ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — The state of Maryland should make sure that a minimum amount of sick leave is available to low-wage employees who can’t afford to miss a day’s pay, Del. John A. Olszewski Jr. says.

Currently, many of them cannot earn sick leave in their jobs. A Baltimore nonprofit, the Job Opportunities Task Force, estimates that more than 700,000 Maryland workers don’t have access to sick leave.