Truman School of Government and Public Affairs

Past research demonstrates favorable health and economic outcomes for workers with access to paid sick leave compared to workers without access. Access to paid sick leave in the United States, however, is highly uneven. This brief: 1) summarizes a study of private sector workers employed in Missouri and private sector, public-facing essential workers who lack access to paid sick leave; and, 2) estimates new instances of paid leave used by private sector workers employed in Missouri under a hypothetical statewide mandated paid leave program that gives three days of paid leave to workers employed by small employer.