Currently, less than half of private sector employees enjoy the benefit of paid sick leave. Look for that to soon change. Reformers at both the state and federal level have recently taken steps to make this employment perk mandatory for many workers.
In Congress, Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) have introduced in their respective Houses a bill that would require employers with more than 15 employees to provide workers one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up to 7 days a year.
Proponents of the bill point to the fact that for many people, working when sick is a better option than staying home and missing a day’s pay. This often leads to the spread of that sickness in the workplace, causing a greater drop in productivity than if the original sick worker had just stayed home for a day or two. The bill’s opponents argue that those companies that are not offering paid sick leave, especially the smaller ones, simply cannot afford to create incentives for employees not to work by giving days of free pay. The suggestion is that, for these companies, an employee working at 70% is better than an employee not working at all.
Closer to home, the Massachusetts Paid Leave Coalition is lobbying legislators in Boston to pass a similar law in the Bay State. The coalition, made up of various workers’ unions, has emphasized that fact that, because of the swine flu scare, employees are being asked to stay home if they feel unwell. The coalition’s position is that workers should not feel torn between sacrificing 1/5 of their paycheck and putting their co-workers at risk.
For those who would be affected by mandatory sick leave legislation, keep an eye out, because a change may be coming soon.
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