Workers in many of the world’s countries have government- guaranteed paid sick leave, family leave and other benefits U.S. workers don’t, a recent study says.
The report by McGill University and Harvard University researchers looked at family-friendly policies in 190 countries that belong to the United Nations. Of the countries analyzed, 163 guaranteed paid sick leave, 177 paid maternity leave and 74 paid paternity leave. More than half the countries provide between 75 to 100 percent of normal wages for employees on sick and maternity leaves — for at least the initial part of the time off.
The U.S. federal government doesn’t guarantee those benefits for employees, the study says, and the entitlements are not universal. According to the National Partnership for Women &Families, 57 million U.S. workers have no paid sick leave, for example.
Associated Press
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