Paid Sick Days: The Time is Now

Paid Sick Days: The Time is Now Vicki Shabo National Partnership for Women & Families EARN Conference 2011 September 13, 2011

More than 40 million workers: no paid sick time Percent of Private Sector Workers WithoutAccess to Paid Sick Time Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (7/2011)

Lack of paid sick days means more sick people at work or school 1.5 times more likely 1.7 times more likely Source: NORC/University of Chicago poll (6/2010)

Economic & Health Repercussions • Workers lose pay and risk job loss • 23% have lost a job or been threatened with job loss because of personal or family illness. • Contagious illnesses spread through workplaces, schools, and daycares. • 8 million people worked sick during just 3 months of the H1N1 pandemic, infecting an estimated 7 million co-workers • Two-thirds of restaurant workers and cooks report working sick.

When workers stay home, a few unpaid sick days can jeopardize basic necessities. Average two-worker family with no paid sick days Number of unpaid sick days Source: Economic Policy Institute (6/2011)

Workers without paid sick days are more likely to go to the ER and take children or family members to the ER Responses among adults overall Responses among parents with children under 18 2 times more likely 5 times more likely Source: NORC/University of Chicago poll (6/2010)

Fiscal Consequences • Delayed/forgone preventive care and ER overuse cause health care costs to rise. • Estimated $1 billion in unnecessary ER costs attributed to lack of paid sick days, with half of the cost accruing to public programs like Medicaid, SCHIP • Business productivity suffers • “Presenteeism” costs the U.S. economy $160 billion/year • Unemployment may mean higher public program usage. • Average unemployed person has been searching for new work for 40 weeks.

Paid sick days national timeline • 2004: Healthy Families Act (federal) introduced • 2006: San Francisco (successful ballot initiative) • 2008: Ohio – ballot initiative qualified, later withdrawn • 2008: Washington, D.C. (passed in City Council) • 2008:Milwaukee (initiative passed, but overturned by statute in 2011) • 2010: New York City – majority City Council support, no vote • 2011: • Connecticut (passed House and Senate; Governor signed) • Philadelphia (passed City Council; Mayor vetoed) • Seattle (passed City Council in September 2011) • Denver (hopeful for passage by ballot measure in November 2011)

Paid sick days in 2011-12: Federal efforts • Healthy Families Act: H.R. 1876 / S. 984 • Sponsors: Rep. DeLauro, Sen. Harkin • Up to 7 paid sick days per year for workers in businesses with 15+ employees • Actively gathering co-sponsors • Other opportunities (reauthorizations, etc)

Paid sick days in 2011: Seattle City Council State/local legislation and campaigns Philly: City Council – city contracts Denver Ballot Measure: Nov. 2011 Hawaii Seattle Wash. Maine Vt. Minn. N.H. N.Y. Wis. Mass. NYC Milwaukee Conn. Philadelphia Pa. N.J. Ill. SanFrancisco Calif. Denver Washington, D.C. N.C. Ariz. City/State Bill Introduced or Active Campaign Paid Sick Days Law Passed Miami

2012: New Opportunities for paid sick days? • Popularity of paid sick days policies make PSD an attractive issue for strategic progressive fights • Dovetails with both workers’ rights and health messaging and policy efforts • Has potential to boost turnout among voters sympathetic to labor and other progressive fights • Has potential to benefit supportive candidates

Paid sick days are a key labor standard How important do you consider the following standards to protect workers’ rights? Source: NORC/University of Chicago poll (6/2010)

A law guaranteeing all workers a minimum number of paid sick days is highly popular nationwide Do youfavor or oppose a law guaranteeing all workers a minimum number of paid sick days to care for themselves or immediate family members? Net favor: +51 75% 24% Source: NORC/University of Chicago poll (6/2010)

Support is particularly high among women, African-Americans, and older people Do youfavor or oppose a law guaranteeing all workers a minimum number of paid sick days to care for themselves or immediate family members? % Strongly/Somewhat Favor Source: NORC/University of Chicago poll (6/2010)

Majorities of all political affiliations, and strong majorities of Democrats and Independents, support a paid sick days law Do youfavor or oppose a law guaranteeing all workers a minimum number of paid sick days to care for themselves or immediate family members? Source: NORC/University of Chicago poll (6/2010)

