A total of 17.7 million healthcare workers are potentially ineligible for emergency paid sick leave benefits through the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act, according to a new Kaiser Family Foundation analysis.
The analysis, which examined the Census Bureau's 2019 Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement, found that at least 69.4 million adult U.S. workers are potentially ineligible for the paid sick leave benefits.
Of the potentially ineligible healthcare workers, the analysis found that women make up 75 percent of the healthcare workers who are either automatically excluded from emergency paid sick leave law or exempt. People of color make up 39 percent of excluded or exempted healthcare workers.
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which took effect in April, provides eligible workers with two weeks (up to 80 hours) of paid leave for reasons related to COVID-19. It does not include workers at private employers with 500 or more employees, and it has certain exemptions for healthcare and emergency response workers.
Read more about the analysis here.
More articles on workforce:
Lack of testing, PPE biggest challenges for nurse practitioners + 5 other survey findings
Where healthcare workers are protesting racism
New York ER employees seek safety upgrades after bomb scare