In my job, I get to explain the entire narrative of paid sick days to our nation’s lawmakers and their staff. It’s a rather simple task because most people intuitively get it — and often they have an experience to share.
The other day, as I walked into one of the House of Representatives office buildings, I chatted briefly with a Capitol police officer, whom I see whenever I am running in for meetings. After we exchanged hellos, he asked me what issue I was working on. I told him that I was working to help establish a basic standard of paid sick days so that working people aren’t forced to choose between caring for their health or their children’s health, and losing a paycheck or even their jobs.
He nodded and advised me to tell Members of Congress about a mother he met a few years earlier. She was there to talk to Members of Congress about her son, who had died from an untreated dental abscess — a death that could have easily been prevented if the boy had access to health care and his mother had time off from work to get him the care he needed.
I’m always so touched when people share their personal stories and insights with me. And, speaking for the hundreds of other advocates who work on this issue, we carry these stories with us. They don’t just inform our messaging — they are the message. The reality is that nearly two in five private-sector workers (39 percent) don’t have a single paid sick day to recover from common, short-term illnesses.
In other words, for nearly 40 million of us, waking up with a fever and sore throat or needing to throw up will lead to anxiety not only about our health but about our financial security. Should I go to work even though I’m sick because I need a paycheck and cannot afford to lose my job?
Without a basic workplace standard of paid sick days, two in five of us are face a terrible choice: do we respect the public’s health by staying home when sick and lose pay and risk our jobs, ordo we go to work sick so we can pay the bills and keep food on the table but risk spreading a contagious illness to others. Swift Congressional action to pass the Healthy Families Act, which allows workers to earn up to seven paid sick days a year, would eliminate this forced choice.
This Congress has made progress on the Healthy Families Act. Both the House and the Senate have held numerous hearings on the issue, and we have more cosponsors on the bill than ever.
But we’re not there yet. Working people want to be responsible employees and family members. They want to be conscientious community members. The Healthy Families Act would allow workers to be all of the above. The legislation would establish a minimum labor standard that guarantees workers the ability to earn paid, job-protected time off for at least seven days a year to recover from illness or to care for a sick family member. It would ensure that working families don’t risk their financial security to do what is right for their own health and the well-being of their workplaces, schools and communities. And, it would protect the public health by allowing ill people to stay home to recover and avoid spreading illness.
Yet, there is more to be done. As we approach another flu season, as our nation’s children go back to school and as our caregiving responsibilities for older relatives expand, one thing is certain: working people need the economic security and job stability provided by a basic workplace standard of paid sick days, especially as millions continue their paycheck-to-paycheck struggles in this fractured economy.
There isn’t much time left before Congress adjourns. We need to make sure that Members hear more stories and insights on the need for paid sick days. More than 150 women’s, workers’ and health organizations are working together to support the Healthy Families Act. We need your help too.
7.30.10 Dispatch from Louisville: A Salute to Labor and Labor's Legislative Champions
Last weekend and earlier this week, I was in Louisville, Kentucky talking about paid sick days and economic security with both labor leaders and state legislators who champion issues important to workers. Advocates who lead paid sick days campaigns routinely praise organized labor’s hard work on these issues — and it is obvious why.
I had the honor of speaking to state labor leaders from all around the country — from Hawaii to Maine — at the AFL Workers’ Voice conference in Louisville. State labor federation leaders who work hand-in-hand with vibrant paid sick days campaigns in states like Washington, California, Maine and Connecticut were there, as were leaders from states like Texas, Oregon, West Virginia, and Indiana, where it would be great to see paid sick days campaigns emerge.
These women and men have a deep understanding about why a paid sick days labor standard matters. They are appalled that nearly 40 million workers in this country are forced to jeopardize their economic security and job stability simply because they or their child come down with a cold or the flu. And because they get it, these folks speak at rallies, lobby legislators, organize phone banks, pass resolutions in favor of paid sick days at local conventions, and educate their union brothers and sisters about the importance of the issue. Paid sick days campaigns rely on their good work and, in San Francisco, Washington, DC, and Milwaukee, victories resulted.
I also met members of the National Labor Caucus of State Legislators and other progressive legislators in Louisville — labor champions from around the country — who are just as passionate. These thoughtful state leaders know that a paid sick days standard will provide workers with economic security and job stability. They know that a paid sick days standard will mean that a child’s ear infection will not prevent families from paying their bills — or keeping food on the table. They know that a paid sick days standard will mean that a worker’s flu will not lead to job loss — and the months of unemployment that are so common in today’s economy. And they know that, when we have a paid sick days standard in place, a worker will be able to take time to see a doctor when something is wrong — rather than waiting until a simple problem becomes much more serious.
They champion paid sick days bills because they know that, especially in this economy, working families need a paid sick days labor standard more than ever.
In more than two dozen states and cities, organized labor and progressive legislators — along with broad coalitions of women’s, civil rights, public health, children’s and other groups — are helping to advance paid sick days policies.
7.28.10 ~ Paid Sick Days are Crucial for Direct Care Workers
Every day in the United States, more workers than many of us imagine face an impossible choice: go to work sick, or forgo a paycheck and risk job loss or workplace discipline. More than 40 million private sector workers in this country do not have access to even a single paid sick day. And when it comes to personal care workers — those who tend to the elderly and care for small children — more than half (52%) lack paid sick days.
