Paid Sick Leave
More than 44 million workers in the U.S. lack paid sick leave benefits. Workers are faced with the choice of losing income, going to work sick, or facing threats of job loss if they miss a day for a personal or family illness. Many jobs that lack paid sick leave can be found in low wage industries that are particularly vulnerable to disease, including child care, elder care, and food service. San Francisco and Washington D.C. are the only municipalities in the United States that require employers to provide paid sick leave, and Connecticut requires service sector employers to provide the policy to full time, non-salaried workers. Many states and cities are considering establishing paid sick leave legislation.
" [Paid sick leave] is the best public policy for the least cost. Do you want your server coughing over your food?" - Kevin Westlye, executive director of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association
"Since we work in such close quarters and often eat/ drink from the same plates, we used to have times when we had so many sick staff we’d have to close. Now, people stay home when they’re ill, thus not infecting the customers OR the other staff members."
- Jennifer Piallat, Owner, Zazie Restaurant in San Francisco
Commentary
Cry Wolf Quotes
We want to take the message to the public and the San Francisco residents to let them know how close to the tipping point the restaurant industry is.
I can tell you that as of right now, we are not looking to expand in San Francisco. It’s a labor-intensive industry, and the last thing we need is to get dinged for it.
'San Franciscans have a history of voting their social conscience as long as someone else writes the check.’… He said consumers would be hurt, predicting that restaurants would raise prices… The higher prices, he said, might cause some restaurants to lose business — and perhaps close. ‘There’s no such thing as a free lunch on something like this.’
It has not been a huge issue that we have heard from our members about.
Related Laws and Rules
Evidence
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San Francisco’s Paid Sick Leave Ordinance: Outcomes for Employers and Employees
San Francisco’s paid sick leave ordinance is an overwhelming success.
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Paid Sick Leave Does Not Harm Business Growth or Job Growth
The Drum Major Institute shows that the San Francisco paid sick leave law isn't a job killer.
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Employers’ Perspectives on San Francisco Paid Sick Leave Policy
Most employers have installed San Francisco paid sick leave law with few problems.
Backgrounders & Briefs
Serving While Sick: High Risks and Low Benefits for the Nation’s Restaurant Workforce, and Their Impact on the Consumer
87.7 percent of restaurant workers report that they have no access to paid sick leave.
The Work, Family and Equity Index: How Does the United States Measure Up?
The Project on Global Working Families is a study that measures worldwide social safety nets.
Resources
Institute for Women’s Policy Research is a prominent think tank that is largely focused on American women's issues. This covers everything from pay equity to welfare reform to domestic violence.
MomsRising focuses on "bringing important motherhood and family issues."
The National Partnership for Women and Families leads the national fight for paid sick days and paid family and medical leave.
Family Values at Work is a advocacy network that fights for family and sick leave policies across the U.S.
