Spokane, WA says 'Stay Home When You're Sick.'
By Thom Hartmann A...
For more than a year, President Obama has been calling on Congress to pass legislation to guarantee all workers can take time off when they're sick.
Since our legislators show no signs of moving forward with that, Spokane, Washington is refusing to wait any longer. Last week, that city broke in the New Year by passing their own sick-leave legislation.
The new measure will require small businesses to give workers the chance to earn three paid days off every year, and employees at larger businesses will be able to earn five. Although that may not seem like much, a few days can make a world of difference to someone who can't afford to stay home without pay when they're not well.
With the addition of Spokane's new law, there are now 28 cities in our nation that guarantee paid sick time, but that leaves a long, long way to go.
We are the only developed nation that doesn't give all workers the right to stay home when they're sick. Call Congress today and tell them to take a cue from Spokane and end this embarrassing statistic once and for all.
Comments
#2
Gee what a novel idea!
#3
I think the whole system wants a re-boot, everything in the US today is geared to the bottom line, there are no people anymore ,they have become commodities ,there for the good of the Corporatocracy and nothing else . Time to polish the Guillotine Blade.
#4
Really too bad, but nobody cares --this is more of the 1993 onward slide-- NAFTA, tattoos the whole thing. And we're stuck on stupid -- with the gall to scratch our noggins re: mass shootings.
#5
I worked at a company (for a short time) that not only did not pay for sick days off, but required a Doctors note if you called in sick. This was required even if the employee could not afford to see a Doctor. If you did not have a note you were subject to being fired. CEO made about $25 million per year.
#6
I walked in to a Wal-Mart bathroom one day and heard someone getting sick in one of the stalls. A minute later, out walked an elderly Wal-Mart employee. I got the feeling he wasn't headed home. It's a sick world we live in. No compassion. Get sick on your own time. Governor Snyder from Flint Michigan can explain how these things work in the real world. Good old boys watch out for each other. I sense that Bernie Sanders is not a good old boy, and that he's the only one running for President that actually wants to make meaningful changes that benefit working people and doesn't just give lip service. Fingers are crossed!!!
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The takeawy is clear.
Do whatever possible at the state level as the US congress is a gridlocked mess.
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