One in six workers surveyed recently by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago say they or a family member had been fired, suspended, punished or threatened by an employer for taking sick time.
Those sorts of claims have turned sick time into a political hot potato.
A bill introduced in Congress, the Healthy Families Act, would mandate that employers with at least 15 workers give seven paid sick days to employees a year.
Would Congress be so bold to pass such a bill? Maybe, because surveys show about 80% of workers think paid time off for illness or taking care of sick relatives should be a basic worker’s right.
Of course, FMLA requires employers to hold jobs for a reasonable period for personal or family illness. But there’s no current federal law to mandate any of that time is paid.
Some states legislatures are also reviewing their own paid-time-off bills.
Do you think companies should be mandated by the federal government to provide a minimum amount of paid time off for illness to employees? What is your company’s policy? Let us know in the Comments box below.
