Telling people "If you're sick, stay home" is important but if their employers have been told it's okay to be doing business and they don't have sick leave, it's hardly surprising they keep going to work as long as they can.
For context, @kcexec is the Executive for King County Washington, where restaurants are currently allowed to operate at 50% capacity for indoor dining. How many of those restaurant workers get sick leave? How many can afford to lose their jobs right now by staying home?
In principle, Washington State *does* require paid sick leave, and is one of the few places in the country where that's true. But that requirement is very limited (something like 1 hour of leave for every 40 worked) -- not enough to cover much if you get legitimately sick.
🚨 Important update! Looks like there HAS been some helpful emergency legislation around this issue that I've missed: many US workers are currently eligible for two weeks of sick leave if they have COVID-19 symptoms: dol.gov/agencies/whd/p… (thx @jacobtaber). Tell your friends...
🚨 Further update: New paid leave law not actually as comprehensive as it sounds, in practical terms, because America. From theatlantic.com/health/archive…, “only 47 percent of private-sector workers will have guaranteed access to coronavirus-related sick leave” (thx @GlennF for link)
