In Focus: Sick Days and Family Medical Leave
Apr 22, 2013 | Permalink »
Workers' Memorial Day Brings Paid Sick Days Into Focus
By Lauren French, Georgetown University Law Center Intern
On April 28, we will observe Workers' Memorial Day to remember the men and women who have suffered and died on the job from workplace injuries and diseases. Forty-two years ago, Congress passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act, with the goal of improving workplace safety and protecting workers from hazards on the job. Although there have been vast improvements since the law's enactment, there is still much work to be done in guaranteeing every worker the right to a safe job.
Evidence continues to mount concerning the inextricable link between public health and access to paid sick days. A recent study, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and published in the American Journal of Public Health, has found that workers with paid sick days were 28 percent less likely than those without leave to be injured on the job. On March 19, CLASP held a national conference call to discuss these intersections between worker safety issues and sick days policies. This call brought together advocates from both the workers' safety and paid sick days communities to explore commonalities in their missions to ensure a worker's right to a safe and healthy job.
Surveys have shown that there are high levels of public support for both improved worker safety and paid sick days policies. A study conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago for the Public Welfare Foundation found that 77 percent of Americans believe that paid sick days are a "very important" worker right. Furthermore, 89 percent reported that they considered workplace safety regulations to be "very important."
The economic costs of workplace injury and illness cannot be ignored. Every year, workplace illness and injury costs more than $250 billion in healthcare services, lost earnings, and lost production. The brunt of this cost is felt by low-wage workers, who suffer 1.7 million workplace-related illnesses and injuries a year-at a cost of $39 million dollars. These are the same workers who are likely not to have access to paid sick days and who are less able to bear the burden of lost wages.
The discovery of this statistical link between workplace safety and paid sick days is an important discovery for advocates and policymakers. It is clear that workers around the country are being put in jeopardy every day by employer policies that force them to come to work, even if it puts their physical safety at risk. It is important on Workers' Memorial Day that we not only remember fallen workers, but that we strengthen our resolve in the fight for safe and healthy workplaces.
Mar 01, 2013 | Permalink »
New Tool for Job Quality Advocates: A Primer on Business Certifications
Today, CLASP and its partner, the American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC), released a new tool for job quality advocates, including advocates for earned sick days and paid family leave. The jointly produced brief provides advocates with a primer on the nuts and bolts of the business certification movement and suggests ways to foster fruitful relationships between the movement and campaigns for improved job quality, such as earned sick days campaigns.
Increasingly, businesses are seeking out certifications as means to assess their impact and verify that their practices are consistent with their values. Such certifications — which assess practices regarding environmental sustainability, living wages, paid sick days, flexible schedules, etc. — help businesses to maintain a high level of commitment to ethical practices and allow them to showcase this commitment to consumers and the public. In addition, a growing number of states have adopted “benefit corporation” legislation, which promotes and legally protects socially responsible businesses, many of which have attained certifications.
For job quality advocates, who are increasingly recognizing the crucial role of business support in successful campaigns, both certifying organizations and certified businesses can be valuable partners. Be sure to read the brief and follow up with ASBC in order to learn more.
Feb 27, 2013 | Permalink »
Implementing Earned Sick Days Laws: Learning from Seattle's Experience
Advocates in Seattle fought hard to build the support necessary to pass the city’s Paid Sick and Safe Time (PSST) Ordinance. But the hard work did not end when the law passed in September 2011. Once the ink on Seattle’s ordinance had dried, the process of implementing the law began.
The task of implementation in Seattle fell to the city’s Office for Civil Rights (SOCR). SOCR’s small but energetic staff has approached the complex job with a drive that not only reflects a commitment to ensuring that the law protects the rights of Seattle’s workers, but also a desire to listen carefully to business concerns about the law. The city has launched a thoughtful and creative implementation and outreach strategy that has been attentive to business needs, spread the word about the law to diverse groups of Seattle workers and employers, and provided an unparalleled level of technical assistance to employers seeking to comply with the law.
Elliott Bronstein, SOCR’s Public Information Coordinator, explains, “The thing that I’m proudest of is our work with employers to answer their questions, to make this as intelligible to them as possible, and to listen closely to their concerns during the rule drafting process.” By taking a constructive approach, Seattle has brought employers on board, helping to ensure that employees are receiving the paid sick and safe time they have earned.
CLASP spoke with SOCR staff to better understand the implementation process. Today, CLASP is releasing an issue brief that draws upon Seattle’s experience to delineate best practices for implementing such laws. It is the first in a series of implementation briefs that draw on the experiences of jurisdictions that have passed earned sick days laws. Watch for additional briefs in the coming weeks, as well as a summary of best practices from all jurisdictions.
Momentum for earned sick days laws is building around the country, with active campaigns in several cities and states. As more sick days laws pass, more governments will face the challenging task of implementing these laws. Those facing this task have much to learn from Seattle’s implementation work.
Read the brief >>