The need for paid sick days for direct care workers could not be more critical. With pay rates that average about $10 per hour, every cent earned is crucial to direct care workers’ financial stability and the economic security of their families. On the other hand, when direct care workers go to work sick, they risk the fragile health of those they care for — people who are ill, elderly, or medically needy and who are entrusted to their care.
Currently pending before Congress, the Healthy Families Act would eliminate the impossible choice that so many workers must make. The Act would create a basic labor standard that allows workers to earn up to seven days per year of paid, job-protected time off to recover from illness, care for a sick family member, or seek preventive health care. If the bill becomes law, 90 percent of all U.S. workers would have access to paid sick days (up from 61 percent today). The Healthy Families Act would increase access to paid sick time for personal care workers by 107 percent (covering an additional 1.4 million personal care workers).
In addition to the national legislation, there is also legislative momentum for paid sick days at the state and local levels. Three jurisdictions — San Francisco, Washington D.C., and Milwaukee — have passed paid sick time laws and, in 2010, legislators and advocates in 24 state and cities are advancing paid sick days legislation. Although most legislative sessions have ended for the year, advocates are gearing up for the re-introduction of paid sick days bills in 2011. They are strengthening their coalitions, planning events, and continuing to meet with legislators.
Paid Sick Days campaigns need your help! There are multiple ways that direct care workers can get involved:
Testify at state and local hearings about why paid sick days matter — it’s important for legislators to hear the voices of direct care workers on this issue.
Help plan, participate in, or attend paid sick days events that are happening all around the country.
Join your local paid sick days coalition — or help form one where one doesn’t yet exist.
The time is now. Everyone gets sick. Not everyone has time to get better.
6.21.10 ~ New Survey: Workers Need, Want Paid Sick Days
In a new survey conducted by the University of Chicago’s National Opinion Research Center, commissioned by the Public Welfare Foundation, nearly one-quarter of people (23%) report that they have lost a job or were told they would lose a job for taking time off from work to care for a sick child or family member, or to cope with their own illness, including nearly one-sixth (16%) who say they have actually lost a job. But it doesn’t stop there: the lack of paid sick days is also harming public health, and straining the nation’s health care system.
The survey relays a clear message from the public: No one should have to make the impossible choice between their job and their own health or the health of their loved ones. Now more than ever, workers need paid sick days.
6.18.10 ~ Paid Sick Days: The Gift Working Dads Need
The traditional Father’s Day gifts are a new tie or a set of golf clubs (and those silly cards that suggest all dads care about are wearing ties and playing golf — not true!). But if we really want to thank our dads for all the times they’ve been there for us, then there’s no better gift than one that allows all fathers to be there for their children: a paid sick days law. Although golf clubs might be more fun, what’s a better, lasting gift than giving dads time off work to hold their toddler’s hand at the doctor or stroke their kindergartener’s brow during a bout of the flu?
Every message society sends about modern dads is positive. We want dads to be there for their kids, and yet our public policies haven’t kept pace. Nearly 40 million workers in the United States — many of them parents — don’t have paid sick days they can use to take care of themselves or their families. They simply don’t have the option of taking time off from work to stay home with a sick child, to take a child to the doctor, or even to take care of their own medical needs. If they take time off, they’re under the threat of being disciplined or fired. And for many parents, that’s a choice they can’t afford.
Advocates in New York City had reason to celebrate today: New York City Councilman and Labor Committee Chairman James Sanders signed on as the 36th cosponsor of the Paid Sick Time Act.
The public health event was also sponsored by: American Cancer Society, Center for Children’s Initiatives, Children’s Defense Fund, Community Healthcare Network, Community Service Society, Ethical Culture Society, GMHC, Institute for Puerto Rican/Hispanic Elderly, Legal Momentum, Make the Road NY, National Organization for Women-NYC, National Organization for Women-NYS, NYC Central Labor Council, National Physicians Alliance, NYS AFL-CIO, NYS Nurses Association, NYU Law Women, NY Women’s Chamber of Commerce, Public Health Solutions, Raising Women’s Voices, Restaurant Opportunities Center NY (ROC), Women’s City Club of NY, and the Working Families Party.
5.14.10 ~ All Eyes Are On New York City
The paid sick days movement’s attention is focused once again on New York City — and there is no question that if a minimum paid sick days standard becomes the law in the Big Apple, it will be a game-changer for the movement as a whole. If enacted, the law would guarantee access to paid sick days to all of the City’s workers, including the 1.3-1.5 million workers who have no paid time off at all.
On Tuesday, May 11, the New York City Council Committee on Civil Service and Labor held a well-attended, thoughtful hearing on the City’s Paid Sick Time Act. The press resulting from the hearing has been very positive, including this story on the Wall Street Journal’s blog.
Track the bill’s progress and read the Committee’s report and the witness testimony here. And follow the campaign’s progress on Facebook and Twitter.
Stay tuned for updates and opportunities for helping to make access to paid sick days a reality for millions of New Yorkers.
5.06.10 ~ Third Paid Sick Days Summit: Advocates Motivated For Change
On April 26, more than 200 advocates from 19 states and D.C. gathered in Washington, D.C. for the National Partnership’s third Paid Sick Days Summit. This year, the Summit was part of a broader work-family conference, “Making It Work: Advancing Workplace Policies for the 21st Century,” which the National Partnership co-hosted with Family Values @ Work. The Summit opened with insightful commentary on the policy and economic climate by national pollster Celinda Lake, Department of Labor Assistant Secretary of Policy Bill Spriggs, and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro’s Deputy Chief of Staff Letty Mederos, and the broader conference ended with impassioned remarks by Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis. See the full agenda here.
