Paid Sick Days: Progress That’s PossibleVicki ShaboDirector of Work and Family Programs

YEO National ConveningWashington, D.C.June 21, 2012

About us

The National Partnership for Women & Families is a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy group dedicated to promoting fairness in the workplace, access to quality health care and policies that help women and men meet the dual demands of work and family.

More information is available at www.NationalPartnership.org.

Connecticut Seattle First Step in Philadelphia

2011 Paid Sick Days Victories

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Paid Sick Days Timeline

2004: Healthy Families Act (federal) introduced

2006: San Francisco (successful ballot initiative)

2008: Ohio (ballot initiative qualified, later withdrawn)

2008: Washington, D.C. (legislative win)

2008: Milwaukee (initiative passed, but preempted in by statute in 2011)

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2010: New York City (majority City Council support, speaker refuses to allow vote)

June 2011: Connecticut (legislative win)

September 2011: Seattle (legislative win)

October 2011: Philadelphia living wage amendment (legislative win)

November 2011: Denver (ballot initiative defeated in off-year election)

40 Million Workers: No Paid Sick Time

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Percent of Private Sector Workers Without Access to Paid Sick Time

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (7/2011)

All U.S. Private Sector

Lowest-Paid

Highest-Paid

Service Workers

Prof'l/Mgmt

Part-time

Full-time

37%

79%

13%

57%

14%

73%

25%

44 million: number of workers without paid sick days, millions more without paid sick days to care for a child or family member 79 percent of lowest wage workers – no paid sick days vs. 13

percent of highest wage workers. 3.5 days: number of unpaid days off that

jeopardize a family’s monthly grocery budget 23 percent: share of U.S. adult population that

has experienced or been threatened with job loss for taking a sick day

Urgent Need, Significant Consequences

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Lack of Paid Sick Days Means More Sick People at Work or School

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Went to work sick Sent child to school/daycare sick

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

37%

13%

55%

28%

Eligible for paid sick days Not eligible for paid sick days

1.5 times more likely

2.15 times more likely

Responses among adults overall Responses among parents with children under 18

Source: NORC/University of Chicago poll (6/2010)

Workers Without Paid Sick Days are More Likely to Go to the ER

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Went to emergency room for own illness

Took child/family member to emergency room

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

10% 7%

20%

35%

Eligible for paid sick days

2 times more likely

5 times more likely

Responses among adults overall Responses among parents with children under 18

Source: NORC/University of Chicago poll (6/2010)

Workers lose pay and risk job loss. 23 percent have lost a job or been threatened with job loss because

of personal or family illness. Contagious illnesses spread through workplaces,

schools, and day cares. 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.

Economic and Health Repercussions

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Delayed/forgone preventive care and ER overuse increase health care costs. Estimated $1.1 billion in unnecessary ER costs attributed to lack of

paid sick days, with half accruing to public programs like Medicaid, SCHIP

Business productivity suffers. $160 billion/year in lost productivity through “presenteeism”

Unemployment leads to reduced consumer spending and higher public program usage. Average unemployed person searches for new work for 40 weeks.

Fiscal Consequences

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Reduced contagion: Sick workers with paid sick days are more likely to stay home.

Reduced health care costs: Workers with paid sick days are less likely to use ERs as an alternative to regular care ($1.1 billion savings per year).

Better health: Workers and families are healthier when they have time to seek preventive care.

Increased business productivity: Paid sick days reduce presenteeism, lower turnover.

Vibrant economy: Job security and receipt of wages boost consumer spending.

Paid Sick Days Benefit Us All

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San Francisco: Paid Sick Days Leader

Job and business growth in San Francisco exceeded surrounding five counties.

2/3 of the city’s employers now support the law. Few employer implementation problems.

“Best policy at the least cost” ~ Golden Gate Restaurant

Association

Paid Sick Time: Low Cost to Employers

All Workers Mgmt/Prof'l Sales/Office Service$0.00

$0.20

$0.40

$0.60

$0.80

$1.00

$0.23

$0.53

$0.18$0.08

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)

Favor Oppose0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

61%

13%

Paid Sick Days Laws Engender Broad Public Support

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Do you favor or oppose a law guaranteeing all workers a minimum number of paid sick days to care for themselves or immediate family members?

Red = strongly favor/opposeOrange = somewhat favor/oppose

Source: NORC/U. Chicago (6/2010)

75%

24%

Net Favor: 51%

Women, African Americans & Older People are Particularly Supportive

1515

Do you favor or oppose a law guaranteeing all workers a minimum number of paid sick days to care for themselves or immediate family members?

65+ 50-6440-49

Under 40Hispanic

African-American

WhiteWomen

Men

85%78%

81%73%0.75

0.90.77

0.880.64

% Strongly/Somewhat Favor

Source: NORC/University of Chicago poll (6/2010)

Support Extends Across All Partisan Groups

16Stro

ng Dem

o...

Not-so

-stro

ng ...

Dem-le

aning ..

.

Indepen

dent

Rep-le

aning In

d.

Not-so

-stro

ng ...

Strong R

epubl...

0%20%40%60%80%

100% 89% 92% 92%77% 78% 73%

59%

Do you favor or oppose a law guaranteeing all workers a minimum number of paid sick days to care for themselves or immediate family members?

