Staying home with flu costly for some

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - The flu is taking a toll on the workforce.

It typically costs employers $10.4 billion a year for hospital stays and doctor visits.

Nearly half of the 70 workers at a Clarksville car dealership have been out sick at some point in the past month.

Their boss said it didn't have to be that way if people had just stayed home in the first place and not spread the virus. But for some employees, that's no easy decision.

About a million workers in Indiana have no paid sick days, according to the National Partnership for Women.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows roughly 40 percent of U.S. workers don't get paid if they're out sick.

Jessica Fraser, who represents the Indiana Community Action Association, said it’s especially difficult for lower-income working families.

"They're already struggling to make ends meet so losing a day's wages is a big hit," she said.

The organization has studied the issue and is currently doing research on the costs and benefits of requiring some type of paid sick time for workers in Indiana.

“We think that sick leave is important for low income workers here but we hesitate to say exactly what sick leave should look like in Indiana until we've done the adequate research, until we've seen the cost benefit analysis, until we know exactly what the need is and what businesses in our state could manage,” said Fraser.

Today, Connecticut is the only state that requires some businesses to pay employees when they're out sick.  Cities like San Francisco and Washington D-C have similar laws.

In 2009, a bill was proposed in Indiana, but didn’t survive.

The Indiana Chamber of Commerce expressed concern about potential legislation.

“Such mandates come with unintended and costly consequences and simply are not effective ways to deal with workplace issues," said spokesperson Tom Schuman. "For public health reasons, workers who are sick with the flu need to stay home until they have recovered. We are confident that individual employers will work with employees as best they can to accommodate their needs."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.