Americans are left helpless with a lack of paid leave: media

WASHINGTON - The United States is one of the few countries in the world without a federal paid leave policy, said Common Dreams, a non-profit US media outlet, on Friday.

"My health worsened, until I eventually passed out at work one day. I was being forced to prioritize a paycheck over my own health," said the report's author.

She said that a lack of paid leave and the security and support it provides could leave low-income families feeling helpless, even as people's rights are being eroded.

"It's long past time for the elected officials in Congress to step up and pass a comprehensive federal paid leave policy that provides every single working individual in America with paid family and sick leave," said the report.