Profiling the U.S. Sick Leave Landscape: Presenteeism among Females

Objective

To profile the sick leave landscape in the United States.

Data Sources

The 2011 Leave Supplement of the American Time Use Survey.

Study Design

Bivariate and multivariate analyses to identify (i) employees without sick pay coverage and (ii) employees who attend work sick.

Principal Findings

Sixty‐five percent of full‐time employees have sick pay coverage. Coverage rates are below 20 percent for employees with hourly wages below $10, part‐time employees, and employees in the hospitality and leisure industry.

Conclusion

Each week, up to 3 million U.S. employees go to work sick. Females, low‐income earners, and those aged 25 to 34 years have a significantly elevated risk of presenteeism behavior.