After engaging in interactive discussions, a working lunch, and afternoon skills-building workshops, participants commented enthusiastically about the “excitement in the room” and “the wealth of information presented.” They said the conference demonstrated the “power of the movement” and showed “momentum.”
Taking their excitement to Capitol Hill the following day, advocates met with Members of Congress and congressional staff to discuss paid sick days and paid family leave as part of a Day of Action. The day began with keynote remarks from the Vice President’s Domestic Policy Advisor, Terrell McSweeny, and advocates were treated to a fiery speech by Healthy Families Act sponsor Senator Chris Dodd. Representative Lynn Woolsey, a work-family champion, shared her own personal work-family story to underscore the importance of public policies that address workers responsibilities at home and at work.
As advocates returned from their Hill visits throughout the day, National Partnership staff had the opportunity to debrief with them in real-time to hear about the impact the advocates’ personal stories had on Members and staff and to strategize about the arguments we need to develop to make our case even stronger.
On March 25, New York City Councilwoman Gale Brewer reintroduced New York City's Paid Sick Time Act in the City Council, with 34 of the City Council’s 51 members as co-sponsors. Advocates celebrated the bill's reintroduction with a thrilling and energizing rally at City Hall. Enacting the paid sick days bill is a high priority for the City Council’s Progressive Caucus. While cognizant of the challenges before them, supporters came close to victory in 2009 and are hopeful that the bill will become law this year. A hearing will be held on May 4.
Strong legislative support for the bill reflects the sobering fact that, according to a study released last year, 1.3 million workers in New York City lack access to paid sick days to seek medical treatment or care for themselves or a family member when ill. In response, the paid sick time bill would require employers within the City to allow workers to earn one hour of paid sick time for every thirty hours worked, up to 5 days per year for small businesses and 9 days per year for larger businesses. Under the bill, earned sick time would be available to allow an employee to care for their own illness or routine medical care; an employee's need to care for an ill spouse, child, parent, grandparent, or domestic partner; or in the event a school or business is closed due to a public health emergency. This legislation could not be timelier. As a spokesperson for the Working Parties Family explained, “President Obama's health care reform is a big leap forward, but if you're like the 48% of New York City's workers that can't take a day off without losing pay, seeing a doctor when you need to may still be impossible.”
In order to help assure legislators and the public that a paid sick days standard will not lead to job loss, the Drum Major Institute released a new report in conjunction with the re-introduction of the New York City bill that demonstrates that San Francisco’s paid sick days law has not harmed job growth.
Some notable findings from the report include the following:
Employment remains stronger in San Francisco, the first city in the country to implement a paid sick days law in 2007, than in neighboring counties without such a law.
Total employment in the five counties neighboring San Francisco fell by 5.2 percent between December of 2006, immediately before the paid sick days law went into effect, and December of 2009. Total employment in San Francisco fell by only 3 percent during that period, even in the midst of the worst recession since World War II.
The job loss rate in San Francisco was not only less than in all 5 neighboring counties aggregated together, but was also less than in each and every one of the 5 neighboring counties individually.
San Francisco experienced stronger employment than neighboring counties from December 2006 to December 2008 in the industries that are most affected by paid sick days. Growth in leisure/hospitality and accommodation/food services was twice as high in San Francisco as in the surrounding 5 counties and loss in retail jobs was less than half as much as in surrounding counties.
12.16.09 ~ New York City Rallies Behind Paid Sick Days
Since its launch just this summer, New York City’s campaign for paid sick days has quickly become one of the most-watched in the country. And for good reason: local advocates, workers, and political leaders at the helm of the campaign have been generating a lot of buzz lately.
For starters, at a recent rally at City Hall, supporters came out in droves to call for swift action on paid sick days. Workers and coalition members turned out with signs and banners to hear remarks from campaign leaders like A Better Balance, and to get a glimpse of Gloria Steinem, who lent her voice to speak out in favor of the legislation:
"The Paid Sick Time Act is gender free, but the need for it is not. Women are still more likely to be responsible for the health of children and family members, and to be among the million workers in small businesses or the half of all New York City public school parents who have no paid sick leave at all. Our great five boroughs are way behind every modern democracy — and such cities as San Francisco and Milwaukee — in having no paid sick leave. Women are asking Mayor Bloomberg and Speaker Christine Quinn to bring us into this century at last."
Supporters also showed their strength by coming out to City Hall for a hearing held by the New York City Council’s Civil Service and Labor Committee to examine the issue. The hearing lasted several hours and dozens of supporters testified — including Donna Levitt of San Francisco’s Office of Labor Standards Enforcement, Dr. Victor Sidel of the Public Health Association of New York City, Freddy Castiblanco of Small Business United for Health Care, and Guillermo Barrera, a worker who was fired when he got sick.
Currently, 39 out of 51 councilmembers have officially signed on in support the bill. The New York Paid Sick Days Coalition is now urging the City Council to move the legislation as soon as possible.
With the H1N1 virus becoming widespread throughout most of the United States, securing paid sick days for all workers has become more critical than ever before.
Consequently, the Obama Administration has responded to this growing need for working families and has endorsed the Healthy Families Act. Seth Harris, Deputy Secretary for the Department of Labor, announced the Administration’s support during a hearing on H1N1 and paid sick days at the Senate HELP Committee’s Subcommittee on Children and Families.
