The COVID-19 pandemic has focused public and policy attention on the acute lack of paid sick leave for service-sector workers in the United States. The lack of paid sick leave is potentially a threat not only to workers’ well-being but also to public health.
While essential workers have received a lot of acknowledgment for working through the COVID-19 pandemic, recent reports and surveys have found that these workers are facing many challenges concerning their health and financial situations. OSHA has allowed individual employers to set their own safety standards and protocols, leading to discrepancies.
Come January 2021, the Virginia General Assembly will resume debates over whether or not employers should be required to provide paid sick leave. According to recent data from The Shift Project, about 1.2 million Virginians lack paid sick time or family leave.
The Shift Project’s Fall ’20 survey asked employees at the largest retail and food companies about PPE practices, revealing a significant percentage of workers unable to socially distance and dealing with customers unwilling to mask. There is notable variance between employers as well, based on cultural and political reasons.
According to The Shift Project’s survey, only a third of Virginia workers at the largest service sector employers have access to paid sick leave. There is a significant difference across industries, with 93 percent of employees at hardware and building supply stores reporting access and only 7 percent of workers at casual dining restaurants.
According to research conducted by The Shift Project, only a third of workers at the 103 largest service sector industry employers in Virginia have access to paid sick leave. Additional comments by Daniel Schneider and Virginia advocates further explain the implications of this research and how Virginia is looking to address the issue.
In interviews and internet threads, employees are reporting that companies are providing insufficient protection or benefits, opting instead for rewards that do not address their concerns about job safety or stability. This is in addition to the varying work conditions reported by employees in The Shift Project's survey.
LatinoJustice PRLDEF, a legal advocacy organization, filed a complaint with the New York State Attorney General against Lidl, a German grocery company which recently acquired Best Market, for the company's compliance with labor protocols mandated for essential businesses. Employees are demanding Lidl for consistent cleaning, full information on and access to paid leave, and hazard pay.
