While not all jobs offer paid sick leave, new findings suggest this should be something policy makers should turn into mandatory practice.

Paid sick leave is harder to come by than it should be, but a new study reveals that offering it to employees is better for them, their families and their coworkers. The study compared workers with paid sick leave versus those without and found that, “Those without paid sick leave were three times more likely to delay medical care for themselves due to cost.” Not only that, but they were also twice as likely to forgo medical care for a family member because of cost, and were also more likely to have recently visited an emergency room. Aside from these more serious cases, there’s also the fact that when a sick employee comes into the office it puts the rest of the office at risk of getting sick too. Aside from this, workers who are sick are far less productive (we’ve all be there), so what’s the point?

According to the research, there’s no evidence that shows employees might take advantage of paid sick leave. Workers have proven that they rarely take sick days throughout the year, with or without paid sick leave. Have more trust in people and don’t assume the worst, policy makers. Paid sick leave is a growing concern that needs to be addressed, and frankly, it should be a right for every person in the working class. We’re living in the 21st century, it's time to act like it.