WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper and 168 of his congressional colleagues introduced the Healthy Families Act, which would ensure workers get up to seven paid sick days each year.
“Every American deserves to take care of their families without the fear of losing a paycheck or their job. This should be the bare minimum expectation for American workers.” said Hickenlooper.
The U.S. is the only major country in the world that doesn’t provide paid time off for short-term illnesses. Nearly 27 million workers lack any paid sick time entirely. 58% of low-income, private-sector workers aren’t able to access paid sick days. Without guaranteed paid sick leave, workers are forced to make the choice between getting a paycheck and caring for their own and their family’s health.
“It is an international embarrassment that the United States of America remains the only major country on Earth not to guarantee paid sick days to workers. Working together, we must end that embarrassment,” Sanders said. “It’s not radical to ensure that every worker in America receives the paid sick days that they need. What’s radical is that we have corporations in America making billions in profits, denying paid leave to working moms and dads when their kids get sick. That’s radical.”
“Federal law does not guarantee working Americans a single paid sick day,” DeLauro said. “No one should face the impossible choice of either caring for their health or keeping their paycheck, especially during the current cost of living crisis. But nearly 27 million hard-working people must make this decision every time they get sick. Not only is it the right thing to do, but a lack of paid sick days hurts the American economy by reducing productivity, increasing the spread of illness which leads to higher health care costs, and causes financial strain on workers. That is why I am proud to sponsor this effort with Senator Sanders to ensure that workers are able to follow the directive of public health officials and stay home when they are sick without the fear of losing their paycheck.”
Workers without paid sick leave are three times more likely to delay or forgo necessary health care for themselves and nearly twice as likely to forgo medical care for their families compared to working adults with paid sick days. However, workers with access to paid sick leave are 28% less likely to suffer nonfatal occupational injuries, and employers who provide paid sick leave see 25% less turnover in their workforce.
The Healthy Families Act would:
- Guarantee every worker in America up to seven paid sick days each year, to be used to recover from their own illnesses, access preventive care, provide care to a sick family member or attend school meetings related to a child’s health condition or disability.
- Simplify how employers calculate paid sick leave. Workers would earn a minimum of one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked, up to a minimum of 56 hours per year.
- Allow employers to use their existing policies if they exceed minimum standards.
- Allow victims of domestic violence, stalking or sexual assault to use their paid sick days to recover or seek assistance.
Hickenlooper has also introduced the Caring for All Families Act, which would modernize the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) by updating the definition of family to include a broader range of caregiving relationships covered by FMLA’s protections and leave for small needs like doctor’s appointments.
The full text of the legislation can be found HERE.
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