About half of the U.S. workforce (nearly 60 million workers) does not have paid sick days, according to recent surveys, and the numbers keep increasing as employers look to cut overhead.
In 2002, 60 percent of non-managerial and nonprofessional workers got paid sick days, compared to 67 percent in 1997. Unpaid sick days are more common in low-wage occupations: Between 25 and 47 percent of low-wage workers get paid sick days, compared to 70 to 84 percent of high-wage workers, according to The Boston Globe.