Citation Context

...ldren have slightly higher absenteeism than those with no or older children, with each child under the age of six adding about 5 percent to the probability that a mother will be absent during a year (=-=Vistnes 1997-=-). 1 Yet women are more likely than men to have neither sick nor vacation leave, and less likely to be able to miss work to care for sick kids (Heymann 2000). Policymakers in some states (California, ...

Citation Context

...r being at home when needed there. Job loss. When workers do not have authorization to stay home when they’re sick, or when a child is sick, some will have to miss work anyway and end up being fired (=-=Browne and Kennelly 1999-=-, Dodson, Manuel, and Bravo 2002). Family illness is more likely to lead to job loss for women than for men, since the responsibility for caring for sick relatives is still typically placed on women. ...

Citation Context

... of both their children and their children’s playmates. These sick children miss out on the health benefits of being cared for by their parents, leading to worse short- and long-term health outcomes (=-=Palmer 1993-=-). And having sick children in child care has the same effect as having sick adults at work: contagion and overall higher rates of infection for all the children in care (Heymann, Earle, and Egleston ...

Citation Context

...will need to take about four days off annually to care for each school-age child. In a 1990 survey, 18 percent of employed mothers reported having stayed home with a sick child in the previous month (=-=Glass and Estes 1997-=-). Some children have substantially higher absence rates due to health problems— six percent miss more than two full weeks of school (Bloom, Cohen, Vickerie, and Wondimu 2003)—but mothers of children ...

Citation Context

...s of productivity-enhancing worker loyalty effects. Many theorists postulate that employer practices that help workers combine their care work with employment increase worker productivity (see, e.g., =-=Johnson and Provan 1995-=-). Workers with more flexibility may be less distracted while at work, less exhausted by their combined family and employment work effort, more committed to a valued employer, or more determined to do...

Citation Context

...safely be at home alone when they’re sick, and even for those who can be, being comforted by a parent is important to both parent and child. In addition to the question of children’s physical safety (=-=Peterson 1989-=-), it is illegal for young children to be left home alone in many jurisdictions (Kerrebrock and Lewit 1999). The care needs of the elderly require increasing attention and resources as well, as our po...

Citation Context

...the responsibility for caring for sick relatives is still typically placed on women. One case study found that being female doubles the odds of experiencing job termination related to family illness (=-=Spilerman and Schrank 1991-=-). It is not unusual for employers to restrict their paid sick leave policies to workers who have completed an initial probationary period of employment. For some workers, this creates an insurmountab...

Citation Context

... or out of fear they will be penalized for being absent. Not taking time off to regain one’s health can actually lead to longer absences, though, as health worsens and minor problems are exacerbated (=-=Grinyer and Singleton 2000-=-.) And despite their show of loyalty, workers who show up while sick are not likely to be able to perform at their usual level of productivity (CCH Incorporated 2003). Total absence time for the emplo...

Citation Context

...et the flu or need some time off to recover from an injury. Paid sick leave is one of many non-wage benefits whose development was spurred by wage controls imposed during World War II (Schumann 2001, =-=Stelluto and Klein 1990-=-), and many workers take it for granted that their employers will cover their shortterm illnesses. Many firms even allow employees to use paid sick leave when they need to stay home to care for sick c...

Citation Context

...0 percent of that threshold. 6 The surveys report whether workers participate in the stated benefit programs—that is, they represent situations where workers are both offered and take up the benefit (=-=Wiatrowski 1996-=-). 7 These exclusions represent approximately 10 percent of the total workforce. 8 Data on coverage of federal employees are not available from this dataset, but the U.S. Office of Personnel Managemen...

Citation Context

...eave). Workers in lower-income families miss more days than those in higher-income families; this is consistent with well-established disparities in health that are correlated with income (see, e.g., =-=Arno and Figueroa 2000-=-). Absence rates are highest for workers aged 45 to 64 years, at 5.7 days per year; lower for younger workers (aged 18 to 44 years), at 4.2 days; and lowest for workers aged 65 and older, at 3.0 days ...

Citation Context

...998, each year’s EBS focused on one set of employers: either state and local governments, small private establishments (those with fewer than 100 workers), or medium and large private establishments (=-=Blostin 1999-=-). 14 Neither demographic data such as sex and level of educational attainment nor wage data were collected in the EBS. The EBS instruments were fielded throughout the year and reflected benefit cover...

Citation Context

...problems are exacerbated (Grinyer and Singleton 2000.) And despite their show of loyalty, workers who show up while sick are not likely to be able to perform at their usual level of productivity (CCH =-=Incorporated 2003-=-). Total absence time for the employee pool also increases as an illness spreads within the workplace, with additional workers being affected and having to take time off (Skatun 2003). Employers recog...

Citation Context

...(Grinyer and Singleton 2000). One of the main reasons workers cite for going to work while ill is their need to save their sick leave so they can stay home when their children are home sick (ComPsych =-=Corporation 2004-=-). Eighteen percent practice presenteeism for this reason. Another third (33 percent) feel they have too much work to do to stay home, and a quarter (26 percent) fear taking time off will have negativ...

Citation Context

...Insurance (TDI) programs. TDI provides partial wage replacement for employees unable to work due to non-work-related illness and injury, including pregnancy- and maternity-related medical disability (=-=Lovell 2004-=-). In 1993, Congress recognized the importance of time off for 2 Institute For Women’s Policy Research www.iwpr.orgworkers to care for both their own and their families’ critical health needs by mand...