All workers, regardless of what kind of job they have or how much they earn, should be able to care for themselves or a loved one in time of illness. Unfortunately, too many Texans are forced to choose between their health and their job because they don’t have access to paid sick days.
This week the independent, non-partisan Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) released two studies presenting estimates of access to paid sick time in Dallas and San Antonio. Highlights from their findings are below.
Dallas
- An estimated 41 percent (about 300,000) of workers in Dallas lack paid sick time, and low-income and part-time workers are especially unlikely to be covered.
- Of these, an estimated 291,587 are employed in the private sector.
- Access to paid sick time varies widely depending on the type of job employees hold. In Dallas, as in Austin, worker access to paid sick time is particularly low for workers in natural resources, construction, and maintenance.
- Access to paid sick leave in Dallas also varies greatly by race and ethnicity:
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- 55% of Hispanic workers lack access to paid sick days
- 37% of Black workers lack access to paid sick days
- 33% of Asian workers lack access to paid sick days
- 31% of White workers lack access to paid sick days
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“All Dallas workers, regardless of what kind of job they have or how much they earn, should be able to care for themselves or a loved one in time of illness. Unfortunately, too many of our friends and neighbors are forced to choose between their health and their job because they don’t have access to paid sick days.” -Rev. Dr. Michael Greene, Pastor at Highland Hills United Methodist Church in Dallas and a clergy leader with Faith in Texas.
Read the full analysis here.
San Antonio
- An estimated 39 percent (353,813) of workers in San Antonio lack paid sick time, and low-income and part-time workers are especially unlikely to be covered.
- Of these, an estimated 336,702 are employed in the private sector.
- Access to paid sick time varies widely depending on the type of job employees hold. In San Antonio, worker access to paid sick time is especially low in service occupations, which has important public health implications due to risk of contagion.
- Access to paid sick leave in San Antonio also varies greatly by race and ethnicity:
- 43% of Hispanic workers lack access to paid sick days
- 37% of Black workers lack access to paid sick days
- 34% of Asian workers lack access to paid sick days
- 34% of White workers lack access to paid sick days
Read the full analysis here.
Everyone gets sick. Working families deserve to know that if they or a family member have an illness, they won’t lose wages if they take time to recover or tend to their family. IWPR’s recent reports demonstrate that this is still not reality for many families. Guaranteeing this basic standard to all workers will make a tangible difference in the health and financial security of working families in both Dallas and San Antonio.
“CPPP supports policies that raise standards for working families and improve the public health of our communities,” said Ann Beeson, CEO of the Center for Public Policy Priorities in Austin. “We will continue to share data and analysis to demonstrate the need for greater public health and worker protections.”
See IWPR’s 2017 analyses of access to paid sick time in Austin and statewide, and read more from CPPP on paid sick days here.
Photo credit: Flickr.com, Stuart Seeger/Sean Pinto. Creative Commons license CC BY-SA 2.0.