Paid Sick Days Should be Guaranteed for all Workers
By Emily Hammer, a Fall 2011 intern
Most people whose employers provide paid sick leave never have to think twice about taking time off when they or their loved ones are suffering from illness. But for millions of Americans who are not afforded this benefit this is a choice that they must make at some point.
It seems logical that a mother should be able to stay home with a sick child, without the fear that she will lose her job or be unable to afford groceries for her family. But a staggering 40 percent of private-sector workers (nearly 40 million people) do not have a single paid sick day. Yet almost 70 percent of the American public thinks that paid sick days are a basic right, like minimum wage and overtime standards.
At a recent panel discussion on paid sick days at the Center for American Progress, panelists expressed hope that more states will continue to join the movement to grant paid sick days to their workers.
“This is good public policy and specifically, good public health,” said Governor Dan Malloy, who led the campaign to make Connecticut the first state to grant hourly-wage employees paid sick days. “Why would you want to eat food from a sick restaurant cook? Or have your children taken care of by a sick day care worker? The simple answer is – you wouldn’t.”
Already, cities like Seattle, Washington D.C. and San Francisco have achieved victories for workers’ rights in the form of paid leave laws. Seattle City Councilmember Nick Licata, who was behind the fight for paid sick days in Seattle, said he believes that it is essential to bring local businesses, unions, and organizations together to support this kind of legislation.
One such local businessman who spoke at the event was Andy Shallal, the founder of Busboys & Poets, a restaurant, event venue and bookstore in D.C. Shallal said that the business community can only benefit from allowing their employees paid sick days. Not only does it create respect between an employer and employee, he argued, it also saves the business money on worker efficiency, and provides a healthy work environment, which is crucial in the restaurant industry.
The National Paid Sick Days Coalition, of which The Leadership Conference is a member, supports the passage of the Healthy Families Act, which was reintroduced to Congress in May of 2011. The Healthy Families Act is federal legislation that would enable all workers in the United States to earn up to seven paid sick days a year.