Try, Try Again
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again!
Last year, thanks in large part to the efforts of MomsRising members like you, we came incredibly close to enacting an earned sick days law in Philadelphia. We know how important earned sick days are for families – and we are going to try, try again! With your help, we can get the bill over the finish line this time!
Take a moment to contact the At Large members of City Council and urge them to support the earned sick days bill.
The 2012 earned sick days bill is very similar to last year's bill, but with one important difference: Survivors of domestic violence will now be able to use days they have earned to obtain treatment or counseling.
What else is new this year? City Council. First-year Council members have brought new energy to City Hall, and new momentum for earned sick days.
Last year, City Council members voted to pass the earned sick days bill, but it was vetoed by the mayor. This year, we already have tripled the number of co-sponsors in City Hall, and we expect more members of City Council to commit to voting for a common sense policy that will promote a healthier, more productive workforce. But to pass this bill again, and to pass it with a veto-proof majority, we need your help!
Send a message to the At Large members of City Council letting them know you support the earned sick days bill and want to see it passed!
Why are earned sick days so important?
Did you know that two out of five Philadelphia employees cannot earn paid sick days? [1] And in this economy, you can bet that folks are going to work sick, or sending their kids to school sick – rather than risk losing a day’s pay or even losing their job. When 200,000 Philadelphians lack even a single paid sick day that is a big problem for the health of our families and the health of our economy.
Paid sick days are good for the economy?
Yes! Research shows that the costs of replacing workers, including advertising for, interviewing and training new employees often far outweighs the cost of retaining employees by offering paid sick days. [2] Additionally, presenteeism, when workers come to work sick, costs the national economy about $160 billion a year in lost productivity versus absenteeism. [3] San Francisco enacted an earned sick days bill before the recession and the number of jobs went up 3.5% over 4 years, while the surrounding counties lost jobs and businesses. [4]
Here is the scoop on what the Philadelphia earned sick days bill would do:
- Allow all Philadelphia workers to earn 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked.
- Workers can use up to 4 days a year if they work at small businesses (6-10 workers) and up to 7 days if they work at bigger businesses (11 or more workers).
- Mom and Pop businesses (5 workers or less) are exempt.
- Workers can start using Earned Sick Days after 90 days on the job.
- Survivors of domestic violence will now be able to use days they have earned to obtain treatment or counseling.
Help build the MOMentum for Philadelphia earned sick days! Urge the At Large members of City Council to act quickly to pass the earned sick days bill.
And don’t forget to pass this on to your friends and family so they can take action too. Posting the link above to your Facebook page is a great way to help grow the MOMentum for paid sick days!
Together we’re a powerful force for women and families.
-Ruth and the whole MomsRising.org team
P.S. What do YOU do when faced with the possibility of sick kids, or getting sick yourself? If worst comes to worst, are you able to take paid sick days? If yes, how has that helped? If no, how has that hurt? We want to know!
[1] Amy Traub, Drum Major Institute for Public Policy, “Paid Sick Time: Healthy for Philadelphia Workers and Businesses,” 2010
[2] Christine Siegwarth Meyer, et al, Work-Family Benefits: Which Ones Maximize Profits?, Journal of Managerial Issues, vol. 13, no. 1, Spring 2001.
[3] Stewart, W. et al. (2003, December). Lost Productive Health Time Costs from Health Conditions in the United States: Results from the American Productivity Audit. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 45.
[4] Paid Sick Leave Does Not Harm Business Growth or Job Growth, John Petro, Urban Policy Analyst, Drum Major Institute for Public Policy, 2010
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