Healthy Families Act

S. 910/ H.R. 1542

Background Information

Workers shouldn’t have to choose between their family and a paycheck. Yet the majority of middle-income workers cannot rely on paid leave, and 3 out of 4 low-wage workers have no paid sick leave. Introduced by Sen. Kennedy (S. 910) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (H.R. 1542) this legislation would require employers to provide a minimum of seven paid sick days a year.

Eligible Employee:

þ Employees who work at least 20 hours per week or 1000 hours annually.

Covered Employer:

þ All employers (public and private) with at least 15 employees.

Specifics of Benefit:

þ 7 paid sick days a year for employees working more then 30 hours, pro-rated for employees working between 20 and 30 hours.

þ Employees who request at least 3 consecutive days may need doctor’s certification.

Paid Sick Leave Can Be Used:

þ To care for your own illness or physical or mental condition.

þ To obtain a medical diagnosis, a related treatment, or preventive care.

þ To care for a family member for any of the above reasons

Employer Requirements:

þ Employers must post notice of the availability of paid sick leave and how to file enforcement action.

þ Employers may not interfere with or deny the exercise of the employee’s right to paid sick leave. They also may not discriminate against an employee for taking or requesting leave.

þ Employers must make, keep, and preserve records on compliance with HFA.

þ Employers must keep health info confidential and separate from personnel files.

Current Leave Policies:

þ Employer policies with comparable or better paid leave comply.

þ Expressly preserves state or local laws providing greater paid sick leave benefits and encourages employers to provide greater leave benefits.

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The Need

Workers without paid sick leave are forced to make terrible choices between their paycheck and caring for their own health or that of a family member. The American public believes that employers should provide sick leave for their workers. 95% of workers think it is “unacceptable” for an employer to refuse to provide sick leave and 60% believe it is illegal. Yet almost half of full-time, private sector workers and 75% of low-wage workers have no paid sick days.