Steffany Stern
Campaigns to make paid sick days a basic workplace standard have sprung up around the country—and now New York City is getting in on the action.
City Council Member Gale Brewer has introduced a bill that would guarantee paid sick days for all workers in the city, and she already has the support of a whopping 35 of the Council’s 52 members. The bill has generated a great deal of excitement outside the Council, too: it’s backed by a massive, diverse coalition that includes business owners, workers, public health and policy experts, and labor unions.
The timing for a New York City paid sick days standard could not be better. Nearly half of all private sector workers, including nearly one million New Yorkers, don’t have a single paid sick day. These workers need paid sick days to safeguard their economic security, and we all need a standard that will protect our public health, especially during a flu pandemic.
Included among those workers without paid sick days are those most in need of job-protected, paid time off when they are sick or a family member is sick: the overwhelming majority of low-wage workers, as well as those who prepare and serve our food or work in child care, nursing homes, and schools.
In this economy, family budgets are stretched so tightly that workers can’t afford to take a day away from work without pay, and they definitely can’t afford to risk losing their jobs. That’s why millions of workers come to work sick or send their kids to school sick, because they have no choice.
With a wave of new H1N1 cases expected in the fall, we need to make sure that families never have to make that choice. Ensuring that workers are able to take time off without losing their pay or their jobs must be a critical part of our public response to the flu pandemic. A paid sick days standard could play a central role in preventing the spread of the H1N1 virus.
Since New York is, well, New York, the City Council has an opportunity to take the lead in the national movement to guarantee paid sick days for all workers. All eyes are on the Big Apple. Let’s hope the Council acts quickly—and provides a good example for the rest of the country.
This is a great idea. I work in the food industry, and it’s almost impossible to call in sick, either for me or my daughters. The food industry pays the lowest out of most any jobs, yet it is harder for us to be sick than anywhere else. Even if I could afford it, I couldn’t call in because I’m made to feel as if my job would be at risk.
I would like to applaud New York in its efforts to ensure that people can call in sick, or keep their kids home if the need arises. This policy will set a new standard that I hope other states will follow.
This is SO true – particularly for hourly workers who are often penalized if they stay home due to illness. My best friend and housemate was, prior to being laid off, a full time hourly employee with ZERO paid sick days. If an employee did stay home, it was considered a disciplinary incident and required a doctor’s note – even for a simple cold! So not only do they lose a day’s wages, but on top of that they have to incur doctor’s fees. When did the great American democracy become so indifferent to the needs of its citizens?
My partner works for one of the tech companies in Seattle that offers PTO (Paid Time Off) programs. They allocate 20 days that can be either taken as vacation or for things like medical appointments, sick leave, etc. So, people have to choose between going into work sick or giving up any chance of time off for vacation. It’s really a sick plan, and more companies seem to be moving in that direction. Contrast it with countries in Europe that offer employees an average of 5 to six weeks of vacation paid plus paid sick time, and we really look like a bunch of neanderthals.
Great idea, but the article did not mention how many? Is that up to the employer…… Is it an infinate number??? curious??
RA Butler
It is important to allow people to have sick time when needed.
It is not smart to show up for work when you are sick, others you work with can end up catching your cold or flu.
Producitivity in the work place is not superior when one is not feeling well.
Sick days should also be avaialble for doctor and dental visits.
A healthy workplace is a happy and productive workplace !