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The heroes of the coronavirus crisis & the new #paidleave law: A thread.
Spoiler alert: Few of the highest-risk workers get even a single sick day under the law.
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Spoiler alert: Few of the highest-risk workers get even a single sick day under the law.
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The new coronavirus #paidleave law, effective 4/1/20, gives 10 days of emergency paid sick leave and 10 additional weeks of emergency paid family leave to tens of millions of American workers.
For details, see: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/16/paid-sick-leave-coronavirus-house-bill/?itid=ap_heatherlong 2/
For details, see: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/16/paid-sick-leave-coronavirus-house-bill/?itid=ap_heatherlong 2/
The #paidleave law is going to be a literal lifesaver for many American workers and their families, helping people get tested & treated, quarantine, and avoid exposure to the virus--without losing a job or going without a paycheck during these perilous economic times. 3/
But the #paidleave law leaves out tens of millions of workers, too, and the list of who's NOT covered is pretty shocking.
First up, health care and emergency response workers. https://www.vox.com/2020/4/2/21204402/coronavirus-covid-19-doctors-nurses-health-care-workers 4/
First up, health care and emergency response workers. https://www.vox.com/2020/4/2/21204402/coronavirus-covid-19-doctors-nurses-health-care-workers 4/
Health care providers & emergency response workers can be excluded from both emergency paid sick days AND paid family leave by their employers OR by the Dept of Labor (DOL). DOL interpreted this exemption so broadly that it totals over *13M* workers. 5/
To be clear, the health care & emergency response exemption in the emergency #paidleave law means that up to 13 MILLION workers exposed to coronavirus in the line of duty may not qualify for a single sick day in the law. Not for testing, not for treatment, not for quarantine. 6/
Leaving health care & emergency workers out of a paid leave law designed specifically for the coronavirus crisis is not just grossly unjust, it's a public health threat. These are the workers MOST likely to be exposed. To contain the virus, they need tests & quarantines. 7/
Now for another list of coronavirus heroes, "essential" workers who continue to work at grocery stores, pharmacies, retail stores, warehouses & delivery companies, because mayors and governors have deemed their work too important to stay safely at home. https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/The-unsung-heroes-of-coronavirus-Grocery-workers-15159884.php 8/
These "essential" workers in the coronavirus crisis typically work for low wages and minimal benefits. Now they're literally risking their lives so the rest of us can eat, take our medicines, and get the vital things we need. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-coronavirus-worker-revolt-is-just-beginning_n_5e84e57bc5b60bbd734e3fa0?ncid=engmodushpmg00000004 9/
What does the new emergency #paidleave law do for essential workers taking on newly hazardous work? Not much! Up to 88% of essential workers may not even get a single sick day under the law, according to a WaPo analysis: https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/national/sick-leave-workers-coronavirus/ 10/
Just like health care and emergency response workers, these unsung heroes at groceries, pharmacies & delivery companies are at high risk of exposure. Many of them have little to no sick days in the best of times. 11/
But the emergency #paidleave law doesn't cover ANY workers at large businesses w/500+ employees. Think about where you buy your groceries, pick up your prescriptions, order your packages. Not a single of those workers are covered by the law. 12/
All told, more than 3/4 of American workers work for employers that qualify for exemptions from the law. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/02/us/politics/coronavirus-paid-leave.html 13/
Policymakers are already planning the next coronavirus relief bill. Will this one extend lifesaving #paidleave to the workers on the front lines of the crisis, those most likely to be exposed to and spread the virus? https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/30/us/politics/coronavirus-stimulus-relief-congress.html 14/14
