Washington DC could be the second city in the nation to establish a job standard that ensures employers offer paid sick days. This week, legislation that would guarantee all workers some paid sick days was introduced with the support of every single city council member. In interviews for The Mobility Agenda’s
national scan for new ideas for better jobs, the fact that nearly half of all private sector workers (and about 80 percent of low-wage workers) don’t have the choice to take paid sick days was mentioned most frequently and fervently by stakeholders of all types across country. But a year ago, dealing \with this issue was barely on the public agenda. Then last November, San Francisco voters
decided overwhelmingly that it would be a good idea to offer all workers there some paid sick days. Since then, Congress has started discussing federal legislation creating a new job standard (not for the first time, but with renewed energy). Meanwhile, over 20 states and localities are considering legislation related to paid time off from work – in Ohio, a ballot initiative guaranteeing paid sick days is in the offing. The Chamber of Commerce in DC has so far declined to take a position on the legislation. In SF, the business groups never did create an opposition campaign, and voters passed the initiative by nearly a 2/3 majority. A representative of the restaurant owners’ association there noted how popular the idea is and said, “To be honest, if we fight it, we look like complete jerks.” We’ll be watching closely to see what happens in DC – but it looks good. Congratulations to Karen Minatelli and the folks at the DC Employment Justice Center for their work on this issue – along with supporters from across the country. For more information, check out the website of the
National Partnership.