Why Paid Sick Days And Paid Leave Are Crucial For Black Workers

As we take time this month to focus in on Black history, let us acknowledge a reality that is often overlooked in Black communities: Black workers need paid leave.

Here’s the reality: nearly 40% of Black workers do not have access to paid sick days (PSD). This means at least 40% of Black workers worry about losing their pay or job when they or a loved one are sick and need time to care. Because we know workers without paid sick days are less likely to go to the doctor or access preventive care, think of the impact on African Americans, who are 60 percent more likely to have diabetes than their white peers. They also have substantially higher mortality rates from stroke, heart disease and breast cancer. While we are fighting for an effective, universal health care program, we have to make sure we fight for time to use it.

Considering that the overwhelming majority (81%) of Black mothers are key breadwinners for their families, it’s disheartening to see how few have access to #paidleave when a serious health or caregiving need arises. Black mothers are risking their livelihoods to care for their children when they’re sick. They’re weighing the effects of lost wages against the need for immunizations and standard check-ups.

We know that one in five African Americans serves as a caregiver to an adult family member or someone close to them, and more than half of these caregivers work full time. However, many of these caregivers struggle to balance work, appointments for loved ones, and self-care wit the constant threat of lost wages.

Being a caregiver to a loved one has always been paramount in the Black community. It’s the very thing that holds a ‘village’ together through struggles and successes. Black workers, especially mothers and caregivers, should not have to choose between their jobs and their families. Black workers need paid leave.

By Alexis Standifer, staff at Family Values at Work and the Labor Project for Working Families.