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Monday, January 09, 2012

Should Paid Sick Days Be Required by Law?

Millions of Americans have to go to work when they fall ill, a phenomenon known as presenteeism. But mandatory paid sick leave is healthier for us all
Connecticut just became the first state in the nation to require employers to provide workers with paid sick days. The new law — which also allows paid leave for a sick child or spouse — is controversial. Opponents attack it as big government run amok and say it will kill jobs. But it is the right thing to do, both as a matter of humane treatment of workers and public health. And while the law doesn’t cover everyone, it’s a step in the right direction and other states should follow Connecticut’s lead.

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7 comments:

Anonymous said...

As a business owner, if I have to provide paid sick time, I'll take away some vacation time!

Anonymous said...

As a small business owner, struggling to keep the doors open as it is, should this pass I will be sending the few remaining employees to the unemployement line. If the government wants to control what each employee gets paid and what benefits I have to offer then they can pay them as well. I am capable of doing all of my own work, I choose to help other people by employing them. Heck, it may happen anyway once we all find out the full ramifications of the obamacare crap.

Anonymous said...

Everybody wants to get lots for doing nothing. Isn't it wonderful to get paid vacation, paid holidays, paid medical insurance, paid life insurance. Now people want to get paid for not showing up because they don't feel good enough to work. They don't deserve a job.

When I started working you got a dollar for every hour you worked. If you didn't work the hours your were assigned, they were assigned to someone willing to work,

Back when if you took two bushels of corn to town you might get a piglet to raise, the slaughter for meat. No corn, no piglet. If you didn't do your job 365/year, the piglet didn't become a pig worth slaughtering - then you starved.

What ever happened to the concept that pay is just an exchange of services that gives individuals the right to choose what they want to acquire, not a handout to make them less responsible for their actions.

Anonymous said...

1:09 has the right idea!

If you have paid vacation, you have paid sick time - keep some vacation time stashed away in case you're sick. Small companies give xx days of PTO - paid time off. If you're sick - paid time off...if you use it all being sick - you don't get paid vacation...or you don't get vacation.

Anonymous said...

And that's why you will always be SMALL businessmen.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like thier tring to make private bus more like gov jobs where you have personal days... you wake up and don't feel like going to work you don't have to go and get paid.... I worked for 20+ yrs for a co. and we got sick pay that you acured over time BUT it didn't start until the 3rd day and only with a Dr.'s note

Anonymous said...

The more paid sick days you provide as an employer, the more the employees will be sick.