The D.C. Council is considering legislation that would guarantee every private and public sector District worker up to 10 days of paid sick leave per year. Introduced Tuesday with the support of every council member, the measure is designed to eliminate these employee dilemmas: Work sick or lose pay? Give up a day’s salary to stay home with an ailing child?
“That situation is not fair,” said Council Member Phil Mendelson, one of the bill’s six co-introducers, of workers who do not have adequate sick leave benefits. “It’s not in the best interest of the employee and it’s not in the best interest of the public health of the District.”
The legislation would require that companies with five or fewer employees provide at least five paid sick days annually. Businesses with six or more workers must deliver at least 10 days. A company that offers its employees access to their paid vacation time for sick leave would not be impacted.
The bill could impact upward of 200,000 District workers, officials estimate, most in the retail, construction and restaurant industries.
“You know how much money is being made in this city,” Ward 1 Council Member Jim Graham said. “This is a highly prosperous time. And this is a step forward to say we’re going to take a little bit of this money that you’re making and we’re going to give it to people who can’t work because they’re sick.”
The D.C. Chamber has concerns about the bill but hasn’t taken a position, said chamber spokesman Chris Knudson said.
“Primarily we don’t want employees to lose benefits they already have in exchange for sick leave,” Knudson said. “This is an unfunded mandate and employers may have to take something else off the table to provide this benefit.”
The DC Employment Justice Center, a leading advocate for the initiative, claims 20 percent of all workers nationwide have no access to any type of paid time off and nearly half of all private sector employees have no paid sick days.
Some companies that do not provide sick leave include Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Outback Steakhouse, McDonald’s, Sears, Target and Kohl’s, according to a study prepared by the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now.