He explains during his testimony that legislation like the Healthy Families Act would “advance workplace flexibility and protect the income and security of workers.”
11.10.09 ~ Sen. Dodd Holds a Hearing on the Healthy Families Act By Kesia Brown, National Partnership
On Nov. 10, the Senate HELP Committee’s Subcommittee on Children and Families, chaired by Sen. Chris Dodd, hosted a hearing on H1N1 and paid sick days entitled “The Cost of Being Sick.” In the course of the panelists’ testimonies, the hearing brought attention to the growing need for working families to have access to paid sick days with the emerging threat of an H1N1 pandemic.
Debra Ness, President of the National Partnership for Women & Families, stressed the growing urgency of passing paid sick days legislation as she explained how public health is at risk when employers refuse to “provide a minimum standard of paid sick days.” Only a small number of food and public accommodation workers and childcare providers have paid sick days. Since H1N1 is currently “widespread” in 48 states and more than 100 children have already died of complications from H1N1, it is more important than ever to provide paid sick days and make it possible for working families to recover from their illness and stop the spread of H1N1.
The panelists also included government officials such as Rep. Rosa Delauro, who has been a leading champion in Congress for issues concerning working families, and Seth Harris, Deputy Secretary for the Department of Labor, who announced the Obama Administrations support for the Healthy Families Act. Mr. Harris commented in his testimony that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that everyone with an influenza-like illness should stay home in order to prevent further spread of the disease. The duration of time that most will have to stay home will be 3 to 5 days from the time that symptoms occur to when the fever subsides. He emphasized that providing sick days to employees will only have minimal costs to employers and that this should encourage employers to improve their work supports for their workers — especially for low wage workers and single parents who are especially vulnerable to making the hard choice “between keeping their jobs and taking care of their health and the health of their children.” Further, Mr. Harris expressed the Administration’s support of health care reform as another initiative that will help both working families and businesses through public health emergencies like H1N1.
Testimony was also heard from a working mother who has first hand experience with the devastating costs of being ill without paid sick days. Desiree Rosado, a working mother and wife from Groton, Connecticut, was recently impacted by H1N1 when all three of her children fell severely ill with H1N1 and she had no choice but to stay home and take care of her children even though her employer did not offer paid sick days. Although her husband works as a security guard, the absence of her paycheck has put a tremendous strain on their economic security and they are now living on the edge — from paycheck to paycheck. Through her moving testimony, she expressed her support of the Healthy Families Act and eloquently personalized paid sick days as an issue that must be addressed immediately by Congress.
10.26.09 ~ I Don’t Want To Alarm Anyone — But I Think It Might Be Time To Get Alarmed! By Steffany Stern, National Partnership
Over the weekend, we learned some startling news: the H1N1 outbreak is now so widespread that the president has declared a national emergency. I don’t want to alarm anyone — but I think it might be time to get alarmed!
According to the CDC, 46 states are now experiencing widespread flu activity. Overwhelmed hospitals will now officially be allowed to set up “disaster operation plans” and operate satellite facilities for H1N1 patients.
The New York Times reports that some hospitals in Texas and Tennessee have set up tents in their parking lots to screen patients. There is a shortage of the H1N1 vaccine. Over 20,000 have been hospitalized, and more than 2,400 have died. And to top it all off, the highest rate of infection is among children.
I don’t know about you, but I’m hoping that a national emergency means it’s time for a strong national response. In fact, I think it’s high time to call for the simple yet fundamental response we need to help stop the epidemic: a national standard of job-protected paid sick days.
We need paid sick days, so that incredibly-contagious workers don’t have to go to work sick, where they will almost certainly infect their coworkers and any other strangers they contact—and so kids don’t have to go to school with high fevers and infect their classmates and teachers.
Is there really any other way to contain this wave of outbreaks? Public health officials don’t seem to think so. In fact, a chorus of public health officials is continually commanding people to stay home when they’re sick and to keep their kids at home.
But as workers have responded again and again, the reality is that every day, workers are forced to go to work sick anyway. In this economy, too many are already terrified that they will be joining the ranks of the unemployed if they don’t show up to work, and they simply do not have the option to take that risk. The only way we can calm workers’ anxiety is to protect their jobs and wages when they’re out sick. It’s time to pass paid sick days to stop the spread of H1N1, but also to help us stave off any future outbreaks. Anything less would fall short of what is truly needed.
09.30.09 ~ Does Your Child Care Center Provide Paid Sick Days? By Karen Pesapane, National Partnership
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention keeps updating its guidelines to help child care and early childhood programs - - and all of us - - respond to influenza during the 2009-2010 flu season.
Guidelines for providers include separating children with signs of illness from healthy children until the ill child can be picked-up, and not allowing children back to school until 24 hours after their fever naturally subsides.
Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius unveiled a new PSA featuring Elmo practicing sneezing into his arm and went on record saying “If your child comes down with the flu, we hope you plan to keep them home and not share this with their playmates.”
It’s been said enough over the past few weeks that I think we all get it. Staying home when feeling sick is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of illness.
But for all the recent emphasis on keeping sick kids home, I wondered if my 2 year-old son’s child care teachers were sick, would they stay home? Could they stay home?
So I did the unthinkable and I asked the director of my son’s child care if teachers are able to stay home when they are sick without losing pay or worrying about job security.
