Assembly Approves Paid Sick Days Bill

Statement by California Labor Federation Executive Secretary-Treasurer Art Pulaski

 

“Today’s historic Assembly passage of Assemblywoman Fiona Ma’s paid sick days
legislation (AB 2716) takes us one step closer to guaranteeing that all workers will have the right to earn paid sick days to use when they or a family member is ill. Currently, workers face the impossible choice of staying home when they are sick and losing a day’s wages, or their job, or going to work when they are ill.

“This bill goes hand-in-hand with our continuing efforts toward real health care reform for California. When sick workers are handling our food at restaurants and taking care of our children at daycare centers, illness spreads and everyone suffers. But when workers can stay home to recover from illness instead of bringing it into the workplace, it leads to a healthier community, fewer visits to the emergency room, and decreased health care costs.

“We look forward to making this commonsense bill a reality for the six million Californians – forty percent of all workers in the state – who go without any sick days. California can and should lead the nation in helping workers balance the needs between their work and their families.”

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