Paid Sick Days: Now is the Time

Today, the New York Times urged President Obama to back a law guaranteeing American workers paid sick days. The movement toward this new labor standard, which would improve public health while boosting economic productivity, has grown dramatically in the past week.

First, a new study released yesterday found that the benefits of providing paid sick days far outweigh the costs, both for employers and employees. Now, the Grey Lady’s editorial backing comes on the same day the Healthy Families and Healthy Workplaces Act gets a hearing in committee.

The NC Paid Sick Days Campaign has been organizing in support of this legislation. Today’s NC Justice News has ways that you can act in support of this common-sense policy today.

This is the kicker from today’s NYT editorial:

If President Obama is serious about responsible action to control infectious disease threats, he should back legislation to grant Americans at least seven paid sick days a year — long enough to stay home until an influenza infection subsides. Then virtually all Americans could heed his advice, and we would all be safer.

We can’t control federal policy. But now is the time for North Carolina to take the lead on this issue.