I was delighted to learn that the teachers at my son’s child care have a paid leave package that covers sick days, and that they also allow longer tenured employees (who earn more leave than newer employees) to transfer their leave hours to colleagues who may need them.
But I know the child care industry does not typically provide workers with paid sick days.
Case in point, my mother recently retired after 25 years of teaching child care in Connecticut. She told me recently how relieved she is that she retired when she did, because she never had any sick days. She shudders to think how any teachers in the same situation this flu season will not be able to follow the CDC’s advise and stay home when they are sick.
Unfortunately, the national emphasis on staying home when sick is neglecting to acknowledge the fact that millions of workers in this country don’t have a single paid sick day. If they stay home, they get no pay. This isn’t exactly a great time to be losing income, especially for working families.
We all need a reality check.
Ask your child care provider, or the barista at your favorite coffee joint, or the worker preparing your lunch order, or working members of your family: “Can you afford to stay home if you feel sick?”
If they say no, ask them to tell their leaders in Congress that we need a minimum standard of paid sick days in this country.
09.14.09 ~ With H1N1 Spreading this Fall: We Need Paid Sick Days, Not Another "iPhone App"
As schools reopen and cooler, drier temperatures return here to Washington, D.C., the nation waits for the second wave of the H1N1 flu to hit us. Meanwhile, we are bombarded by information on the Internet, in the news and through our email inboxes. Google, too, is in on the action, helping to track and map the H1N1 flu. And now, there’s even an “iPhone app” for the H1N1 virus! We know people are engaged when there’s an “app.” This one will enable users to track, report and be notified of H1N1 outbreaks on the ground, in real time. It will also allow researchers to collect data on new areas of flu activity.
Yet, when we look beyond the hype, the actual prevention of the spread of the H1N1 virus is relatively uncomplicated. Government officials are simply asking workers to stay home when they are sick, and to keep sick children home from school. Of course, there’s other advice, including coughing into your inner elbows, washing your hands frequently and getting vaccinated. But perhaps the most effective is to stay home when you’re sick.
Staying home to prevent the spread of H1N1 doesn’t require an “iPhone app,” or even access to Google maps. All a sick worker, or the parent of a sick child, needs is time off from work without the risk of losing their pay or their jobs. What workers urgently need is a guarantee that if they do the right thing and stay home with the flu, they won’t be docked pay, disciplined by an employer or fired.
A basic workplace standard of paid sick days would provide workers with such a guarantee. And it would help protect the public’s health by removing a key reason that sick adults go to work, and parents send sick children to school: concern about their financial security.
This policy establishing a standard of paid sick days has already been proposed by Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the late Sen. Ted Kennedy and Sen. Chris Dodd. The Healthy Families Act (HR 2460/ S 1152) would guarantee workers seven paid sick days a year to recover from illness like the flu and care for ill family members.
Now, we need urgent action from our elected leaders in the White House and Congress to make the Healthy Families Act the law of the land. We’ve heard a lot from officials about how to cough into our elbows, and that’s good. Now, we want to hear how they will ensure that working families don’t risk their financial security to do what is right for their own health and the health of others in their workplaces, schools and communities. A real commitment to quickly enact the Healthy Families Act would make this a flu season to remember.
08.26.09 ~ Responding to Swine Flu school closures: Webinars? Try Paid Sick Days
On Monday, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan released a statement calling on schools to "ensure instruction continues should the virus cause high absenteeism or school closings" that result from H1N1 (Swine Flu) outbreaks.
Duncan suggested schools should evaluate what materials they have available for at-home learning, such as distributing recorded classes on podcasts and DVDs; creating take-home packets with up to 12 weeks of printed class material; or holding live classes via conference calls or "webinars."
Webinars?!? I'm hip to the groove that we should keep kids learning, but the Secretary of Education needs a huge reality check.
The Department of Labor reported that over 68% school aged children have all parents working outside the home. That means that when schools close, or when kids are sick, the first, and most important question parents have is not "how do I make sure my child gets her math lesson" but instead is, "Who is going to take care of my 6 year old today when I have to work?!"
Secretary Duncan needs to see the big picture. If he wants to reduce the number of days that children miss out on learning due to illness, step one is to reduce the risk of that illness' transmission.
Paid Sick Days are critical to making this happen. As Dr. Anita Barry of the Boston Public Health Commission points out:
"For some parents... if they don't show up at work, they don't get paid, and people may already be on the economic margins," Barry says. "So parents were desperate to get some of these children back in school." As a result, there were many sick, contagious kids in Boston classrooms this spring.
If the Secretary Duncan wants to offer real help and support to parents, he should publicly support the Healthy Families Act. This act will allow working people to earn paid sick days that they can use to care for themselves or their children when they are sick. Paid Sick Days not only benefit families, they also save businesses money by keeping workers healthy and productive.
By setting a minimum standard for employer-provided paid sick days, we make sure that every working parent will be able to keep the flu out of schools so they don't have to close, and schools won't have to think about those pesky webinars.
08.20.09 ~ An Antidote to H1N1 (Swine Flu)
The Public Welfare Foundation has published a powerful new article that examines the disconnect between the government’s urgent guidelines regarding the upcoming H1N1 flu season and the reality facing millions of working families.
On August 19, top government officials held a press conference to persuade workers sick with the H1N1 flu to stay home — and remain at home until 24 hours after their fevers subside. Meanwhile, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) is recommending that schools stay open even when students have H1N1 symptoms, but that those sick children stay home. While the government is also encouraging business owners to be flexible and accommodating during the H1N1 flu season, it doesn’t go far enough to address the needs of working families.
