Led by the community organization ACORN, several dozen people turned out to support proposed state legislation that would ensure all Minnesota workers have at least three paid sick days a year.
"People don\'t want to have to choose between their jobs and their families" when they are sick, said Patty Tarji, president-elect of Business and Professional Women of Minnesota. "It\'s good for business" to have workers stay home when they\'re sick, she said.
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| Patty Tanji (left), president-elect of the Business and Professional Women of Minnesota, talks to state Senator Ellen Anderson (center) and other participants in a rally Friday to support paid sick days legislation. |
Forty-one percent of Minnesota workers currently lack paid sick days, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many work in low-wage retail, health care and food service jobs where they can\'t afford to go a day without pay.
"These days, more and more families are being squeezed between stagnant wages, the high cost of living and workplaces that don\'t reflect the reality of most working families," said Sen. Ellen Anderson, DFL-St. Paul, the chief Senate author of the legislation. "Workers should not be forced to choose between paying their bills and staying home when they are sick."
According to advocates, studies have shown that employers would benefit from giving their employees paid sick leave, because they would reduce turnover, raise productivity and reduce the spread of contagion in the workplace.
"It\'s a public health issue," said Anderson. "It\'s a workplace issue. It affects every single one of us in Minnesota."
The legislation requires all public and private employers with 10 or more employees to provide workers with one hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked. Businesses with fewer than 10 employees would be required to provide one hour of paid sick leave for every 80 hours worked.
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| ACORN member Steven Nelson dramatically shows his support for the legislation. |
"Americans believe that hard work should be rewarded by fairness in the workplace," said Lesch. "A fair paid sick days policy supports healthy workers and healthy families."
Members of the Paid Sick Days Coalition include ACORN, Children\'s Defense Fund of Minnesota, Business and Professional Women of Minnesota, MAPE, Minnesota Women\'s Political Caucus, SEIU Minnesota State Council, St. Paul Regional Labor Federation, UFCW and UNITE HERE Minnesota.
For more information
The full text of HF 1334 / SF 1324 can be found at the Minnesota Legislature\'s website, http://www.leg.state.mn.us/
Learn more about the Business and Professional Women of Minnesota at www.bpwmn.org
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Led by the community organization ACORN, several dozen people turned out to support proposed state legislation that would ensure all Minnesota workers have at least three paid sick days a year.
"People don\’t want to have to choose between their jobs and their families" when they are sick, said Patty Tarji, president-elect of Business and Professional Women of Minnesota. "It\’s good for business" to have workers stay home when they\’re sick, she said.
|
| Patty Tanji (left), president-elect of the Business and Professional Women of Minnesota, talks to state Senator Ellen Anderson (center) and other participants in a rally Friday to support paid sick days legislation. |
Forty-one percent of Minnesota workers currently lack paid sick days, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many work in low-wage retail, health care and food service jobs where they can\’t afford to go a day without pay.
"These days, more and more families are being squeezed between stagnant wages, the high cost of living and workplaces that don\’t reflect the reality of most working families," said Sen. Ellen Anderson, DFL-St. Paul, the chief Senate author of the legislation. "Workers should not be forced to choose between paying their bills and staying home when they are sick."
According to advocates, studies have shown that employers would benefit from giving their employees paid sick leave, because they would reduce turnover, raise productivity and reduce the spread of contagion in the workplace.
"It\’s a public health issue," said Anderson. "It\’s a workplace issue. It affects every single one of us in Minnesota."
The legislation requires all public and private employers with 10 or more employees to provide workers with one hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked. Businesses with fewer than 10 employees would be required to provide one hour of paid sick leave for every 80 hours worked.
|
| ACORN member Steven Nelson dramatically shows his support for the legislation. |
Sick days could be used when an employee is ill or to care for a sick family member, said Rep. John Lesch, DFL-St. Paul, chief author in the Minnesota House. The legislation allows employers to take reasonable measures to verify that an employee has used the paid sick days for proper reasons.
"Americans believe that hard work should be rewarded by fairness in the workplace," said Lesch. "A fair paid sick days policy supports healthy workers and healthy families."
Members of the Paid Sick Days Coalition include ACORN, Children\’s Defense Fund of Minnesota, Business and Professional Women of Minnesota, MAPE, Minnesota Women\’s Political Caucus, SEIU Minnesota State Council, St. Paul Regional Labor Federation, UFCW and UNITE HERE Minnesota.
For more information
The full text of HF 1334 / SF 1324 can be found at the Minnesota Legislature\’s website, http://www.leg.state.mn.us/
Learn more about the Business and Professional Women of Minnesota at www.bpwmn.org