The Effect of Paid Sick Leave Mandates on Coverage, Work Absences, and Presenteeism

ABSTRACT

We evaluate the impact of paid sick leave (PSL) mandates on PSL coverage, work absences, and presenteeism (that is, attending work while sick) for private-sector workers in the United States. Our identification strategy relies on geographic and temporal variation in mandate enactment, as well as within-county variation in the propensity to gain PSL following a mandate. We find that PSL mandates increase coverage rates and work absences for those most likely to gain coverage, and these effects are larger for women and households with children. We also provide evidence that PSL mandates reduce the rate of presenteeism.