Understanding Paid Sick Leave & Preventive Cancer Screening

The lack of paid sick leave prevents many workers, especially those in low-wage and part-time positions, from accessing preventive healthcare services like cancer screenings. This fact sheet emphasizes the role of paid sick leave in improving public health by enabling workers to attend medical appointments without losing wages or risking job security. It highlights inequities in paid sick leave access and offers policy elements, such as accrual rates and protections against retaliation, to improve adoption. It also outlines actionable strategies for public health professionals to promote these policies through stakeholder collaboration, media outreach, and workplace incentives.