Senators Urge Paid Sick Days to Help Working Families

[Omaha Steve]

3/4 of the way down the page: http://www.dotmed.com/news/story/9445/

July 22, 2009
by Astrid Fiano, Writer
This report originally appeared in the July 2009 issue of DOTmed Business News

National: Senators Urge Paid Sick Days to Help Working Families

Senators Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) and Christopher Dodd (D-CT) have announced the introduction of the "Healthy Families Act," which would enable workers to earn paid sick days to care for themselves and their families without risk of losing their jobs. The Act was announced in a press release on Senator Dodd's web site. According to the press release, nearly half of today's private sector workers do not have a single paid sick day, including 79% of low-wage workers.

The legislation will enable workers to earn one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked, up to 56 hours (seven days) in a year. The workers will be able to use the saved time to care for self or family, receive preventive or diagnostic treatment, or seek help if they are a victim of domestic violence. Small employers with fewer than 15 employees are exempt from the Act, and employers that already provide such leave will not have to change their current policies, so long as existing leave can be used for the same purposes described in the Act. Employers can require workers to provide documentation supporting any request for leave longer than three consecutive days.

Senator Kennedy stated in the press release, "Every worker has had to miss days of work because of illness. Every child gets sick and needs a parent at home to take care of them. And all hardworking Americans deserve the chance to take care of their families without putting their jobs or their health on the line."

[glowing]

1. Well, that disqualifies me, thanks assholes. We have 10 employees.