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sick leave
noun
1
: an absence from work permitted because of illness
2
: the number of days per year for which an employer agrees to pay employees who are sick
Examples of sick leave in a Sentence
employee benefits such as vacation time and sick leave
We are allotted three weeks annual sick leave.
He's been on sick leave since last Thursday.
Recent Examples on the Web
The union is also looking for additional benefits related to retirement, healthcare and paid sick leave for all employees, among other demands, USA TODAY previously reported.
—Olivia Evans, The Courier-Journal, 24 Dec. 2024
The average German worker took 15 days of sick leave in 2023, while the country’s largest health insurance provider, Techniker Krankenkasse (TK), found that insured workers took an average of 19.4 sick days last year.
—Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 5 Nov. 2024
Missouri: Paid sick leave, gradual wage hikes Proposition A in Missouri, if approved, would gradually increase the minimum wage, with a bump to $13.75 an hour on Jan. 1, 2025, up from the current lowest wage of $12.30.
—Annie Nova, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2024
In 2023, drivers successfully lobbied lawmakers for the passage of a new pay standard, paid sick leave and workers’ compensation in the state of Washington.
—Tatiana Walk-Morris, USA TODAY, 10 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sick leave
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Word History
First Known Use
1820, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near sick leave
Cite this Entry
“Sick leave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sick%20leave. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.
Medical Definition
sick leave
noun1
: an absence from work permitted because of illness
2
: the number of days per year for which an employer agrees to pay employees who are sick
More from Merriam-Webster on sick leave
Britannica English: Translation of sick leave for Arabic Speakers
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