In a new survey of 2,000 working Americans that took a close look at the perceptions and racial disparities surrounding taking sick time. While the COVID-19 pandemic has Americans taking their health more seriously than ever, half of respondents feel discouraged by their workplace to call out to take care of themselves when feeling under the weather. This stress is felt even more so by Black and Latina women polled, who are 10% more likely than white women to say they avoid sick days for fear of being reprimanded.
Further, Black and Latina women polled reported they’re often likely to avoid taking time to rest and recover because of the financial strain. The results found Black women are 14% more likely and Latina women are 8% more likely than white women to say taking an unpaid sick day causes financial strain for her family.
