The absence of adequate sick leave can also contribute to low worker morale, less productivity, and higher turnover--all of which affect a corporation's profit margin.
There is, of course, sick leave abuse--a worker who calls in sick and then spends the day golfing, or shopping, or is just plain hung over from last night's party. Just as companies don't have sick leave, they also don't have personal days, which can be used for those days when an employee has an important family issue or just doesn't feel like coming to work. The lack of personal days can significantly decrease worker productivity on the days they would rather be somewhere else than the office or factory line.
In contrast to the lack of sick leave and personal days, many corporations give upper management unlimited sick days and allow personal days for when a compelling social engagement, such as that golf outing with fellow business executives, seems to be "appropriate."
None of this matters to Pennsylvania's Republicans. Their issue is to give bosses full control over workers; they want to give bosses the right to issue benefits, sick leave, and personal days if they want to do so, or to exclude those benefits if they also want to do so. That's what they believe is right.
And they are wrong.
Dr. Brasch is an award-winning journalist, and author of 20 books. His latest book is the critically-acclaimed Fracking Pennsylvania.]
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