Opinion: How About More Idaho Bosses Offer Paid Sick Days In 2026

Disclaimer: This is not a personal attack against my boss/company. Instead, a plea to Idaho business leaders to consider instituting some sort of paid sick time for their employees. 

Thank you! And yes, I can come into work on Sunday.

We've all been hit with that Sunday morning scratchy throat at some point in our lives. When the flu is about to take over the body, one of the first things people have to think about, instead of their own well-being, is their boss(es). We get to worry about our illness AND our paychecks. Cool!

Texting or emailing your boss is something most responsible company staffers do as soon as it's obvious an illness has taken up residence in your body. The next step is to determine whether you can receive compensation while you treat your symptoms and recover to the point that you're no longer a threat to others in the office.

There are several states that have mandatory paid sick leave in place for employees needing time away to shed illness. Idaho is not one of those states.

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Idaho Is One Of Over 30 States That Doesn't Require Companies Offer Paid Sick Leave

It is possible for company leaders to set their own policies for allowing paid sick days in states that don't require it. I believe that by not allowing at least one week of paid sick time off, a company is discreetly telling its workforce that they're not appreciated.

READ MORE: The Difference Between Idaho's Flu And 'Super Flu' Strains

Perhaps 2026 can be the year when more Idaho company leaders take the necessary steps to provide their staff with five paid sick days, and prove to the rest of the state that the Bill Lumberghs of the world should shove that coffee mug straight up the tailpipe.

States such as New York, California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, New Mexico, Vermont, Michigan, and several others, do have protocols set in motion to safeguard their employees in times of sickness, according to Bright Mine.

I got sick on New Year's Day while attending a party. My cough and sinus headache started 24 hours later. My current paid time off calculator reads minus 12 hours. Not cool!