GLOSSARY

For additional assistance on 

benefits, contact one of our 

information offices:

NATIONAL: WASHINGTON, DC

(202) 691–6199 TDD: (800) 877–8339

NCSinfo@bls.gov www.bls.gov/ebs

REGIONAL:

ATLANTA

(404) 893–4222

BOSTON

(617) 565–2327

CHICAGO

(312) 353–1880

DALLAS

(972) 850–4800

KANSAS CITY

(816) 285–7000

NEW YORK

(646) 264–3600

PHILADELPHIA

(215) 597–3282

SAN FRANCISCO

(415) 625–2270

BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

leave benefits in service occupations in private industry was just 8 

cents per employee hour worked. 

Short–term disability 

plans

In some organizations, in addition to sick leave, workers have 

coverage for short-term injury and 

illness through short-term disability plans. Short-term disability 

plans provide benefits on a perdisability basis, typically based on 

a fixed percentage of earnings, for 

a fixed duration of time. Usually, 

there is no employee contribution 

required. Some employers assume 

the risks and expenses of shortterm disabilities, while some have 

commercial insurance plans. California, Hawaii, New Jersey, New 

York, and Rhode Island require 

that employers provide temporary 

disability insurance benefits to 

workers who are unable to work 

because of a non-work-related accident or illness. A future issue of 

Program Perspectives will highlight short-term disability data. ●

from page 3►

The next issue will feature “frozen” Defined-Benefit Plans

TABLE 2

Employer costs per hour worked and percent of total 

compensation for paid sick leave, selected occupational 

groups, March 2009

Occupational group

Private industry State and local 

government

Cost

Percent 

of total 

compensation

Cost

Percent 

of total 

compensation

All workers: $0.23 0.8 $0.81 2.1

Management, professional, 

and related .53 1.1 1.07 2.2

Sales and office .18 .8 .47 1.8

Service .08 .6 .51 1.8

Access to a benefit plan. Employees are considered to have access to a benefit plan if it is available for their use. For example, 

any employee who is permitted to 

participate in a medical care plan 

offered by the employer is placed 

in a category with those having access to medical care, regardless of 

whether the employee chooses to 

participate in the plan. 

Paid sick leave. Sick leave provides all or part of an employee’s 

earnings if the employee is unable 

to work because of a non-workrelated illness or injury. Sick leave 

typically is provided on a per-year 

basis, usually expressed in days, 

and is never insured. 

Short-term disability: Also 

known as sickness and accident 

insurance, short-term disability 

plans provide full, partial, or a 

combination of full and partial pay 

to employees who are unable to 

work because of a non-work-related accident or illness. Short-term 

disability benefits usually are paid 

for a fixed number of weeks. The 

benefit payment is either a percentage of an employee’s earnings or a 

fixed dollar amount. 

Total Compensation: Total 

compensation is the cost of wages 

and salaries plus the employers’ 

cost of employee benefits. In table 

2, “Percent of total compensation” 

is the cost of the sick leave benefit 

divided by the total compensation 

cost, expressed as a percentage.
2 PROGRAM PERSPECTIVES • MARCH 2010 U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS 

from cover page►

84 percent for management, professional, and related occupations 

to 42 percent for service workers. 

Among private-industry workers employed in establishments with more 

than 500 employees, 80 percent had 

access to paid sick leave, compared 

with 52 percent in establishments 

with fewer than 100 employees. 

Access to paid sick leave for 

full-time workers (73 percent) 

was higher than that for part-time 

workers (26 percent). There were 

also differences in access by wage 

percentile: eighty-one percent of 

employees earning wages in the 

highest 25 percent ($24.22 or more 

per hour) of the wage distribution had access to paid sick leave, 

compared with only 33 percent for 

employees in the lowest 25 percent 

($10.50 or less per hour). (Wage 

percentiles are based on estimates 

published in National Compensation Survey: Occupational Earnings 

in the United States, 2008, Bulletin 

2720 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 

August 2009). Complete results of 

this survey are at www.bls.gov/ncs/

ncswage2008.htm.)

State and local government workers showed less variation in access 

to sick leave by establishment and 

worker characteristics. The only 

major variation was that 98 percent 

of full-time State and local government workers had access to paid sick 

leave, as opposed to 42 percent of 

part-time workers. Most (97 percent) State and local government 

employees covered by a collectivebargaining agreement had access to 

paid sick leave benefits, compared 

with 83 percent of nonunion employees. 

How many days do 

employees receive?

Private-industry employees 

received an average of 8 days 

of paid sick leave after 1 year of 

service. Those in establishments 

with 500 or more workers received 

an average of 11 days of paid sick 

leave, whereas those in establishments with fewer than 100 workers 

received 6 days. Full-time employ

CHART 1 

Mean annual number of paid sick leave days after 1 year of service, March 2009

Number of days

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Private State and local government

All workers Full time

workers

Part time

workers

1–99

workers

500 or more 

workers
2 PROGRAM PERSPECTIVES • MARCH 2010 U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS 

from cover page►

84 percent for management, professional, and related occupations 

to 42 percent for service workers. 