As the Public Welfare Foundation article explains, “recent alerts and guidelines that have been issued in anticipation of the resurgence of the H1N1 flu (or swine flu) — including the highest alert level from the World Health Organization in June — have American families scrambling to figure out how to deal with the threat of a serious disease or pandemic.” If the government took its guidelines a step further — to ensure that all working people have paid sick days — workers would be willing and able to stay home when they or their children contract the H1N1 flu.
08.17.09 ~ Working People Need Paid Sick Days in an H1N1 (Swine Flu) Outbreak
The H1N1 flu is once again spreading.
Already the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have recorded 6,506 hospitalized and 436 deaths related to H1N1 flu. The cases of H1N1 are so widespread that the CDC and World Health Organization are no longer keeping track of the number of individual cases. However, public health officials estimate the number of H1N1 cases in the U.S. reached the one-million mark in June 2009.
Now, we’re expecting a second wave of the H1N1 flu this fall.
In a severe H1N1 flu pandemic, the CDC estimates that up to 40% of the workforce might not able to work either because they are ill or because they need to stay home to care for an ill family member. That’s two out of five workers that will need to take time off from work to recover from their own illness or to provide care. And, that’s only for the H1N1. We can safely assume that during the pandemic, other common illness, including the stomach flu, the cold or even other flu viruses, will continue to spread.
However, the reality is that “staying home”—the CDC’s simple recommendation to prevent the spread of H1N1—is difficult for millions of workers lacking paid sick days. Nearly half of private-sector workers, including 76% of low-wage workers and 86% of food service workers, have no paid sick days. These workers do not currently have the luxury of taking the CDC’s advice without suffering adverse financial consequences.
With up to four in ten workers expected to be affected, we need a minimum standard of paid sick days. Enacting the Healthy Families Act will ensure workers are able to take time off without jeopardizing their financial security—and help prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus.
Share your story: Statistics only go so far in explaining why paid sick days are so important during the H1N1 swine flu pandemic. Please tell us, in your own words, "Why are paid sick days important to you or your family during the H1N1 swine flu pandemic?" Email us at info@nationalpartnership.org.
07.30.09 ~ Is Work and Family a Zero-Sum Game? By Sophie Bauer
Can women be successful both on the job and in life? Former CEO of General Electric Co., Jack Welch, doesn’t think so. He seems to believe that work and family life amount to a zero-sum game, particularly for working women. In his comments at the Society for Human Resource Management’s yearly conference in New Orleans on June 28,Welch flatly stated that “There’s no such thing as work-life balance.” He later went on to say that, “There are work-life choices, and you make them, and they have consequences.” Welch firmly directed this critique towards women attempting to ‘make it to the top’ in the corporate world. But recent research suggests that, perhaps, Welch did not really do his homework.
First, Welch ignores the reality that for working women today, there really is no “work-life” choice. Women must learn to thrive in both arenas. They must be successful on the job and responsible to their family. Millions of women cannot and do not choose; rather, they cope with the demands from both sides. In fact, nearly three in four mothers with children under age 18 are in the labor force. And, the vast majority of these women work full-time. Working women in particular need policies like paid sick days and paid leave to meet the dual demands of work and family while succeeding in the working world.
Second, Welch missed the point that work-life policies are not only critical to workers, but employers as well. When responsible employers take care of their workers through policies that address the needs of working families, they are better able to recruit and retain them. And, when workers have the security of policies like paid time off, they are more committed and productive, and have higher morale. In turn, their employers reap the benefits of lower turnover and training costs.
In a recent Joint Economic Committee hearing, Karen Nussbaum of Working America/AFL-CIO directly addressed Welch’s statement. Citing research done by Ellen Galinsky of the Families and Work Institute, Nussbaum explained that “work/life policies are viable and widespread, increase productivity and personal satisfaction. Her research demonstrates that pursuing work/life policies in a recession is good for the bottom line”.
The hearing also highlighted the fact that not all employers understand the importance and necessity of work-life policies. With these employers in mind, we must urge our lawmakers to expand the FMLA, guarantee a basic workplace standard of paid sick days and establish a national paid family and medical leave program. Working families should not have to risk their financial well-being to care for their health or a family member who needs them.
With the help of more policies that address the dual needs of working families—and working women in particular—Mr. Welch’s statement could become entirely moot.
07.06.09 ~ New York City Mayoral Candidates (Bloomberg Included!) Express Support for Paid Sick Days
In a New York City mayoral candidates’ forum held last week by the Working Families Party, supporters of paid sick days heard candidates voice support for their policy, including current Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Mayor Bloomberg, who is running with the support of the City’s Republican and Independent Parties, said he was encouraged by the experiences that San Francisco and Washington, DC have had with paid sick days policies. He stated his general support for a paid sick days requirement, though he hedged about support for smaller businesses and said that his staff needs to study the policy. William C. Thompson, Jr., who is aiming for the Democratic Party’s nomination, stated his support for paid sick days more forcefully.
These words of support from high-profile players in the local—and national—political scene are a windfall for the local paid sick days campaign. But New York City advocates won’t rest on their laurels, especially given the Mayor’s unenthusiastic stance for full coverage for the City’s businesses. It is critical that paid sick days standards apply to all businesses, given the public health risks that can result when workers have no access to paid sick days. The New York City bill will be introduced at the end of July in the City Council.
