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Sunday, February 23, 2014

Bill Requires Many Employers To Offer Paid Sick Leave

Almost a majority of the House of Delegates is sponsoring legislation to mandate many Maryland businesses offer paid sick and safe leave policy for their employees, a move one research group estimates would cost employers $165 million.

The House Economic Matters Committee heard testimony Tuesday on the the Maryland Earned Sick and Safe Leave Act, HB 968, sponsored by Baltimore County Del. John Olszewski Jr. and 65 other Democrats. Businesses that employ 10 or more would be forced to provide one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours an employee works. Employees paid sick leave would cap at 56 hours per year, equaling one week of the calendar year.

Businesses with nine employees or fewer would only be required to provide an hour of unpaid leave for every 30 hours of work. Employees could cash in this sick time when either they or a family member takes ill and requires care, or if the employee is a victim of domestic or sexual assault and wants to seek mental health treatment.

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24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Say What??.. 10 or more employees get 1 hour for every 30 hours, BUT under 10 employees only get 1 hour for every 30 hours. Am I reading this right? Somebody please explain..

Anonymous said...

another case of government getting into private business without a clue.

Anonymous said...

In regard to people that say Maryland isn't business friendly, it's more like Maryland is hostile towards struggling businesses. Between Obamacare, hiking the minimum wage and this bill for sick days, don't be surprised when you hear that more businesses will pull out of Maryland. Small businesses will not be able to compete, plain and simple. Let's all get government jobs, snow days are a freebee too!

Anonymous said...

Then we have an idiot for a governor that closed all state offices because they had snow in Annapolis. People that arranged to have somebody watch their children because they had an appointment at a state agency (MVA) are expected to re-plan because somebody had snow 100 miles away?

Anonymous said...

If the minimum wage for servers goes up to $7 an hour as proposed, expect many more local restaurants to take a beating. We can call Salisbury the hub of Delmarva all we want, but Delaware is always a hop skip and jump away from anywhere on the eastern shore.

Anonymous said...

Annapolis is overrun with ignorant self enriching reprobates without a clue to what is going outside of their Progressive lunacy.

Anonymous said...

I would rather my sick co worker show up and cough all over everyone so that we can get sick too.

Anonymous said...

Democrats are against small business because democrat politicians are nothing more than slaves to big corporations who want to control all commerce. Democrats are no good.

Anonymous said...

Right, just what we need. More government regulations telling businesses how to run their operations.

Anonymous said...

If this passes, I can see some of the big companies in MD to reduce their vacation days off to make up the difference because of the sick days.

For example.
Company X offers their employees two weeks of vacation after being employeed for two years. Well, now it becomes one week of vacation to make up for the sick time earned.

Anonymous said...

9:56 I had to read it several times as well but if I read it correctly 10 and over is paid leave 9 and under is unpaid leave.
Just the last nail in my employee's coffin if it passes. I will drop back to where I started as a sole worker and do what I can without employees. As an owner I should have the right to decide what I offer to my employees just like they have the right to agree if they want to accept it. Government is doing this nonsense on purpose to squeeze out all the small business so that the mega corporations can control every aspect of our lives.

Anonymous said...

10:43 I'd rather them stay home, and either eat the day, or use vacation. I do not need the government to TELL me I have to offer them another handout.

Anonymous said...

11:28 of course you would instead of doing something morally correct.
Typical ES employer mentality.

Anonymous said...

I have never worked for a business or company that didn't have paid sick time. Could be because I gots a couple of them worthless degrees.

Anonymous said...

12:10 PM Morally correct?

This is feel good legislation. It has nothing to do with Morality. This is over regulation of a supposed free market. Most career jobs already offer all of this. So who do you think this benefits? On paper it benefits the working poor which is great. But when you force an additional cost on and already burdened company, especially if the minimum wage law passes, companies will either leave or simply close their doors.

If you have even an ounce of business sense you know this is what will happen. It does not take a genius to figure this stuff out.

More costs = higher prices for consumers = less goods/services sold = a not slow decline in profits. Inevitable business owners will leave or close.

This may be my opinion but again it does not take a crystal ball to see what will happen.

Anonymous said...

12:10 Morally correct? WTF? I give almost 2 weeks of vacation, that I DO ON MY OWN. Why should government come in and hand them more, that comes out of MY POCKET? How about this, if this becomes law, I take away all vacation, and cut hours to 29 or under. There you go, that's exactly what you will get. Go pound sand. Entitlement grabber.

Anonymous said...

1:22 you are punishing the wrong people unless the people you employ do crap for work. Did your employees, are they the entitlement grabbers you are suggesting or is it big government you are upset with? End vacation days, you said you give almost two weeks, implement PTO (Paid time off) just like the almost two weeks you already offer, except they take it off when they are sick and it comes out of their vacation time. I find it hard to believe you own any business or have a good source of employees to begin with or you wouldn't be so quick to punish those that work to make you money. Because you provide someone a job, doesn't make you entitled to treat people like crap.

Anonymous said...

2:23 PM "Because you provide someone a job, doesn't make you entitled to treat people like crap"

Unfortunately you are wrong. Owning your own business allows you to do many things. Most people however choose to give a reasonable amount of paid time off to their employees. What 1:22 PM is not so eloquently suggesting is that the sick time that business owners are being forced to supply will only be relabeled from vacation to sick time. This is a valid and very obvious way of dealing with the situation that is being forced upon business owners.

Anonymous said...

"WE the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to our selves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution for the United States of America." I am sure our current government, whether local, state, or federal are exceeding the original purpose of OUR Constitution. Seemingly capitalism has become the enemy of the State, along with the fighting middleclass. GOD save OUR country.

Anonymous said...

Mandating what a lot of businesses do anyway in order to attract desirable employees negates the qualification of being a desirable employee.

This is ignorance at its best!

Vote No, then no, then no again.

Anonymous said...

When u earn sick leave... U can use it... And get paid for it. So what? Hours were earned.

Anonymous said...

"Anonymous said...
I have never worked for a business or company that didn't have paid sick time. Could be because I gots a couple of them worthless degrees.

February 19, 2014 at 12:21 PM"

It is clear that yes, your "degrees" are worthless-totally worthless otherwise you wouldn't be so ignorant. Let me explain-because it's clear you are in dire need of some schooling. Small businesses operate under very small profit margins (15% average-most less.) This doesn't mean they aren't at this point in time successful. They are employing people and paying taxes. When the margin is chiseled away cuts have to occur otherwise the business will fail completely.
So now go and use your degrees to wipe your butt as in your case toilet paper has more value.
And for you 12:10-It's not a case of morals! Start using your head. Your one of those jealous types who think all business owners are swimming in money. Well it isn't so and it's time you were told the way it is. Someone with a small service business on the ES may only make $20,000 or less in profits a year. Some make no profit-only enough to currently get by. Any profits can be quickly eaten up if unexpected breakdowns occur or because the price of equipment is rising and gas. Business owners would love to grow and expand their business but without being able to keep more of the profits that's not going to happen.

Anonymous said...

All the liberals know tax and spend,dont know how to produce or create anything just live off taxpayers.

Anonymous said...

My employees get 14 days vacation and 3 sick days after 2 years service. I will adjust vacation time if this passes.