Nearly one-third of Americans (32%) do not have paid time off (PTO) and 45% have reported to work sick because of this omission in their job benefits, according to a new survey published by Magnify Money.
The survey found the lower an individual”™s household income, the less likely they are to get PTO ”“ 52% of American workers earning less than $35,000 don”™t have access to paid leave, compared with 20% of those making $100,000 or more. And many remote workers do not have the luxury of staying in bed rather than laboring in their home office ”“ 32% of remote workers polled for the survey stated they worked while ill instead of taking a sick day.
Those with PTO took an average of 14 days off in 2021, including sick days, vacation and personal time. The highest-paid workers took nearly twice as much time as the lowest-paid ”“ days for those making $100,000 and higher versus 10 days for those making less than $35,000.
The survey found that 97% of workers think employers should be required to provide employees with paid sick leave and paid vacation, with the majority believing two weeks of each would suffice. However, only 18% of survey respondents said they left a position because of the lack of PTO.
