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5 million ways to avoid the flu?

flu 5 million FEWER cases of the flu this year sound good? A study of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic shows that a national paid sick days policy could have prevented up to 5 million cases of the flu.

But 40 million Americans don’t have access to paid sick days. And in this economy you can bet they’ll be going to work sick, or sending their kids to school sick – rather than risk losing a day’s pay or even losing their job.

Tell your U.S. Senators: Paid sick days are critical for American families’ economic security. It’s not okay for families to be one virus away from losing income or becoming unemployed. We need you to support and pass the Healthy Families Act.

Dear Senator,

I’m your constituent and a member of MomsRising. I’m writing today because it’s flu season and I’m doing everything I can to keep my family healthy, but I need your help: A new study from the University of Pittsburgh estimates that if there had been a national paid sick days policy in place in 2009, 5 million (!!!) cases of the flu could have been avoided during the H1N1 pandemic. [1]

Please support and help pass the Healthy Families Act (H.R. 1876, S. 984).

Currently, 40 million Americans don’t have paid sick days and in this economy you can bet they’ll be going to work sick, or sending their kids to school sick – rather than risk losing a day’s pay or their job. [2] And that presenteism - when workers come to work sick – not only puts other’s health at risk it costs the national economy about $160 billion a year in lost productivity.  [3] That’s a hit we can’t afford right now.

Its flu season, and election season is right around the corner. Support of paid sick days is an issue that is important to me and to other parents.

Sincerely,

[1] Kumar, S. et al. (2012, November 17). “The Impact of Workplace Policies and Other Social Factors on Self-Reported Influenza-Like Illness Incidence During the 2009 H1N1 Pandemic.” American Journal of Public Health, 102(1).

[2] U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2010, March). Employee Benefits in the United States: Selected paid leave benefits: Access, National Compensation Survey (Table 6)

[3] Stewart, W. et al. (2003, December). Lost Productive Health Time Costs from Health Conditions in the United States: Results from the American Productivity Audit. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 45. Retrieved 22 April 2011, from http://www.wellsteps.com/admin/attachments/16d22c5cba7c1a967f9dc4c24edc0f44.pdf

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5 million ways to avoid the flu?