Transcript What Are Family Leave Benefits

EVERYONE GETS SICK.
NOT EVERYONE HAS
TIME TO GET BETTER.
Support Paid Sick Days
www.paidsickdays.org
U.S. policies don’t provide
a basic labor standard

No federal paid sick days policy for workers
or their families
 Only

San Francisco has a paid sick days law
Only 7 states allow workers to use paid sick
days to care for a sick family member:
 California,
Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Minnesota,
Washington and Wisconsin
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Workers need a minimum labor standard of
paid sick days
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Workers pay a price
Half of workers have NO paid sick days
 3 in 4 low-wage workers have NO paid sick
days
 4 in 5 food service or hotel workers have NO
paid sick days
 Nearly 100 million workers have NO paid
sick days to care for a sick child
 Half of working moms miss work when a
child gets sick—and a quarter don’t get paid
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Without this
basic labor standard…
“We make tough choices every day: a sick child or a
demanding boss; a parent-teacher conference or a pink
slip. What would you do?”
– Sonia, Staten Island, NY
“When my child is sick I have to stay home. I’ve been
"let go" from my last two jobs because of it. I didn’t
expect to be paid for sick time, but I did expect to keep
my job.”
– Sheryl, Los Angeles, CA
“I can't afford to get sick. If I miss work to go to the
doctor, I lose pay plus I have to come up with $60 for
the office visit.”
– Melinda, Ona, WV
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We’re losing globally

“Countries that invest in [workers’] ability
to work and raise kids are the more
[economically] competitive.“
– Dr. Jody Heymann, McGill Univ.
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145 countries offer paid sick days.
 127
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provide a week or more sick time.
Better working conditions = lower family
poverty rates = better health and education
outcomes.
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States taking on
paid sick days
Montana
Minn
SF
Missouri
Maine
Vermont
Mass.
Conn.
Penn.
Ohio
Maryland
West
DC
Virginia
Milwaukee
N. Carolina
Alaska
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Florida
Bills Passed
Bills Introduced in 07
Bills to be
Introduced in 08/09
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More than a dozen state
paid sick days bills
Bills Introduced in 2007
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Connecticut
District of Columbia
Florida
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Minnesota
Missouri
North Carolina
Pennsylvania
Vermont
Bills to be Introduced
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Alaska
Connecticut (reintroduction)
Maryland (reintroduction)
Maine (held over from 2007)
Massachusetts (held over from 2007)
Milwaukee, Wisc.
Minnesota (reintroduction)
Montana (in 2009)
North Carolina (reintroduction)
Ohio (initiated statute in 2008)
Pennsylvania (reintroduction)
Rhode Island
West Virginia (reintroduction)
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Federal legislation:
Healthy Families Act
7 paid sick days
 To care for themselves or family members,
and for doctor’s appointments
 Prorated for part-time workers
 Applies to business with 15+ workers
 Record number of cosponsors
 24 in the Senate; 80 in the House
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Over 130 organizations
at the national level
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Labor: AFL-CIO, SEIU, UFCW, IBT, LIUNA, UNITE/HERE, UAW, AFSCME, APALA, AFT, NEA,
CWA, CLUW, LCLAA, OPEIU, Pride At Work, USW, Working America
Women’s: NOW, 9to5, Ms. Foundation for Women, Business and Professional
Women/USA (BPW), Feminist Majority, Legal Momentum, MomsRising
Community: ACORN, Center for Community Change, Coalition on Human Needs,
National Urban League
Faith-Based: Interfaith Worker Justice, Church Women United, National Council of
Jewish Women, NETWORK: A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby, Unitarian
Universalist Association of Congregations, United Church of Christ
Civil Rights: Asian American Justice Center, Human Rights Campaign, Leadership
Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR), MALDEF, NAACP, NCLR
Health and Medical: American Public Health Association, Black Women’s Health
Imperative, National Association of School Nurses, The AIDS Action Council, The AIDS
Institute, Docs for Tots, Epilepsy Foundation, National Women’s Health Network
Think Tanks and Progressive Research: Center for American Progress, Center for Law
and Social Policy, FamiliesUSA
Caregiver: Family Caregiver Alliance, National Center on Caregiving, Take Care Net,
National Family Caregivers Association
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Public strongly supports
paid sick days
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89% of voters favor paid sick days as a basic
labor standard
Support for paid sick days is strong across party
lines:
 94%
of Democrats
 90% of Independents
 83% of Republicans support paid sick days.
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Nearly 1 in 8 said that they or an adult worker
in their family had been fired or penalized by
their employer for taking a sick day
Source: Lake Research Partners, 9/2007
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Overall, voters overwhelmingly
favor a basic labor standard
of paid sick days
Q.: Overall do you favor or oppose a basic labor standard that would guarantee all workers a minimum number
of paid sick days to care for themselves or immediate family members? [If favor/oppose, Ask: Is that strongly/not
so strongly favor/oppose?] (Split sampled question)
-3%
Total
8%
-5%
75%
14%
89%
-1%
3%
Hispanic*
-2%
90%
8%
97%
-5%
African American*
7%
-20%
Strongly oppose
11 n size
* Small
-2%
0%
81%
20%
Not so strongly oppose
40%
10%
60%
Strongly favor
91%
80%
100%
Not so strongly favor
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Support is equally high
among men and women
Q.: Overall do you favor or oppose a basic labor standard that would guarantee all workers a minimum
number of paid sick days to care for themselves or immediate family members? [If favor/oppose, Ask: Is that
strongly/not so strongly favor/oppose?] (Split sampled question)
Women
Men
6% -3%-3%
74%
15%
-4% -7%
75%
12%
11%
-20%
0%
Strongly oppose
Strongly favor
12
20%
40%
60%
89%
88%
80%
100%
Not so strongly oppose
Not so strongly favor
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Support for a basic labor
standard of paid sick days
crosses party lines
Q.: Overall do you favor or oppose a basic labor standard that would guarantee all workers a minimum number
of paid sick days to care for themselves or immediate family members? [If favor/oppose, Ask: Is that strongly/not
so strongly favor/oppose?] (Split sampled question)
-3%
5%
Democrat
-2%
6% 94%
87%
-4%
8%
Independent
-4%
75%
15%
90%
-3%
Republican
12%
-20%
-8%
0%
Strongly oppose
13
61%
20%
83%
22%
40%
Not so strongly oppose
60%
Strongly favor
80%
100%
Not so strongly favor
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One in four, ages 30 – 39, say they
or a family member had been
disciplined for taking a sick day
Q.: Have you or any other adult worker in your family ever been fired, suspended, written up or otherwise penalized
by an employer for taking time off from work to care for a sick child or family member, or to cope with an illness
yourself?
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
24%
14%
13%
11%
6%
Yes
Under 30
14
30 - 39
40 - 49
50 - 64
65 +
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Looking ahead
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State letters of support
Online rally at www.EveryoneGetsSick.org
Healthy Families Act hearing in the House
New state bills in 2008
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For more information
National Partnership for Women & Families
202-986-2600
www.paidsickdays.org
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