States lead push for paid sick days

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.stateline.org/live/printable/story?contentId=280734

By Christine Vestal, Stateline.org Staff Writer

With this year’s flu epidemic in full swing, nearly half of all U.S. workers who fall ill or have sick kids must decide whether to stay home and lose wages or go to work sick and expose others, a choice many say no one should have to make.

Advocates for making paid sick days a basic labor standard say the United States should follow all other developed countries and require businesses to let ill or injured employees miss work without docking their pay or threatening their employment. But businesses argue such a requirement could drive some companies out of business.

Now that Congress has hiked the minimum wage and most states have given workers an even bigger pay raise, sick pay has emerged in national political campaigns as the top issue affecting wage earners. But states aren’t waiting for Congress to make the first move.

Come Election Day in Ohio, voters in the all-important presidential swing state may weigh in on the issue if an effort by its supporters ends up on the ballot.

Meanwhile, lawmakers in 12 states and the District of Columbia are expected to consider proposed legislation that would require employers to allow workers to miss a certain number of work days each year to recover from an illness or care for an ailing family member — without a reprimand or lost wages.

U.S. businesses voluntarily provide sick days for about half of all workers. But for the other half — about 59 million workers — missing work because of the flu or a minor injury means lost wages and sometimes a reprimand or dismissal. As a result, many workers show up sick, often spreading illnesses to others, according to Kate Kahn, policy analyst with the National Partnership for Women & Families, which advocates for paid sick days. In addition, they send their kids to school or day care, spreading illnesses to other children, she said.

FULL story at link.

[ikojo]

1. I do get paid sick days but am afraid of using

them. I get migraines and while I use sick days, I am currently protected via the family and medical leave act. Because my migraines are seen as a chronic medical condition any time I call in sick with a headache I am charged a sick day but it is not "counted" against me. I cannot be "written up" for missing days.

Of course there are pro business politicians who think the FMLA is too worker friendly.