Changes in Access to Paid Sick Leave Since the Introduction of Emergency Paid Sick Leave

During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government required most employers to provide paid sick leave on a temporary basis (through the end of 2020). To evaluate both the impact of this emergency paid sick leave and changes since its expiration, this study examines the annual percentage of workers reporting access to paid sick leave from 2019 to 2023.

We calculated the prevalence of workers reporting access to paid sick leave using data from the National Health Interview Surveys for the years 2019-2023. We also calculated prevalence stratified by demographic and socioeconomic variables.

There was a small but statistically significant rise in the percentage of workers reporting access to paid sick leave in 2020 following the introduction of mandated paid sick leave compared to 2019 (2020 = 67.6%, 2019 = 62.0%). Many workers of color and those with less education and lower income did not see substantial increases in paid sick leave access.

Additional efforts at the federal or state levels will be required to expand paid sick leave to workers without it, including those in the construction, services, and retail sectors, part-time workers, those employed by small businesses, and in alternative work arrangements.