Paid Sick Days
In this tough economy, it's clearer than ever that working families need the basic economic security that having even a few paid sick days provides. No one should be forced to come to work sick.
Paid sick days legislation has passed in both Houses of the Connecticut General Assembly, but not in the same year.
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Nobody should have to go to work sick. It's just common sense. Unfortunately, about 40% of working people in the state don't have a single paid sick day all year.
When people have to go to work sick, it's not just a problem for them -- it's a problem for all of us.
That's because the people who are most likely to lack paid sick days are people who work in places where they interact with the public. Food service workers, and retails workers disproportionately lack paid sick days -- even sometimes childcare providers and nurses. Exactly the LAST people we would want coming to work sick.
It hurts businesses too - when people come to work sick, they're not likely to be very productive, but they will probably spread illness to coworkers.
And it even raises the costs of our entire healthcare system. When people can't take a day off to go to the doctor, they're less likely to get the preventive care that keeps people healthy and keeps down the cost of treating long term illness.
Allowing all working people to earn at least a few paid sick days is a common sense idea whose time has come.