Researchers say employees with 10 or more sick leave days per year are far more likely to utilize preventive health services, such as mammograms.

What’s the perfect number of paid sick leave days for employees?

Researchers from Florida Atlantic University and Cleveland State University think they know.

They say people who receive 10 or more paid sick days per year from employers are far more likely to access preventive care such as flu shots, mammography, and screenings for cardiac risk and diabetes.

Their new study is the first to link the availability of paid sick leave to the use of preventive health services.

They found that workers aged 49 to 57 were 55 percent more likely to get a mammogram, 33 percent more likely to get a flu shot, and 28 percent more likely to get their blood sugar screened for diabetes if they had 10 or more paid sick days per year.

Having generous sick leave also raised the likelihood of workers getting their blood pressure checked by 69 percent and cholesterol screened by 34 percent.

“Preventive care is intended to catch medical conditions before they progress as well as preventing the spread of contagious diseases like influenza, which has reached epidemic proportions this year,” said LeaAnne DeRigne, PhD, lead author of the study and an associate professor in the Phyllis and Harvey Sandler School of Social Work within Florida Atlantic University’s College for Design and Social Inquiry.

“Despite having access, Americans only get half of the recommended requirements for preventive healthcare services. There are many factors that contribute to this dilemma, including adequate paid sick leave days,” she said.

“The implication is that when people have more generous sick leave, they’re more likely to say they have time to take care of these preventative needs,” DeRigne told Healthline.

In some cases, people seeking treatment for unrelated illnesses may also be referred by physicians to preventive screenings during an office visit, added Celeste Monforton, DrPH, a lecturer at Texas State University and co-chair of the American Public Health Association (APHA) Occupational Health and Safety division’s public policy committee.