Jan 10, 2022
As U.S. workers ill with Covid-19 during the Omicron surge face the stark choice of staying home without pay at the risk of losing their jobs or reporting to work and possibly infecting colleagues and customers, progressives on Monday renewed calls for the implementation of paid sick leave at the national level.
"I thought I was doing the right thing by protecting my co-workers. Now I wish I just would've gone to work and not said anything."
"In the midst of a horrific pandemic, two-thirds of low-wage workers still lack access to paid sick leave. That is barbaric," Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) tweeted.
"We must guarantee that all workers have a right to paid sick leave," he added.
According to a report published Monday by Popular Information and the advocacy group More Perfect Union, workers at Red Lobster, the seafood restaurant chain owned by the private equity firm Golden Gate Capital, are being forced to report for work under threat of reprimands that could lead to termination.
\u201cNEW: Red Lobster refuses to provide paid sick leave to its 50,000+ restaurant workers during the ongoing pandemic.\n\nEmployees told us horror stories of managers insisting they work while sick with COVID.\n\nIn a new survey, 63% of Red Lobster workers said they worked sick.\u201d— More Perfect Union (@More Perfect Union) 1641824808
The report states that:
James Swartz worked as a bartender at a Pennsylvania Red Lobster for a year-and-a-half starting in December 2019. He was paid $3.50 per hour, plus tips. In an interview, Swartz said when he developed Covid symptoms and told management he was not coming in for his weekend shifts, he was subjected to "threats." Red Lobster management told Swartz that he "needed to come in for work" and if he didn't show up or find another way to cover the shift he would "get written up."
Another Red Lobster employee who did not want to be identified for fear of retribution toldThe Columbus Dispatch that "we don't have sick days and yes, I go into work when I'm sick. If we call off, we get written up."
The worker said they would be fired after four write-ups.
"It's a vicious cycle," Daniel Schneider, professor of public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, told the Associated Press. "As staffing gets depleted because people are out sick, that means that those that are on the job have more to do and are even more reluctant to call in sick when they in turn get sick."
One New Mexico worker, who also did not want to be identified, told the AP that they took time off to get tested for Covid-19 after experiencing symptoms of the illness.
"I thought I was doing the right thing by protecting my co-workers," the worker--who lost $160 per day off--said. "Now I wish I just would've gone to work and not said anything."
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) echoed the sentiments of many progressives when she tweeted Monday that "there's a simple answer" to these workers' dilemma: "Paid leave."
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
As U.S. workers ill with Covid-19 during the Omicron surge face the stark choice of staying home without pay at the risk of losing their jobs or reporting to work and possibly infecting colleagues and customers, progressives on Monday renewed calls for the implementation of paid sick leave at the national level.
"I thought I was doing the right thing by protecting my co-workers. Now I wish I just would've gone to work and not said anything."
"In the midst of a horrific pandemic, two-thirds of low-wage workers still lack access to paid sick leave. That is barbaric," Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) tweeted.
"We must guarantee that all workers have a right to paid sick leave," he added.
According to a report published Monday by Popular Information and the advocacy group More Perfect Union, workers at Red Lobster, the seafood restaurant chain owned by the private equity firm Golden Gate Capital, are being forced to report for work under threat of reprimands that could lead to termination.
\u201cNEW: Red Lobster refuses to provide paid sick leave to its 50,000+ restaurant workers during the ongoing pandemic.\n\nEmployees told us horror stories of managers insisting they work while sick with COVID.\n\nIn a new survey, 63% of Red Lobster workers said they worked sick.\u201d— More Perfect Union (@More Perfect Union) 1641824808
The report states that:
James Swartz worked as a bartender at a Pennsylvania Red Lobster for a year-and-a-half starting in December 2019. He was paid $3.50 per hour, plus tips. In an interview, Swartz said when he developed Covid symptoms and told management he was not coming in for his weekend shifts, he was subjected to "threats." Red Lobster management told Swartz that he "needed to come in for work" and if he didn't show up or find another way to cover the shift he would "get written up."
Another Red Lobster employee who did not want to be identified for fear of retribution toldThe Columbus Dispatch that "we don't have sick days and yes, I go into work when I'm sick. If we call off, we get written up."
The worker said they would be fired after four write-ups.
"It's a vicious cycle," Daniel Schneider, professor of public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, told the Associated Press. "As staffing gets depleted because people are out sick, that means that those that are on the job have more to do and are even more reluctant to call in sick when they in turn get sick."
One New Mexico worker, who also did not want to be identified, told the AP that they took time off to get tested for Covid-19 after experiencing symptoms of the illness.
"I thought I was doing the right thing by protecting my co-workers," the worker--who lost $160 per day off--said. "Now I wish I just would've gone to work and not said anything."
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) echoed the sentiments of many progressives when she tweeted Monday that "there's a simple answer" to these workers' dilemma: "Paid leave."
From Your Site Articles
As U.S. workers ill with Covid-19 during the Omicron surge face the stark choice of staying home without pay at the risk of losing their jobs or reporting to work and possibly infecting colleagues and customers, progressives on Monday renewed calls for the implementation of paid sick leave at the national level.
"I thought I was doing the right thing by protecting my co-workers. Now I wish I just would've gone to work and not said anything."
"In the midst of a horrific pandemic, two-thirds of low-wage workers still lack access to paid sick leave. That is barbaric," Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) tweeted.
"We must guarantee that all workers have a right to paid sick leave," he added.
According to a report published Monday by Popular Information and the advocacy group More Perfect Union, workers at Red Lobster, the seafood restaurant chain owned by the private equity firm Golden Gate Capital, are being forced to report for work under threat of reprimands that could lead to termination.
\u201cNEW: Red Lobster refuses to provide paid sick leave to its 50,000+ restaurant workers during the ongoing pandemic.\n\nEmployees told us horror stories of managers insisting they work while sick with COVID.\n\nIn a new survey, 63% of Red Lobster workers said they worked sick.\u201d— More Perfect Union (@More Perfect Union) 1641824808
The report states that:
James Swartz worked as a bartender at a Pennsylvania Red Lobster for a year-and-a-half starting in December 2019. He was paid $3.50 per hour, plus tips. In an interview, Swartz said when he developed Covid symptoms and told management he was not coming in for his weekend shifts, he was subjected to "threats." Red Lobster management told Swartz that he "needed to come in for work" and if he didn't show up or find another way to cover the shift he would "get written up."
Another Red Lobster employee who did not want to be identified for fear of retribution toldThe Columbus Dispatch that "we don't have sick days and yes, I go into work when I'm sick. If we call off, we get written up."
The worker said they would be fired after four write-ups.
"It's a vicious cycle," Daniel Schneider, professor of public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, told the Associated Press. "As staffing gets depleted because people are out sick, that means that those that are on the job have more to do and are even more reluctant to call in sick when they in turn get sick."
One New Mexico worker, who also did not want to be identified, told the AP that they took time off to get tested for Covid-19 after experiencing symptoms of the illness.
"I thought I was doing the right thing by protecting my co-workers," the worker--who lost $160 per day off--said. "Now I wish I just would've gone to work and not said anything."
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) echoed the sentiments of many progressives when she tweeted Monday that "there's a simple answer" to these workers' dilemma: "Paid leave."
From Your Site Articles
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.