session of the Economic Opportunities Program event, “Time to Care: A Discussion on Improving Paid Leave Policies for Workers, Businesses, and Our Economy.”

More than 40 million Americans work without a single paid sick day. For scores of US families that means having to make the choice between taking a day to heal or care for a sick loved one and losing that day’s wages. The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program tackled this issue head-on in a recent panel discussion on improving paid leave policies for workers, businesses, and our economy. 

In the video below, Ellen Bravo, executive director of Family Values at Work, uses real-world examples to describe the disadvantages of not getting paid sick leave.

Below, watch John Feehery, president of Quinn Gillespie Communications and director of QGA Government Affairs, as well as a self-described pro-life Republican, speak on the issues Americans face in balancing family care with work, and why the government needs to step in to create a more family-friendly society.

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  • Follow the #talkgoodjobs conversation about the event.