 For advocates and policymakers who are furthering paid sick day legislation at the state, local, and national levels:
PAID SICK DAYS CAMPAIGNS
Find campaigns in your area and learn more about city and state legislatures’ introduced paid sick days bills.
CURRENT LAW & MODEL LEGISLATION
Current Law
While no state is doing all it can to secure paid sick days for all working families, promising models are emerging across the country. Under current laws, government employees have access to paid sick days. All states provide paid sick days to state employees, and the federal government provides 13 paid sick days a year to its more than 2.7 million full-time employees. Additionally, eight states—California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin—allow workers who already have paid sick days to use them to care for certain family members.
In November of 2006, San Franciscans voted overwhelmingly in favor of the country’s first citywide ordinance, providing all San Francisco workers up to nine paid sick days per year. The San Francisco Office of Labor Standards Enforcement reports that the spring 2007 implementation phase went smoothly. In addition, since the law was enacted, both employers and workers have reported having positive experiences with the policy.
Model Legislation
Advocates at the local, state, and national level have introduced initiatives that guarantee workers a minimum number of paid sick days that can be used to recover from illness or to care for an ill family member. Some proposals also include safe days which allow workers who are victims of domestic or sexual violence to take paid time off to participate in related civil or criminal legal proceedings.
Resource:
The National Partnership for Women & Families and A Better Balance, with technical assistance from the San Francisco Office of Labor Standards and Enforcement, have drafted model legislation for local advocates considering launching a paid sick days campaign. If you have questions regarding the model legislation please contact:
Sharyn Tejani
Work and Family Policy Counsel
National Partnership for Women & Families
1875 Connecticut Ave NW/ Suite 650
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 986-2600
stejani@nationalpartnership.org
Sherry Leiwant
A Better Balance
459 Columbus Ave #367
New York, NY 10024
sleiwant@abetterbalance.org
LIVING WAGE
Over 140 living wage ordinances have been enacted across the country. Living wage ordinances require private businesses that benefit from public money (e.g. public contracts, financial assistance, economic development subsidies) to pay their workers a living wage. Some living wage ordinances include paid time off. One strategy to secure paid sick days for working families is to amend local wage ordinances to include paid sick days.
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