Washington Policy Watch

News and perspective on public policy issues affecting Washington's economy and quality of life, brought to you by the Economic Opportunity Institute.

January 26, 2012 • 12:06 pm 0

Raise your hand if you want to lose your job to care for someone you love

Paid leave isn’t only crucial for ensuring parents can care for their children – it’s also important for adult children, an increasing number of whom are caring for an elderly relative. But while having time to care for a loved one is important to nearly all of us, not everyone can do it without risking part of their paycheck or even their job.

For example, when parents can’t take a paid sick day, children are less likely to go to the doctor and more likely to go to school sick. But a 2003-2004 study indicated that only 36% of American children in families below 200% of the federal poverty line had a parent with sick leave, compared with 81% of those above 200% of the poverty line.

At the other end of the age spectrum, this 2008 study shows nearly 1 in 5 American workers provided unpaid care to an elderly person that year, and more than 4 in 10 provided care in the previous five years. But low-income families living from paycheck-to-paycheck are the least likely to have paid sick days available on the job. In the U.S., just 2 in 10 of the lowest paid workers had access to paid sick leave in 2010, compared to 84% of the highest earners.

Given their importance to so many people, it’s no surprise to see so many people “raise their hands” for a minimum paid sick days standard. A 2008 poll from the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago found:

  • 94 percent of self-identified liberals and 81 percent of self-identified conservatives believed that paid sick day should be a basic workplace right.
  • 86 percent of people surveyed said they favor a basic paid sick day policy.
  • 77 percent of respondents believed that paid sick days were very important.
  • 63 percent of workers who did not have access to paid sick leave said they were concerned about not having paid sick days.
  • 46 percent of respondents said they are more likely to vote for a candidate who supports paid sick days.

Filed under: paid sick days, work and family, , , , , , ,

January 5, 2012 • 9:36 am 1

Sweet Victories: Lessons for 2012

From The Nation | By Katrina vanden Heuvel:

As we head into 2012, there are a lot of questions about where the Occupy energy will go from here. I’m confident it will move in powerful directions–fighting unjust foreclosures and evictions, exploring alternative banking, taking on outrageous student debt, countering the corrosive role of corporate money in politics, and allying in new ways with the growing ranks of poor Americans.

But there are also tangible—maybe not sexy or systemic—reforms that make a real difference in people’s lives and speak to OWS principles, and would benefit from its energy and activism. In 2011, two victories on paid sick leave offer something to build on as we work towards an economy that is more just and fair. Connecticut became the first state to guarantee this common sense protection for working people; and Seattle joined San Francisco and Washington, DC as the only cities with paid sick leave on the books.

As of New Year’s Day, hundreds of thousands of workers in Connecticut no longer have to choose between a paycheck, a job and taking care of a sick child or themselves; and on September 1, when the Seattle law takes effect, an estimated 150,000 workers who didn’t have paid sick days will begin to accrue them—thousands more will earn additional paid sick leave and have the flexibility and protection to actually use it. With more than 40 million workers in the US lacking a single paid sick day—and low-wage, women and Latino workers disproportionately affected—these new laws will also offer more evidence that this humane, decent approach to the workplace is also good for business. That’s important as more states and municipalities look to pass similar legislation.

What makes me angry is that paid sick leave is treated as a left versus right issue, when it’ s really about right versus wrong, and common sense. That was something organizers seized on as they pushed the Seattle bill. Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: paid sick days, work and family, , , ,

January 4, 2012 • 9:28 am 0

Connecticut Workers Welcome Paid Sick Days

Via Seattle Coalition for a Healthy Workforce:

From the Huffington Post | By Ellen Bravo:

This time last year, Desiree Rosado, a school bus driver in Groton, Connecticut, was dreading flu season. “Working without paid sick days, you’re always worried about what will happen if you get sick,” she said. “When my kids caught the swine flu, I missed a week of pay to stay home and take care of them, and I’m still paying off the credit card bills I racked up.”

But as of January 1, Desiree and hundreds of thousands of other Connecticut workers will begin to earn paid sick time under a new statewide paid sick days law — the first in the nation. She’ll be able to use that time if her kids are sick, if she herself falls ill, or to see a doctor for preventive care. In the process, Desiree says she’s gained “real peace of mind.”

For Desiree and workers across Connecticut, paid sick days are one immediate way to see real economic relief, even in the aftermath of a severe recession.

As someone who drives children safely back and forth to school every day, Desiree Rosado knows another benefit of paid sick days. The new Connecticut law, which applies to workers in the service sector, means those who serve our food and care for the young and the frail will not have to put the public at risk when they’re ill.

“No one should have to choose between their family’s health and their job, and no one should get fired just for getting sick,” said Jon Green, Executive Director of Connecticut Working Families, a member group of Family Values @ Work Consortium and lead organization in the broad coalition which helped win this new law. “Beginning this year, hundreds of thousands of service workers will be able to earn paid sick days that so many of us simply take for granted. This is an important but modest step towards a smarter, healthier Connecticut.”

Read more from the Huffington Post »

Filed under: paid sick days, work and family, , ,

December 8, 2011 • 10:44 am 0

The push for paid sick days gains steam across U.S.

Efforts to ensure paid sick leave as a basic workplace right have been gaining steam across the country (did you hear the Seattle City Council passed a paid sick days ordinance?), and a flood of recent reports have highlighted the social and economic benefits of paid sick leave.

A cost-benefit analysis by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) examined the higher frequency of costly emergency room visits among those without paid sick leave. IWPR concluded that if workers had universal access to paid sick days, 1.3 million emergency department visits and $1 billion in health care costs could be avoided annually. Why? Because paid sick days enable people to better utilize primary care services and reduce the need for pricey emergency room visits.

These are powerful statistics, but the economic benefits of paid sick leave go far beyond the cost of healthcare. In a recent report, Demos highlights access to workplace benefits, including paid sick days, as one of their “strategies for turning bad jobs into quality employment.”

In a different report, Demos and the Young Invincibles identify paid sick leave as a “key policy” to improve the economic outlook for 18-34 year olds. Poll results showed only a quarter of young people have paid sick days, and the numbers are worse for women and Latinos. Further, younger generations feel they are worse off than their parents and many are fearful about losing a job due to illness.

Similarly, a recent report by Half in Ten found that work supports, such as paid sick leave, are particularly critical for low-income workers. They provide details about the economic need for paid sick days and other workplace benefits, and identify paid sick leave as an important indicator of a quality job. In a blog about Half in Ten’s findings, the National Partnership for Women and Families explains that without basic work supports, families will struggle to stay out of poverty and communities will experience halted economic growth.

These reports show lower health care costs, increased job security and stronger economic growth are associated with good workplace benefits – particularly paid sick days. Until all workers have access to these benefits, economic security will be out of reach for many individuals and families.

By the way, in case you hadn’t heard about Seattle’s paid sick days ordinance, watch City Council member Nick Licata discuss the recent local success. The Center for American Progress hosted an October event which brought together several champions of Paid Sick Days policies across the country, including Mr. Licata.

Filed under: paid sick days, work and family, , , , , ,

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