Thread by @SmashCOVIDCurve

The best way to keep COVID-19 from turning into a shitshow with patients stacking up in hospital hallways? Slow its spread down. We want a slow burn.

The best way to do that?

Full paid sick leave for ALL employees. Especially food & customer service.

People in service jobs go to work sick because they can't afford to lose hours, or because they'll be fired.

Workplaces like this spread disease. CDC found they cause over 100 outbreaks of norovirus (violent GI illness) alone, every year.

cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/m…

Paid sick leave also works against respiratory diseases like the flu & COVID-19.

When cities pass mandatory paid sick leave laws, flu rates in that city slow down dramatically.

Paid sick time off WORKS.

"But my business can't afford that."

Yes you can. Local, state, & federal governments give out relief funding to cover businesses' losses during emergencies.

This is an emergency. Paid sick time is a disaster-related business loss.

Pressure your officials to release funding.

What you REALLY can't afford is being boycotted because customers are afraid to get coronavirus from your sick, broke, & frightened employees.

This account will collect names of businesses that have full paid sick time policies.

It will also name & shame those that don't.

Most importantly, this account will collect reports from people who work for companies that SAY they give paid sick time, but are being pressured to come to work sick anyway.

Now ain't the time for faking it. This account makes sure companies are living up to their policies.

"But COVID-19 hasn't shown up in my area yet."

Great! Give paid sick leave NOW. By the time it's already hot in your area, it's already too late to make the biggest impact. Your hospitals will already be struggling to keep up.

"Well, it's already here. Might as well just keep up business as usual."

NO.

Do you really think customers will keep coming to your business in the middle of an outbreak if they know you're making sick people work? Come on.

Give paid sick time off NOW.

"When is the best time to start giving fully paid sick time off?"

RIGHT NOW.

No matter how your area is doing, whether COVID-19 is already there or not, the best way to slow it down is paid sick time off.

Here's a handy employer's guide for

• Why paid sick leave is one of the best ways to fight COVID-19

• How to structure paid sick leave, and

• How to pay for it.

It's a 5-minute read.

preview.tinyurl.com/s3pf7vh

And here's a list of employers who DO offer full paid sick leave to all staff, included part-time, hourly, & other non-benefited workers.

This list will be updated about once per day.

preview.tinyurl.com/sd4na4c

Part-time & hourly wage workers: Is your boss making you come in to work sick? Are they breaking their paid sick leave policy, or do they not have one at all?

We want to hear from you! DMs are open.

Update: COVID may cause gastrointestinal symptoms in some people (cramps, diarrhea, and/or vomiting).

Employers, staff with these symptoms need to STAY HOME. Include GI symptoms in your COVID sick leave policies.

It should go without saying that food businesses shouldn't make people work if they're vomiting or have diarrhea. But 100 restaurant-based norovirus outbreaks/year tell us companies aren't exactly following through on that.