By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – People in the U.S. have access to arguably the best healthcare available. And the nation could be near the bottom in workplace practices that allow people to stay home when they are sick.

You might find that scary as coronavirus spreads.

“This is a problem that can be fixed. This is a matter of public policy. Government can, in fact, implement rules that mandate a period of paid time off for sickness. So this is really kind of an unforced error” on the government’s part, says Bob Bruno, a labor and employment relations professor at the University of Illinois.

“You’re forced into this absolute, terrible, Hobbesian choice,” he adds. “Do I risk getting sicker? Do I not pay my rent? Do I not pay my bills? Most workers, even at the median wage, could not take two weeks off and do without a paycheck.”

Bruno says even workers with access to paid sick time generally don’t use all they have coming.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]