06.30.09 ~ City of Milwaukee Should Defend Its Paid Sick Days Ordinance
In a devastating blow to workers, a Milwaukee judge recently overturned the City’s paid sick days ordinance.
Last November, Milwaukee voters overwhelmingly passed a citywide paid sick days ordinance (with nearly 70% of the vote!) on the ballot to guarantee workers job-protected paid sick days to recover from illness, care for a sick family member, or seek services related to domestic violence.
Despite the decisive victory in November, longtime opponents from the local business lobby and the Milwaukee Metropolitan Area Chamber of Commerce (MMAC) contested the ordinance in court—and unfortunately won the first round.
The Milwaukee judge chose to throw out the entire ordinance based on a narrow technical argument. Even though the Milwaukee judge threw out the MMAC’s nine other challenges, he ruled that because the specific provisions allowing domestic violence victims time off to relocate and attend legal proceedings were not part of the very short ballot question, the entire ordinance should be overturned. He argued that these provisions regarding domestic violence leave exceeded the authority of the City of Milwaukee. Many legal experts argue that the judge made a bad call and that the decision should be appealed.
Now it’s up to the Mayor and the City of Milwaukee to appeal this bad decision and uphold the will of the voters. They have a limited number of days to appeal the ruling.
Milwaukee advocates are not giving up the fight. They are organizing workers and prominent Milwaukeeans to encourage the City to appeal the decision, and to make sure the ordinance has its day in court before a fair judge.
06.11.09 ~ New Study Shows Major Public Health Gains from Paid Sick Days
A study released today by Human Impact Partners and the San Francisco Department of Public health shows that passing the Healthy Families Act, which would let employees at firms with at least 15 employees earn up to seven paid sick days a year, would have a profoundly positive effect on public and individual health.
Currently, almost half of all workers choose between two bad options when they or their families are sick: they go to work sick, potentially causing a number of negative health outcomes, or they take time off when sick without pay or job protection, also risking a number of negative health outcomes. The Health Impact Assessment of the Healthy Families Act found that the legislation would prevent these difficult choices and provide significant positive public health impacts, such as:
Increasing the use of primary and preventative care and thereby preventing the use of more cost-intensive health care resources (i.e. emergency room visits, hospitalization)
Reducing the spread of pandemic and seasonal flu
Protecting the public from diseases carried by sick workers (i.e. in restaurants, nursing homes, health care settings)
Preventing hunger and homelessness resulting from loss of pay or jobs among sick, low-income workers
05.19.09 ~ Rep. Keith Ellison speaks on the House floor in support of paid sick days.
Here's a great video clip of Congressman Keith Ellison (MN-5) on the House floor talking about the need for a basic labor standard of paid sick days. Congressman Ellison discussed the need for Congress to pass the Healthy Families Act, which would guarantee workers up to seven paid sick days a year to recover from their own illness or to care for a sick family member, and provides paid sick time for diagnostic and medical appointments. It would also allow workers to use paid sick time to recover from or seek assistance related to an incidence of domestic violence, stalking or sexual assault.
04.28.09 ~ Domestic Violence Protections added to the Healthy Families Act in the 111th Congress
The Healthy Families Act will soon be introduced in the 111th Congress with a much-needed new provision: a domestic violence protection that would allow workers to use paid sick time to recover from or seek assistance related to domestic violence, stalking or sexual assault. This provision speaks to the need to ensure that victims can access necessary services—or leave a violent situation—without jeopardizing their paycheck or their jobs.
Nearly one in three women in the U.S. report physical or sexual abuse by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives. And up to 85 percent of domestic violence victims miss work because of physical and sexual abuse. Missing work leads to lost pay that can cause financial strain for victims, of course, but it also can lead to job loss. According to the General Accounting Office, 25 to 50 percent of domestic violence victims report losing a job, at least partially because of domestic violence.
Losing a job can be particularly devastating for victims of domestic violence, who often need economic security to ensure their safety, and in many cases, the safety of their children. We know that one of the key reasons survivors of domestic violence stay with their abusers is due to financial dependence: leaving could mean losing their housing, health care, or income. It is essential that survivors be able to seek out shelter, file restraining orders, attend court dates, or receive counseling to prevent further abuse and work disruption.
The new version of the Healthy Families Act would ensure that workers are not forced to choose between their income and their safety. We applaud Representative Rosa DeLauro and Senator Ted Kennedy, the lead sponsors of the bill, for addressing this critical need.
04.15.09 ~ Coalition Launches Spring Campaign for Healthy Families Act
The Healthy Families Act Coalition is kicking off a major spring advocacy surge to generate support for paid sick days in the 111th Congress. The Coalition, which includes over 150 advocacy, labor and community groups, will be advancing a new version of the Healthy Families Act that will better meet the needs of both employers and workers.
Senator Ted Kennedy and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro expect to introduce the Healthy Families Act in May 2009, and our coalition is reaching out to members of Congress with one simple ask: support our nation’s working families by cosponsoring the Healthy Families Act. Especially in this economy, a worker shouldn’t be forced to choose between her paycheck and her own health or the well-being of her family.
The coalition’s goal is to garner strong Congressional support of the bill in time for its introduction and send the message loud and clear that the time for the Healthy Families Act is now. We’re focusing on the House of Representatives in order to schedule a hearing on the Healthy Families Act in the Education and Labor Committee in the coming months.
