Protesters in 2015 rallied outside a Wendy's in Baltimore in support of The Healthy Working Families Act which would require businesses with 10 or more employees to provide up to seven paid sick days a year. (Image: Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun)
Having a Chronic Illness Without Paid Leave Is Nearly Impossible and Needs to Change Now
It's long past time for our elected officials in Congress to step up and pass a comprehensive federal paid leave policy that provides every single working individual in America with paid family and sick leave.
I was diagnosed with lupus at the age of 19, joining nearly 1.5 other million Americans who have the chronic illness that can cause the immune system to attack itself. This disease requires many doctor's visits, and the treatment is similar to getting treated for cancer. It's very time-intensive, and it completely disrupts your everyday life--and most of us do not have the protection of paid leave policies that ensure we get the time we need to take care of ourselves.
My health worsened, until I eventually passed out at work one day. I was being forced to prioritize a paycheck over my own health.
That's because the United States is one of the only countries in the world without a federal paid leave policy.
As a result of my chronic illness, I regularly feel extreme fatigue and intense muscle pain. It can feel like completing a full-body workout--without doing anything at all. This was a big challenge for me earlier in my career--I didn't know which days were going to hit me the hardest, but I also didn't have access to paid leave. I really wanted to be a good employee and a good worker, but at the end of the day, my health just kept getting in the way.
Eventually, I stopped even going to doctor's appointments because my bills began piling up, and I needed to take care of my daughter. Even though my supervisor used to work as a nurse and was incredibly understanding, there was only so much she could do. At the end of the day my job didn't offer paid time off, and I needed to pay my bills. This led to more complications. My health worsened, until I eventually passed out at work one day. I was being forced to prioritize a paycheck over my own health.
A lack of paid leave and the security and support it provides can leave you feeling helpless. The United States has a history of not embracing policies that support our families and, in particular, women; and that's acutely felt now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade. Our government refuses to enact enormously popular, common sense paid leave policies, even as our rights are eroded.
It turns out I wasn't the only person who was fed up with having to choose between work and health. I got involved with Mothering Justice, a grassroots policy advocacy organization for mothers of color in America, and started regularly advocating for paid sick leave policies. I started sharing my story and journey to help people realize that we shouldn't have to prioritize our jobs over our health. In turn, I learned from many other people who had similar stories to mine, and it felt incredibly gratifying to know I wasn't the only person who was struggling with this.
Eventually, I started working for Mothering Justice full-time and found the support I needed to be the best version of myself while advocating for policies that would help families across America. Knowing that I now have access to paid time off whenever my chronic illness gets the better of me has made a significant impact on my life. My doctor even noted a change in my blood pressure, and I've felt a new purpose and passion. Every single day, I use that passion and purpose as fuel to advocate for everyone who is impacted by a lack of paid leave in their lives.
Pain and sickness are universal, and no one is safe from it. I'm in a better position now than I was earlier in my life, but I will continue to fight until everyone has access to universal paid time off. Everyone deserves the opportunity to live a healthy life and take care of themselves. It's long past time for our elected officials in Congress to step up and pass a comprehensive federal paid leave policy that provides every single working individual in America with paid family and sick leave.
Urgent. It's never been this bad.
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission from the outset was simple. To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It’s never been this bad out there. And it’s never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed and doing some of its best and most important work, the threats we face are intensifying. Right now, with just four days to go in our Spring Campaign, we are not even halfway to our goal. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Can you make a gift right now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? There is no backup plan or rainy day fund. There is only you. —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
I was diagnosed with lupus at the age of 19, joining nearly 1.5 other million Americans who have the chronic illness that can cause the immune system to attack itself. This disease requires many doctor's visits, and the treatment is similar to getting treated for cancer. It's very time-intensive, and it completely disrupts your everyday life--and most of us do not have the protection of paid leave policies that ensure we get the time we need to take care of ourselves.
My health worsened, until I eventually passed out at work one day. I was being forced to prioritize a paycheck over my own health.
That's because the United States is one of the only countries in the world without a federal paid leave policy.
As a result of my chronic illness, I regularly feel extreme fatigue and intense muscle pain. It can feel like completing a full-body workout--without doing anything at all. This was a big challenge for me earlier in my career--I didn't know which days were going to hit me the hardest, but I also didn't have access to paid leave. I really wanted to be a good employee and a good worker, but at the end of the day, my health just kept getting in the way.
