Medical leave pays an estimated $15 per hour for medical staff, according to a report by the advocacy group, Physicians for a National Health Program.
The study also found that the vast majority of healthcare workers in the U.K., Canada and Australia do not receive paid time off, leaving them exposed to increased healthcare costs and reduced quality of care.
The United States is not among the nations with the lowest paid medical workers, according the report.
The average pay for a healthcare worker in the United States was $8.25 an hour in 2015.
While the U of S has some of the highest wages in the world for healthcare workers, it ranks 13th in per capita healthcare spending per person, according data compiled by the National Center for Health Statistics.
The report comes on the heels of the federal government’s announcement that it will begin charging healthcare workers up to $15 hourly starting Jan. 1.
The federal government is also looking to expand paid sick leave to employees in the private sector.
But it’s unclear whether the federal and state governments will adopt similar measures, according as the American Medical Association has said it will not endorse paid sick time legislation.
The AMA, which represents more than 13,000 doctors, said the AMA opposes the idea because it does not provide enough flexibility to meet current needs, such as when to provide leave to health care workers.
The U.N. Human Rights Council is set to discuss the issue later this month.