03.23.09 ~ Capitol Hill abounds in misinformation regarding the Healthy Families Act! Rachna Choudhry
Last week, members of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) were in Washington, DC lobbying their representatives in Congress to oppose, among other things, a basic standard of paid sick days. I had the opportunity to read their materials. What I learned surprised me.
SHRM understands the importance of workplace policies to "assist employees in meeting the dual demands of work and family." In fact, among SHRM's own members, three in four employers (64 percent) offer paid sick days to their employees. And, a vast majority (82 percent) of their member/employers offer paid vacation leave.
These statistics surprised me because while SHRM members understood the importance of offering work/family policies, they opposed efforts to ensure that all employers offer these policies. Wouldn't that level the playing field for all employers?
When I spoke with one SHRM member, vice president of human resources at a medium-sized company, she too thought that work and family policies were critical to a productive, loyal and satisfied workforce. She also said that human resources managers like her support work/family policies because it makes their jobs easier—even if the company’s executives don’t quite understand the importance of these policies.
So when I asked her why SHRM was opposing the Healthy Families Act, which would create a minimum standard of paid sick days, she didn’t have an answer. She even asked the question to other SHRM members, who agreed that paid sick days were important, but also didn’t understand why SHRM was opposing the Healthy Families Act.
Clearly, Capitol Hill abounds in misinformation regarding the Healthy Families Act!
Legislative sessions are now underway around the country and paid sick days progress is continuing to build. State campaigns have been celebrating recent action, including bill introductions and campaign kickoffs, and many predict that their legislatures will hold hearings on the need for paid sick days within a few short weeks. Recent highlights include:
Massachusetts’s bill was introduced with nearly half of the members of the legislature signed on as cosponsors. Advocates kicked off their campaign with a press conference, cost-benefit report release, and lobby day.
Alaska’s bill has been introduced and will soon be heard by the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee.
Connecticut had a hearing in a key committee—the General Assembly's Labor and Public Employees Committee—and over a dozen proponents of the bill came out to testify.
North Carolina’s bill has been introduced and advocates will hold a press conference on March 4 to kick off the NC Paid Sick Days campaign.
California’s bill has been introduced and will likely be heard by the Labor and Employment Committee in April.
Minnesota’s bill has been scheduled for a hearing in the Labor and Consumer Protection Division of the Labor and Commerce Committee on March 6.
Illinois’s bill was introduced and referred to the House Labor Committee.
We expect to see exciting activity in these campaigns and in other state and city efforts in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for updates.
02.09.09 ~ State Action Round-Up: Off to a Strong Start in 2009
Legislative sessions have barely kicked off in states around the country, but paid sick days bills are already cropping up and starting to make progress. Just a few of the recent highlights:
New Hampshire's paid sick days bill has been introduced, and already had its first hearing—February 3 in the House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services Committee. A strong turnout of advocates, researchers, and public health experts testified in favor of the legislation. The bill is now scheduled for a vote in the Committee on February 11.
Minnesota's bill has also been introduced, and advocates were able to recruit enough original co-authors to hit the maximum limit for introduction. A hearing will be scheduled in both the Senate and the House in the upcoming weeks.
Connecticut's bill has been introduced and leaders in the legislature have continued to express their support for paid sick days on the record, committing to strong action this legislative session.
Milwaukee advocates gathered at the Mayor’s office on February 4. They urged the Mayor to ask the city attorney's office to fight a legal request from the business lobby, asking to delay enactment of the city's paid sick days ordinance. A large group of paid sick days supporters delivered letters and several hundred signatures against granting an injunction against the ordinance. Despite their efforts, the City declined to oppose the injunction, which the court then granted on February 6, delaying the paid sick days standard until the issue is resolved. The hearing will be held on May 11.
Several other state paid sick days advocates have introduced legislation and others will introduce their bills very soon. Given what we've seen already, we're hopeful for a historic year for these critical campaigns launching all around the country.
01.16.09 ~ Milwaukee’s fight for paid sick days moves to the courtroom
On November 4th, the people of the City of Milwaukee voted overwhelmingly in favor (69%) of paid sick and safe days for all workers. Unable to beat the campaign at the ballot box, business owners are now suing the City in an attempt to stop the ordinance from taking effect.
9to5 Wisconsin, the lead organization on the paid sick day campaign, is continuing its fight. This week, 9to5 won the right to be part of the lawsuit and help the City defend the statute. Recognizing how hard 9to5 has worked on this issue, the judge in the case noted “I can think of no entity, not even the city, that has an interest as strong as that of 9to5.” 9to5 will be working with the City to defend the statute and make sure workers get what the voted for.
As for the business owners, their attitude seems to be that the voters cannot be trusted—one business man in a neighboring town even likened paid sick days to ice cream for breakfast or monthly visits from Santa.
We know from San Francisco that paid sick days do not hurt job growth or the economy of a city—they merely protect workers from losing a job or a paycheck when they need to care for themselves or their family. In this economy, workers need this type of protection more than ever.
Taking their excitement to Capitol Hill the following day, advocates met with Members of Congress and congressional staff to discuss paid sick days and paid family leave as part of a Day of Action. The day began with keynote remarks from the Vice President’s Domestic Policy Advisor, Terrell McSweeny, and advocates were treated to a fiery speech by Healthy Families Act sponsor Senator Chris Dodd. Representative Lynn Woolsey, a work-family champion, shared her own personal work-family story to underscore the importance of public policies that address workers responsibilities at home and at work.
