Cash benefits for short-term sickness, 1977.

In 1977, an estimated $28.2 billion in wage and salary payments was lost by civilian workers in the United States because of short-term sickness. Of this amount, $10.3 billion was made up under benefit plans for workers, either through sick-leave payments or insurance benefits. These figures represent increases of 7 percent above the corresponding totals for the previous year. In contrast, benefit payments to the long-term totally disabled under the social security program grew 15 percent from 1976 to 1977. Income loss from sickness, as discussed here, pertains to short-term disability from non-work-related accidents and illness, with “short-term” defined as a period of less than 6 months, including the first 6 months of a longer illness.