Social Inequities Highlighted by the Prolonged Pandemic: Expanding Sick Leave

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of federal responses have been enacted in the United States to address the public health crisis, as well as the economic fallout and inequalities caused by the pandemic. A key feature globally in fighting the pandemic has been paid sick leave, as other nations have been successful in flattening the curve of infections by enacting emergency paid sick leave. This work explores best practices globally of paid sick leave used during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using the theoretical framework of punctuated equilibrium, this work spotlights the increased need to address paid sick leave in the United States. This work contributes further to understanding how policymaking in a federal system of government occurs during times of crisis.