Many Americans Cannot Afford to Take Sick Days - kcentv.com - KCEN HD - Waco, Temple, and Killeen

(KCEN) -- You know that coughing co-worker you wish would stay home?

It turns out, many Americans cannot afford to.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics says nearly a third of the nation's employees cannot take sick days.

Full-time workers get paid sick days, but only a fraction of part-time workers get them.

This is raising health risks on everyone as the flu gets worst this season.

And it's also costly for businesses.

The CDC estimates that even a typical flu season costs companies about 10.4 billion dollars in direct costs for hospitalizations and outpatient visits for adults.