Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Rosa DeLauro have introduced new legislation aimed at guaranteeing paid sick leave for American workers. The proposed bill, called the Healthy Families Act, seeks to address the lack of federally mandated paid sick days in the United States.
The legislation has received support from 29 other senators and 138 members of the House of Representatives. Among those backing the bill are Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senators Patty Murray, Tammy Baldwin, Richard Blumenthal, Lisa Blunt Rochester, Cory Booker, Maria Cantwell, Chris Coons, Tammy Duckworth, Dick Durbin, John Fetterman, Ruben Gallego, Kirsten Gillibrand, Martin Heinrich, John Hickenlooper, Mazie Hirono, Tim Kaine, Angus King, Amy Klobuchar, Ed Markey, Chris Murphy, Alex Padilla, Jack Reed, Brian Schatz, Elissa Slotkin, Tina Smith, Chris Van Hollen, Peter Welch and Ron Wyden.
“It is an international embarrassment that the United States of America remains the only major country on Earth not to guarantee paid sick days to workers. Working together we must end that embarrassment,” Sanders said. “It’s not radical to ensure that every worker in America receives the paid sick days that they need. What’s radical is that we have corporations in America making billions in profits denying paid leave to working moms and dads when their kids get sick. That’s radical.”
“Federal law does not guarantee working Americans a single paid sick day,” DeLauro said. “No one should face the impossible choice of either caring for their health or keeping their paycheck especially during the current cost of living crisis. But nearly 27 million hard-working people must make this decision every time they get sick. Not only is it the right thing to do but a lack of paid sick days hurts the American economy by reducing productivity increasing the spread of illness which leads to higher health care costs and causes financial strain on workers. That is why I am proud to sponsor this effort with Senator Sanders to ensure that workers are able to follow the directive of public health officials and stay home when they are sick without the fear of losing their paycheck.”
Currently in the U.S., about 27 million workers do not have any form of paid sick leave. This includes roughly one-fifth of private sector employees and 7% in public sector jobs. Low-income private-sector workers are particularly affected; only about 58% have access to paid sick days.
Research indicates that employees without access to paid leave are more likely to delay or skip needed medical care for themselves or family members compared with those who receive such benefits. Access to paid sick leave has been linked with a reduction in nonfatal workplace injuries by 28%, while employers offering these benefits see turnover rates decrease by a quarter.
A study from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research suggests implementing universal paid sick leave could save $1.1 billion annually by reducing preventable emergency room visits; half a billion dollars would come from savings within Medicare and Medicaid programs.
If enacted as proposed:
- Workers would be guaranteed up to seven days (56 hours) per year of paid sick time.
- Employees would accrue at least one hour for every 30 hours worked.
- Employers could maintain existing policies if they exceed minimum standards.
- Paid time off could also be used by victims recovering from domestic violence or seeking assistance.
The bill has endorsements from labor unions such as AFL-CIO and SEIU as well as advocacy groups like National Partnership for Women & Families.
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee oversees policy decisions related to health and workforce issues across federal agencies such as FDA and NIH (https://www.help.senate.gov/). The committee works on legislation affecting public health protection and worker rights (https://www.help.senate.gov/), provides oversight over federal laws related to labor (https://www.help.senate.gov/), influences national regulations on education and healthcare (https://www.help.senate.gov/), and played a role under Chair Bill Cassidy during this Congress (https://www.help.senate.gov/).
