A Better Balance - Sick Leave

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Sick Leave

It comes as a shock to many Americans, who take for granted that they can stay home from work when they are sick, that 57 million of their fellow citizens don’t have a single paid sick day. In fact, about half of all full-time workers in the United States have no paid sick days. Even fewer workers can take time off if their child or another family member is sick – 96 million American workers can’t take paid time off to care for a sick child.

The good news is that organizations and individuals around the country who care about workers and their families, who care about public health and who believe in basic employment rights are working to change this.

SUCCESS STORIES

2006 San Francisco Voters Pass Paid Sick Days

2008 District of Columbia Approves Paid Sick Days

2008 Milwaukee Voters Overwhelmingly Pass Paid Sick Days

FEDERAL PAID SICK DAYS

The Healthy Families Act (H.R. 2460 / S. 1152) has been reintroduced in the House and Senate. The bill would guarantee workers the right to earn up to 7 paid sick days a year to address their own health needs or to care for a sick family member.

- TAKE ACTION! Urge Congress to support paid sick days.

- Hearing held before the House Workforce Protections Subcommittee (June 11, 2009).

- Bill Would Guarantee Up to 7 Paid Sick Days, N.Y. Times (May 15, 2009).

- New York Working Moms Examiner blog about Healthy Families Act (May 20, 2009).

- Reforming rules for Federal contracting is another way to ensure that more workers have paid sick time to care for themselves or their loved ones. Read an open letter urging President Obama to pursue such reforms.

PAID SICK DAYS FOR NEW YORK CITY

A Better Balance and the New York State Paid Family Leave Coalition have launched a campaign to guarantee a minimum number of annual paid sick days for all workers in New York City so they can afford to take time off from their jobs to recover from their own illness or tend to a sick family member. Click here to read more.

GET INVOLVED

The movement for paid sick days is growing. Local campaigns are sprouting up around the country and A Better Balance is providing legal advice and support.

Find out what’s happening in your community.

- Alaska

- Maine

For more information check out the National Partnership for Women and Families and Acorn.

TOOLS AND RESOURCES

Here at A Better Balance, we have developed helpful tools and information to assist your paid sick days campaign. Click here for more.