It looked as if the move to mandate paid sick leave was dead in Washington. Now, it has gained new life via some creative legislative proposals.
The latest Senate attempt at passing a paid-leave bill is called the Pandemic Protection for Workers, Families, and Businesses Act (H.R. 4092/S. 2790). If passed, it would be a “temporary” law that’s supposed to expire two years from enactment. Skeptics are focusing on the word temporary, figuring that once Congress pushes the law through, it’ll be with us permanently.
Most employers with 15 or more employees to provide full-time employees with seven days of paid sick time to be used for the following reasons:
- The employee or his or her child is experiencing symptoms of a contagious illness, such as the the H1N1 virus or other influenza-like illness, including time off for medical and preventive care
- A health authority or healthcare provider has determined that the employee’s presence at work or the child’s presence in the community would expose others to a contagious illness, or
- The employee’s worksite or the child’s school, childcare or early childhood program has been closed due to a contagious influenza-like illness.
Part-time employees would be entitled to a pro-rata share of paid sick days. Employees must have worked for their employer for 30 days before they are covered under the bill.
