Obama’s Mandatory Paid Sick Leave: What Would it Mean?

Q: I listened to President Obama’s State of the Union speech and was wondering about the details of his proposed paid sick leave for workers. What would that look like if it were approved? Call me cynical, but I can see potential for employees to take advantage.

A: I hear you. I’ve seen the ways that some unscrupulous employees can twist a well-meaning policy to their advantage. But just because there are always some apples, it does not mean that we shouldn’t provide workers with basic rights and protections like minimum wage, overtime pay, and a harassment-free environment. And we do. Should that now also include paid sick leave? Maybe. Based on the numbers I’ve read -not the heated rhetoric- I DO think we need some kind of minimum paid leave for workers, and this is why:

An analysis released by the Institute of Women’s Policy Research last year showed a now predictable picture of which workers are more likely to lack access to paid sick leave: minorities, part-timers, those in low-paying jobs, those with frequent contact with the public such as food-prep service as well as personal care and service workers. Sound familiar? Yes, while 70% of full-timers now get paid sick leave only 11% of those who work fewer than 20 hours do. If you’re piecing together two or three part-time jobs to make ends meet, it’s very unlikely you’re earning paid leave in any of them. Then, when you catch a cold, you have to choose between going to work sick or a smaller paycheck that week.

So, I agree there’s a need for something. However, after reading the proposed Healthy Families Act bill I don’t think it’s the answer. The bill reads like a Paid Time Off (PTO) policy, complete with accruals (1 hr per 30 worked), accrual carryover from one calendar year to next, to how soon you can use the leave (60 days after hire) to acceptable reasons for absence (medical, domestic violence).

What I would prefer to see is something similar to the unemployment insurance fund. Every employer and employee contributes to the fund. Then you apply online to be paid for a missed day and -if you’re eligible- you get a “benefit” based on a formula like you do with unemployment. That way the employer is spared having to track hours, making judgment calls on what’s excusable or not, and avoids the general bogging down and dreaded record-keeping that afflict these mandates. That’s if I were in charge. What do you suggest?

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