Total favor Total oppose In Connecticut, voters across the political spectrum express broad support for the new paid sick days law. Do you favor or oppose Connecticut’s new law that allows services workers in businesses with 50 or more employees to earn up to five paid sick days each year? Key Subgroups All Voters 73% Strongly favor 47% 19% Oppose Favor Repub-licans Demo-crats Inde-pendents Men Women Source: Hart Research (7/2011)

Strongly agree Disagree Somewhat agree Voters ascribe positive traits to elected leaders who support the new law. Do you agree or disagree that this describes elected officials/organizations that support the new paid sick days law? Protecting public health by helping sick workers stay home Standing up for people like me and people I care about More likely to be in touch with the real-life challenges of working people and families On the right side on balancing needs of employers/employees More likely to share my values 76% 66% 62% 60% 54% Source: Hart Research survey of Conn. Voters (7/2011)

More favorable toward supporting them Less favorable toward supporting them Senators/Reps who voted FOR the paid sick day law are consistently viewed more favorably in the context of the next election. As you may know, your [state senator/state representative] voted [for/against] Connecticut's new paid sick days law: Does knowing this make you more or less favorable toward supporting them in the next election? State Senator State House Member +41 +32 -32 -31 Senator votedfor law Senator votedagainst law Rep votedfor law Rep voted againstlaw Source: Hart Research survey of Conn. Voters (7/2011)

Now that you’ve heard arguments for and against paid sick days, if a candidate for elected office came out in support of/opposition to paid sick days for all workers, would that make you more or less likely to vote for that candidate? Candidate who supports paid sick days +18 net more likely to vote for 24% 42% Candidate who opposes paid sick days -23 net less likely to vote for 43% 20% Much/somewhat less likely to vote for (darker=much less) Much/Somewhat more likely to vote for (darker=much more) Nationally, pro-paid sick days candidates are rewarded while anti-paid sick days candidates are punished. Source: NORC/University of Chicago poll (6/2010)

More Likely Income under $50,000 Women Non-college graduates 69% 69% 68% Paid sick days can be used to energize and engage voters who are often harder to reach in a policy and electoral context. When issues like paid sick days that have a direct impact on people are discussed as part of campaigns and elections, does it make you more or less likely to pay attention and want to be involved? All voters Much more likely Less likely Not sure Somewhat more likely Source: Hart Research survey of Conn. Voters (7/2011)

Right time 90% 65% 52% Wrong time 9% 33% 47% Democrats Independents Republicans Right time/more important than ever Wrong time/unnecessary mandate Not sure In Connecticut, voters overwhelmingly see paid sick days law as essential to protecting workers/middle-class families. With which view of the new paid sick day law do you agree more? Wrong Time: The new paid sick days law imposes an unnecessary mandate on businesses at a time when the economy continues to perform poorly and jobs are scarce. When government imposes requirements on business, costs rise and businesses struggle. Even those who support the principle of providing paid sick days worry that now is not the right time to impose these new requirements. Right Time: At a time when working people need to be able to keep their jobs and support their families, the new paid sick days law is more important than ever. Workers are vulnerable now and cannot afford to lose income or risk being fired simply because they have the flu or a child needs medical care. Rebuilding the middle class and strengthening families' economic security requires common-sense protections like paid sick days. Source: Hart Researc(7/2011)

Eight in ten adults nationwide say small businesses should be required to provide some paid sick days If a law guaranteeing paid sick days was passed, should employers with less than 15 employees be required to provide the same number of paid sick days as larger employers, provide fewer, or not provide any? 80% Source: NORC/University of Chicago poll (6/2010)

In San Francisco, the law works for businesses S.F. has performed better in terms of the number of jobs and number of businesses – large and small – since enactment of the 2007 enactment of the city’s paid sick days law. 2/3 of the city’s employers now support the law Very few employers experienced problems with implementation. “Best policy at the least cost” ~ Golden Gate Restaurant Association

Paid sick time: low cost to employers Among Private Sector Workers 1.1% of total compensation, yet 86% have access now .6 of 1% of total compensation, yet only 42% have access now Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Program Perspectives (3/2010)

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Paid Sick Days: The Time is Now