What is the average sick days

Despite this, the Bureau of Labor Statistics BLS does provide average amounts that can give some guidance on what is considered reasonable. The BLS fact sheet on paid sick leave provides statistics for the United States for the average number of sick days available to various types of employee. Employees are grouped in the following way:. These are the average percentages and numbers for those who work in private industry:. These are the average percentages and numbers for state and federal government employees:.

These are the average percentages for civilian employees. The BLS defines "civilian" as those in private industry and state and local government:.

A paid time off bank is a paid leave policy where you receive a certain amount of time off per year that you can take for any reason. If you wish you can use some of your time off for a vacation or personal leave.

Should you become ill, your employer expects you to take your sick days from this paid time off bank. There are some advantages to this policy:. Unlimited paid time off is a paid leave policy where employees can take any amount of time off they need for any reason. It is like the paid time off bank except there is no limit to the number of days available. Managers usually expect their employees to inform them when they plan to take time off and for how long so they can plan accordingly.

Otherwise, the employee does not need to inform HR of their absence. As long as their manager approves the time away, the employee can take it. Related: Sick Time vs. There are a number of ways both the business and its employees benefit from providing sick leave. These include:. Find jobs. Company reviews. Find salaries. Upload your resume. Sign in. Career Development. What is the average number of sick days per year offered?

Private industry. Full-time employees are given an average of 7 days of sick leave. Part-time employees get an average of 6 sick days per year. Full-time employees can accrue up to an average of 42 days where their plans permit carry over. State and federal government. Full-time employees receive an average of 11 sick days their first year, increasing to 12 days after that initial year. Part-time government employees receive an average of 9 sick days every year. Full-time employees can accrue up to an average of sick days where their policy permits carrying over time.

Part-time employees can accrue up to an average of days where their policy permits carrying over time. In March , 46 percent of workers in private industry who received a fixed number of paid sick days could carry over unused sick days from year to year. Usually there was a limit to the number of days these workers could carry over.

The remaining 54 percent of workers in private industry could not carry over unused sick days from one year to the next. These data are from the National Compensation Survey — Benefits program. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U. As a result, children go to school even when they are sick, spreading germs and creating outbreaks of illness in schools and daycares.

For many parents it is a no-win situation, as lost wages can mean not having enough money to meet basic needs. An Economic Policy Institute Report revealed that for a low-wage earner, missing a half day of work is could mean cutting fruits and vegetables out of the grocery budget for a month, while three days of missed work means losing the entire monthly grocery budget. An entire week off without pay could mean coming up short on the monthly rent or mortgage payment.

For employers concerned about the cost of providing paid sick time, evidence suggests that not only does providing the average number of sick days have no measurable effect on the bottom line, it also benefits the business in terms of lower costs, employee morale and recruitment.

In addition, areas that have paid sick-leave laws also report that the availability of this benefit is a powerful recruitment tool, and unemployment actually decreased. Paid sick leave is also important to business success. A restaurant industry study, for example, revealed that paid sick time helps reduce turnover by as much as 50 percent, saving businesses thousands of dollars in costs to replace employees.

Not having paid sick days also increases healthcare costs. And among those workers who do seek treatment, people without standard sick pay are twice as likely to use the emergency room, since they cannot miss work to see a doctor during normal business hours. This not only increases costs for employees, but also increases insurance costs for employers because emergency care takes the place of routine appointments and preventive care.

An adjunct instructor at Central Maine Community College, Kristen Hamlin is also an accomplished freelance writer, specializing in business, careers, education and more. A small business owner herself, she holds a bachelor's degree in communication from Stonehill College, as well as a master's in creative writing, and a certificate in internet marketing and new media from the University of Denver.

Her business profiles have appeared in Lewiston Auburn Magazine, and her career and business advice pieces have been featured in USA Today, Young Money and more than a dozen blogs and websites.

She's also the author of Graduate! By Kristen Hamlin Updated March 08, Company Sick Day Policies. References U. Department of Labor: Sick Leave U. Should You?