I am an advocate of paid sick leave and a resident of New Hampshire.
I am 20 years old and I haven’t had much work experience, but the work I have had in the past year at a hospital made me realize how important paid sick leave is.
There was no paid sick leave, which is brutal to begin with but during a pandemic is detrimental to employees, the hospital, and patients.
Nurses and other essential employees had to decide whether or not they thought their symptoms were due to a minor cold or due to COVID-19, which typically isn’t a normal problem.
But say the flu was going around and a nurse with a mild case had it and she/he needed to go into work that day since there is no sick leave. This would expose a whole host of people to a sickness while they are already in poor condition.
Paid sick leave should be mandatory for New Hampshire.
JACQUELINE BALCH
Sunapee