A new study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine examined how paid sick leave access influences perceived risk, job stress, and job satisfaction among home service workers.
“This study looked at home service workers in South Korea during the early COVID-19 pandemic to see how access to paid sick leave (PSL) affected their well-being,” study author Dr. Suyoung Kwon told us. “Workers with PSL reported feeling less at risk of infection, experiencing less job stress, and being more satisfied with their jobs than those with unpaid sick leave, no sick leave, or uncertain access.”
The researchers embarked on the study with a clear theoretical expectation. They anticipated that access to PSL would reduce workers’ perceived risk of infection at work, which in turn would lower job stress and improve job satisfaction. This expectation was informed by the Job Demands–Resources (JD–R) model, which suggests that supportive job resources can buffer the impact of job demands and promote better occupational health and well-being
“Home service workers frequently enter multiple private residences daily to provide essential services,” Dr. Kwon told us. “Because many are dependent self-employed or lack employer-provided benefits, they lack the safety net of PSL despite their high level of exposure.”
During the pandemic, this created a critical dilemma, Dr. Kwon explained. The dilemma was to choose between work while ill (risking the health of families and customers) or face a total loss of income.
“This ‘no-win’ scenario likely heightens perceived workplace risk and psychological stress,” Dr. Kwon told us. “This topic was chosen to examine how access to PSL functions as both a preventative health intervention and a vital support system for mental health.”
The research team surveyed 1,643 home service workers in South Korea across nine job types, with most workers (83%) responding. They asked whether they had access to sick leave specifically for COVID-19 symptoms, how at risk they felt of contracting COVID-19 while working, how stressed they felt, and how satisfied they were with their jobs.
“We examined how PSL might affect job satisfaction in two ways, taking into account differences in workers’ age, gender, and job type,” Dr. Kwon told us. “First, directly, having PSL can make workers feel more satisfied with their jobs. Second, indirectly, PSL can lower workers’ sense of infection risk, which reduces stress, and that lower stress can lead to higher job satisfaction.”
The researchers found that access to PSL was associated with higher job satisfaction both directly and indirectly. Compared to workers with PSL, those with unpaid sick leave or no sick leave felt more at risk of infection and experienced greater job stress, which in turn led to lower job satisfaction. Compared to workers with PSL, those with no access to sick leave or who were unsure about their access also showed a direct link to lower job satisfaction.
“The findings were largely in line with our expectations of access to PSL supports workers’ mental health and job satisfaction,” Dr. Kwon told us. “Notably, PSL also seemed to reduce perceived risk of infection and job stress, acting as an important protective measure, similar to other workplace interventions like personal protective equipment and vaccination.”
One surprising finding, Dr. Kwon revealed, was that 16% of workers did not know what type of sick leave was available to them for COVID-19–related symptoms. Dr. Kwon explained that this highlights gaps in employer communication and suggests that some organizations may respond to workplace risks only after problems occur, rather than addressing them proactively.
“The results suggest that PSL should be viewed as a preventive occupational health strategy for workers at high risk of infection, rather than just an employee benefit,” Dr. Kwon told us. “It can lower workers’ perceived risk and job stress while supporting greater job satisfaction. These findings have important implications for policymakers and employers: expanding access to PSL could improve worker well-being and help reduce the spread of disease during future public health emergencies.”
Essential but low-paid workers often have limited benefits like PSL. Yet those facing workplace infection risks need protection.
“Our study found that lacking PSL not only increases stress and perceived risk but also lowers job satisfaction, which can hurt workforce retention,” Dr. Kwon told us. “Recognizing PSL’s role in mental health and public health preparedness makes a strong case for expanding PSL policies.”