How much of a burden are sick leave benefits to American companies? In this article referencing a Harvard study, this country actually lags far behind the fifteen most competitive countries in the world in all forms of paid leave for illness for employees or family members. So, according to this study, more stringent sick leave policies are a hindrance rather than a benefit as the conventional wisdom would imply.
Edit: The name of the book that the study's findings are found in is "Raising the Global Floor: Dismantling the Myth that We Can't Afford Good Working Conditions for Everyone." and here is a link to the book synopsis.
The following is an excerpt from that page; "The authors' findings are dramatic. They show that there is no relationship between unemployment rates and providing basic protections in a series of critical areas. Strikingly, data also indicate that good working conditions can make countries more competitive. There are no long-term economic gains to be had if workers are denied paid sick leave, paid annual leave, paid parental leave, the right to a day of rest, and many other basic protections that would improve the quality of their lives."
