Member-only story
We Need Paid Sick Time — and More
Monkeypox can keep you sick (and contagious) for two to four weeks.
Very few people in the U.S. can isolate that long. (The CDC recommends wearing a mask and full body clothing if you must leave the house and “avoiding public transportation.” Hard for people who have to use public transportation to get to the doctor).
And technically, you should isolate your entire household and get food delivered, especially if you live in an apartment or small house where household transmission is going to be hard to avoid.
Even the ten day isolation period for COVID-19 got slashed, not for biology reasons but because most people can’t afford to isolate that long.
In an at will state it is perfectly legal for your boss to fire you if you isolate.
Most people in the U.S. do not have paid sick time. Smaller employers often argue that they can’t afford to provide this benefit. (And of course, there’s the guy I worked for who gave five total paid days off a year because “Any more than that and people will abuse it.” Or the job interview where I was told outright the previous holder of the position was fired for “taking too much sick time.” Or the boss who told me “If you don’t come in for ANY reason, you will hand in your keys and uniform the next day.”)