Changing the culture around paid leave starts at school

Changing the culture around paid leave starts at school

Safiya Simmons, Laura Collins, and Suzette Gardner Why don’t Americans take sick time when they need it? Often, it’s because of pressures they first learned in school. From the day their kids first start school, parents are pressured to ensure students don’t miss any days. While that might seem benign, urging a student to attend school while ill creates a culture that prioritizes “presenteeism” — a culture of showing up all the time, even when y…