Among private-industry workers employed in establishments with more 

than 500 employees, 80 percent had 

access to paid sick leave, compared 

with 52 percent in establishments 

with fewer than 100 employees. 

Access to paid sick leave for 

full-time workers (73 percent) 

was higher than that for part-time 

workers (26 percent). There were 

also differences in access by wage 

percentile: eighty-one percent of 

employees earning wages in the 

highest 25 percent ($24.22 or more 

per hour) of the wage distribution had access to paid sick leave, 

compared with only 33 percent for 

employees in the lowest 25 percent 

($10.50 or less per hour). (Wage 

percentiles are based on estimates 

published in National Compensation Survey: Occupational Earnings 

in the United States, 2008, Bulletin 

2720 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 

August 2009). Complete results of 

this survey are at www.bls.gov/ncs/

ncswage2008.htm.)

State and local government workers showed less variation in access 

to sick leave by establishment and 

worker characteristics. The only 

major variation was that 98 percent 

of full-time State and local government workers had access to paid sick 

leave, as opposed to 42 percent of 

part-time workers. Most (97 percent) State and local government 

employees covered by a collectivebargaining agreement had access to 

paid sick leave benefits, compared 

with 83 percent of nonunion employees. 

How many days do 

employees receive?

Private-industry employees 

received an average of 8 days 

of paid sick leave after 1 year of 

service. Those in establishments 

with 500 or more workers received 

an average of 11 days of paid sick 

leave, whereas those in establishments with fewer than 100 workers 

received 6 days. Full-time employ

CHART 1 

Mean annual number of paid sick leave days after 1 year of service, March 2009

Number of days

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Private State and local government

All workers Full time

workers

Part time

workers

1–99

workers

500 or more 

workers
GLOSSARY

For additional assistance on 

benefits, contact one of our 

information offices:

NATIONAL: WASHINGTON, DC

(202) 691–6199 TDD: (800) 877–8339

NCSinfo@bls.gov www.bls.gov/ebs

REGIONAL:

ATLANTA

(404) 893–4222

BOSTON

(617) 565–2327

CHICAGO

(312) 353–1880

DALLAS

(972) 850–4800

KANSAS CITY

(816) 285–7000

NEW YORK

(646) 264–3600

PHILADELPHIA

(215) 597–3282

SAN FRANCISCO

(415) 625–2270

BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

leave benefits in service occupations in private industry was just 8 

cents per employee hour worked. 

Short–term disability 

plans

In some organizations, in addition to sick leave, workers have 

coverage for short-term injury and 

illness through short-term disability plans. Short-term disability 

plans provide benefits on a perdisability basis, typically based on 

a fixed percentage of earnings, for 

a fixed duration of time. Usually, 

there is no employee contribution 

required. Some employers assume 

the risks and expenses of shortterm disabilities, while some have 

commercial insurance plans. California, Hawaii, New Jersey, New 

York, and Rhode Island require 

that employers provide temporary 

disability insurance benefits to 

workers who are unable to work 

because of a non-work-related accident or illness. A future issue of 

Program Perspectives will highlight short-term disability data. ●

from page 3►

The next issue will feature “frozen” Defined-Benefit Plans

TABLE 2

Employer costs per hour worked and percent of total 

compensation for paid sick leave, selected occupational 

groups, March 2009

Occupational group

Private industry State and local 

government

Cost

Percent 

of total 

compensation

Cost

Percent 

of total 

compensation

All workers: $0.23 0.8 $0.81 2.1

Management, professional, 

and related .53 1.1 1.07 2.2

Sales and office .18 .8 .47 1.8

Service .08 .6 .51 1.8

Access to a benefit plan. Employees are considered to have access to a benefit plan if it is available for their use. For example, 

any employee who is permitted to 

participate in a medical care plan 

offered by the employer is placed 

in a category with those having access to medical care, regardless of 

whether the employee chooses to 

participate in the plan. 

Paid sick leave. Sick leave provides all or part of an employee’s 

earnings if the employee is unable 

to work because of a non-workrelated illness or injury. Sick leave 

typically is provided on a per-year 

basis, usually expressed in days, 

and is never insured. 

Short-term disability: Also 

known as sickness and accident 

insurance, short-term disability 

plans provide full, partial, or a 

combination of full and partial pay 

to employees who are unable to 

work because of a non-work-related accident or illness. Short-term 

disability benefits usually are paid 

for a fixed number of weeks. The 

benefit payment is either a percentage of an employee’s earnings or a 

fixed dollar amount. 

Total Compensation: Total 

compensation is the cost of wages 

and salaries plus the employers’ 

cost of employee benefits. In table 

2, “Percent of total compensation” 

is the cost of the sick leave benefit 

divided by the total compensation 

cost, expressed as a percentage.