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CLASP Reports: Healthy Families Act

The Healthy Families Act has a simple goal: to ensure that American workers have paid sick time so that they can address their own or their family’s health needs without losing their job or a day’s wages. Under the proposed bill: workers earn paid sick time at the rate of one hour for every thirty hours worked; or, seven days per year for full-time work. In May 2009, Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) reintroduced the Healthy Families Act (S-1152 and H.R. 2460). Paid sick days legislation already has been implemented in some cities and about a dozen campaigns in states and localities are underway.

Besides ensuring all Americans can address their health needs, the Healthy Families Act would diminish public and private health care costs by: enabling workers to seek early medical care; assisting employees who are victims of domestic violence by providing them with time to be treated; and by accomplishing these purposes in a manner that is feasible for employers.

This bill would benefit employers and employees, so it is vital that businesses understand the facts of the Healthy Families Act. The policy debate should focus on the merits of the proposal, not misinformation. While some companies may never support paid sick days, many employers provide paid sick days, and more may want a level playing field for paid sick days. Others may come to believe, as the San Francisco Restaurant Association said when that city’s law was moving, “we would be fools not to” support a basic, minimum standard so sick workers can stay away from workplaces and customers.

Readers are invited to send in additional questions to CLASP as this will be an evolving text.

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