Eventually, I stopped even going to doctor's appointments because my bills began piling up, and I needed to take care of my daughter. Even though my supervisor used to work as a nurse and was incredibly understanding, there was only so much she could do. At the end of the day my job didn't offer paid time off, and I needed to pay my bills. This led to more complications. My health worsened, until I eventually passed out at work one day. I was being forced to prioritize a paycheck over my own health.
A lack of paid leave and the security and support it provides can leave you feeling helpless. The United States has a history of not embracing policies that support our families and, in particular, women; and that's acutely felt now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade. Our government refuses to enact enormously popular, common sense paid leave policies, even as our rights are eroded.
It turns out I wasn't the only person who was fed up with having to choose between work and health. I got involved with Mothering Justice, a grassroots policy advocacy organization for mothers of color in America, and started regularly advocating for paid sick leave policies. I started sharing my story and journey to help people realize that we shouldn't have to prioritize our jobs over our health. In turn, I learned from many other people who had similar stories to mine, and it felt incredibly gratifying to know I wasn't the only person who was struggling with this.
Eventually, I started working for Mothering Justice full-time and found the support I needed to be the best version of myself while advocating for policies that would help families across America. Knowing that I now have access to paid time off whenever my chronic illness gets the better of me has made a significant impact on my life. My doctor even noted a change in my blood pressure, and I've felt a new purpose and passion. Every single day, I use that passion and purpose as fuel to advocate for everyone who is impacted by a lack of paid leave in their lives.
Pain and sickness are universal, and no one is safe from it. I'm in a better position now than I was earlier in my life, but I will continue to fight until everyone has access to universal paid time off. Everyone deserves the opportunity to live a healthy life and take care of themselves. It's long past time for our elected officials in Congress to step up and pass a comprehensive federal paid leave policy that provides every single working individual in America with paid family and sick leave.
I was diagnosed with lupus at the age of 19, joining nearly 1.5 other million Americans who have the chronic illness that can cause the immune system to attack itself. This disease requires many doctor's visits, and the treatment is similar to getting treated for cancer. It's very time-intensive, and it completely disrupts your everyday life--and most of us do not have the protection of paid leave policies that ensure we get the time we need to take care of ourselves.
My health worsened, until I eventually passed out at work one day. I was being forced to prioritize a paycheck over my own health.
That's because the United States is one of the only countries in the world without a federal paid leave policy.
As a result of my chronic illness, I regularly feel extreme fatigue and intense muscle pain. It can feel like completing a full-body workout--without doing anything at all. This was a big challenge for me earlier in my career--I didn't know which days were going to hit me the hardest, but I also didn't have access to paid leave. I really wanted to be a good employee and a good worker, but at the end of the day, my health just kept getting in the way.
Eventually, I stopped even going to doctor's appointments because my bills began piling up, and I needed to take care of my daughter. Even though my supervisor used to work as a nurse and was incredibly understanding, there was only so much she could do. At the end of the day my job didn't offer paid time off, and I needed to pay my bills. This led to more complications. My health worsened, until I eventually passed out at work one day. I was being forced to prioritize a paycheck over my own health.
A lack of paid leave and the security and support it provides can leave you feeling helpless. The United States has a history of not embracing policies that support our families and, in particular, women; and that's acutely felt now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade. Our government refuses to enact enormously popular, common sense paid leave policies, even as our rights are eroded.
It turns out I wasn't the only person who was fed up with having to choose between work and health. I got involved with Mothering Justice, a grassroots policy advocacy organization for mothers of color in America, and started regularly advocating for paid sick leave policies. I started sharing my story and journey to help people realize that we shouldn't have to prioritize our jobs over our health. In turn, I learned from many other people who had similar stories to mine, and it felt incredibly gratifying to know I wasn't the only person who was struggling with this.
Eventually, I started working for Mothering Justice full-time and found the support I needed to be the best version of myself while advocating for policies that would help families across America. Knowing that I now have access to paid time off whenever my chronic illness gets the better of me has made a significant impact on my life. My doctor even noted a change in my blood pressure, and I've felt a new purpose and passion. Every single day, I use that passion and purpose as fuel to advocate for everyone who is impacted by a lack of paid leave in their lives.
Pain and sickness are universal, and no one is safe from it. I'm in a better position now than I was earlier in my life, but I will continue to fight until everyone has access to universal paid time off. Everyone deserves the opportunity to live a healthy life and take care of themselves. It's long past time for our elected officials in Congress to step up and pass a comprehensive federal paid leave policy that provides every single working individual in America with paid family and sick leave.