Source: NORC/U. Chicago (6/2010)

Pro-Paid Sick Days Candidates Rewarded, Anti-Paid Sick Days Candidates Punished

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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

Candidate who

opposes paid sick

days

24%+18 net more likely to vote for

-23 net less likely to vote for

42%

20%

Much/Somewhat more likely to vote for (darker=much more)

Much/Somewhat less likely to vote for (darker=much more)

Source: NORC/University of Chicago poll (6/2010)

43%

Voters in Cities and States Across the U.S. Support Paid Sick Days

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Phila-delphia

Seattle Nevada Illinois Maryland0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

71% 69%62%

78%84%

72%

84% 82%89% 91%

64%

43% 47%

68%74%

63%56%

74% 76%

All voters

Democrats

Independents

Republicans

% support paid sick days legislation

Source: Anzalone Liszt Research (2011), Hart Research (2011), Kiley Research (2010, 2011)

Strongly10%

Connecticut Voters Support Paid Sick Days Law, Across Political Spectrum

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87%

70%61% 63%

83%

8%

23%29% 27%

11%

All Voters Key Subgroups73%

Strongly 47%

Strongly19%

19%

Favor Oppose

Total favor Total oppose

Demo-crats

Inde-pendents

Repub-licans

Men Women

Do you favor or oppose Connecticut’s new law that allows service workers in businesses with 50 or more employees to earn up to five paid sick days each year?

Source: Hart Research (7/2011)

36%

33%

34%

29%

21%

17%

23%

29%

32%

46%

Paid Sick Days = On Voters’ Side

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

Do you agree or disagree that this describes elected officials/organizations that support the new paid sick days law?

Strongly agree DisagreeSomewhat agree

Source: Hart Research (7/2011)

72%

66%

62%

60%

54%

Series1

55%

22%

59%

23%23%

54%

18%

54%

Paid Sick Days = Electeds’ Favorability in 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

More favorable toward supporting them Less favorable toward supporting them

Senator voted for law

Senator votedagainst law

Rep voted for law

Rep voted against law

+32-32

+41-31

Source: Hart Research (7/2011)

Much more likely22%

Somewhat more likely

42%

Not sure11%

Less likely25%

All voters

64% MORE LIKELY

Paid Sick Days = Voter Engagement Vehicle

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?

More LikelyIncome under

$50,000

Women

Non-collegegraduates

69%

69%

68%

Source: Hart Research (7/2011)

Key Groups are Particularly Likely to be Engaged by Paid Sick Days

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?

34%

29%

25%

31%

35%

Democrats 72%

Union members

Women

Non-white

Earn less than$50K/year

72%

69%

68%

70%

Much more Somewhat moreMORE likely:Source: Hart Research (7/2011)

Paid Sick Days = Good for Union Image

0.16

0.15

0.1

0.09

18%

27%

30%

34%

Labor unions in Connecticut have taken the following positions on various issues: In each case, does this give you a more or less favorable view of labor unions?

Much more Somewhat moreMORE favorable:Much less Somewhat lessLESS favorable:

Supporting legislation to

provide workers with a public

option for health insurance

Supporting paid sick days

legislation

Negotiating for union contracts

that improve pay, health care, and

retirement benefits for union

members

Fighting efforts to limit unions’

ability to organize and negotiate

Union households

75%

72%

62%

19%

23%

31%

43%46%

Source: Hart Research (7/2011)

77%18%

81%17%

75%19%

42%49%

Paid Sick Days = Strengthening Middle-Class Families

71%

2%

27%

Not sure

Wrong time/unnecessary mandate

Right time/more important than ever

With which view of the new paid sick day law do you agree more?

DemocratsIndependentsRepublicans

Right time90%65%52%

Wrong time 9%33%47%

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 Research (7/2011)

Vulnerabilities… and Answers

Job killer… businesses will leave Evidence from San Francisco

refutes Employees most likely to lack

PSD are in service businesses which can’t relocate

Now isn’t the time – will hurt small business Evidence from San Francisco,

small business testimony refutes Costs are negligible compared to

other costs of doing business Policies take small business

concerns into account

Employee abuse No evidence in SF or private

sector nationwide: workers with PSD use many fewer than they earn

Laws include safeguards against abuse

Improper role of government When corporate interests

care more about the 1% than the 99%, government is needed (e.g., minimum wage, child labor, overtime)

Vulnerabilities: Threats to Local Authority

2011: Wisconsin preempts Milwaukee paid sick days ordinance Response to Milwaukee ordinance victory in state court

2012: Louisiana preempts local authority to enact paid sick days laws Flew under the radar of progressive groups, municipal association

and local authorities Passed Senate 37-0 Passed House with only 4 “no” votes Signed by Governor Jindal

Expect to see more preemption efforts on paid sick days and other workers’ rights and health policies going forward.

Paid Sick Days in 2012: State/Local Legislation and Campaigns

Iowa

Massachusetts (statewide) New York City (veto-proof City Council majority) Philadelphia (passed City Council in 2011, vetoed by

mayor – will try again in 2012) Florida (Orlando area, Miami) Oregon (Portland area) YOUR CITY!

Paid Sick Days in 2012: Active Campaigns

Alternative Pathways

Requirements for city contractors Living wage ordinances Executive action

Community benefits agreements/creating “good jobs” with taxpayer dollars

Paid sick days for specific segments of workers

Conclusion: Paid Sick Days Now

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

Low cost to government, high value to working families Has potential to boost turnout among voters

sympathetic to labor and other progressive fights Has potential to benefit supportive elected

officials/candidates

For More Information

Find us:

www.NationalPartnership.orgwww.PaidSickDays.org

Follow us:

www.facebook.com/nationalpartnershipwww.twitter.com/npwf www.twitter.com/paidsickdays

Contact me:Vicki ShaboDirector of Work and Family Programsvshabo@nationalpartnership.org202-986-2600

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