Grassroots Movement for Paid Sick Days for Workers Picking Up Steam Across the Country

Photo Credit: Connecticut Working Families Party

A broad coalition across the country is fighting--and winning--battles for workers' right to stay home when they're ill.
October 16, 2011

It may seem like a no-brainer: get sick, stay home from work. But 44 million American workers do not get paid sick days from their employers, according to Ellen Bravo, director of Family Values at Work, a 16-state consortium that advocates for family-friendly work policies. In tough economic times, many workers simply cannot afford to stay out of work until they get well. Some employers will even fire workers for taking time off when they or their kids are sick, Bravo said.

“Bad [economic] times are the worst time to lose your job because you're being a good parent,” said Bravo. “We can't say we [as a nation] care about family values, and have those values end at the workplace door.”
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