alt Hacker NewsYea, I recently caught flu from someone else that "could not miss their work". So these things don't really apply well to the US at all.
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Was it actually flu, or just a bad cold?
I've had flu twice, and both times I simply wouldn't have been able to leave the house no matter how much I wanted to - even just turning over in bed was a major effort!
Would people not have spotted their shivering and sweating and sent them straight home again?
Yep. This is called "food service".
Shit pay, no benefits, and managers who threaten to fire you if you dont show up. Sick? Puke in the bathroom.
Whys this the case? Cause we Americans have garbage for labor laws. You can be fired for pretty much any reason. And you are NOT protected if youre sick.
When I had to work food seevice, at starbucks, subway, random pizza chain, etc, I begrudgingly came in sick, infected LOADS of customers. My choice was to work, or get fired (or not fired but 0 hours for next 2 weeks on schedule as punishment).
Who knows how many I got sick and potentially killed due to compromised immune systems. Im sure I did.
This is the real, hidden external cost, of our unmitigated capitalism. People get sick and die for the reason of making the boss more money, and too fucking bad.
The US has poor employee regulations though, most other well developed nations have figured out people being sick at work doesn't help.
In Australia, full-time employees (38 hours or more a week) will grant you 10 sick days a year. You can use this at effectively any time (Some employers may request medical certificates for consecutive days) but when using it, you are paid your full normal rate for the hours you are away from work for. Once you run out of sick leave, you can then use "unpaid sick leave", which is exactly what you expect.
https://www.fairwork.gov.au/leave/sick-and-carers-leave