Monday, April 18, 2011

Paid Sick Leave

In most years I miss a few days of work for illness. This year, so far, I've been out five, for two bouts of stomach flu. I interact with a lot of people in an average day and I doubt any of those people would have wanted me sitting next to them on the train on those days, or at work, touching them and their stuff, using the same bathrooms, and the kitchen in the staffroom, let alone just breathing germs all over the place. Having been around people who sound like they're going to cough up an internal organ, or repeatedly blowing their nose, I wish they had stayed home.

But not everyone has a choice. Some people don't have paid sick leave so if they miss work they don't get paid and might lose their job. The City of Philadelphia is considering a bill that would require employers to offer paid sick leave.

The Daily News had a good op-ed on the subject. Read "Philadelphia City Council should pass the Promoting Healthy Workplaces and Families bill," by Amanda S. Aronoff and Carol Goertzel (4/14)

1 comment:

Marianne Bellesorte said...

The Coalition for Healthy Families and Workplaces is working to get this bill over the finish line in City Council. With two in five workers in Philadelphia lacking paid sick days, passage of this bill can't come too soon!