The United States lags behind much of the world in its paid sick leave policies. Only four of the 193 U.N. member states – the United States, India, Somalia and South Korea – don't guarantee some form of paid sick leave for workers. What's more, 1 in 4 U.S. workers has been pressured or explicitly asked to work despite being sick. Among the other findings of the study:

Sixty-four percent of workers experience negative emotions such as stress, anxiety, guilt or fear when requesting sick time.
Nearly three-fourths agreed that no one needs to know the exact reason why they are taking a sick day.
Forty percent of workers said they feel insecure taking sick time because they think others assume they're faking it.
Overall, younger workers face more challenges around sick leave and sickness. In the last year, 68% of Gen Z employees have taken a sick day for mental health reasons and 93% of millennials have worked despite being sick.
Nearly two-thirds of workers believe it's their employer's responsibility to mandate a work culture that allows unquestioned sick leave.

Many employees have good reason to be scared to call in sick. Although the overwhelming majority of employees work through sickness, managers often are skeptical that employees are actually physically sick when they call in. Three-fourths of managers have suspected someone they manage has used sick leave without being physically ill, and most managers have suspected a sick-day faker on their roster.

Instant Insights /

Many U.S. workers afraid to use paid sick leave when they really need it, study finds

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