9to5 Activist Network ToolKit

 Healthy Workplace Healthy Workplace: Paid Sick Days Now

Here are some ideas for actions you can take for 9to5’s nationa day of action Healthy Workplace: Paid Sick Days Now. They are designed to help you work toward passing the Healthy Families Act by educating and involving coworkers and community members. Included are suggestions for public visibility actions, educational events and ways to advocate for policy changes. Choose from this list, adapt these ideas to fit your situation, or be creative and design your own actions. Your event does not have to look like everyone else’s or tackle every issue. As you decide, consider which steps will strategically help you advance paid sick days, which steps will gain more public support and get others to take action, what you can successfully pull off with the resources you have, and what fits your own comfort level. You can also combine ideas in order to have greater impact such as planning a discussion and asking everyone in attendance to sign a letter to Congress. No matter what you plan to do, always provide one simple action step others can take (such as a postcard to sign, sticker to wear), so people can easily and immediately express their support.    If you are planning your activity as part of an organization, also consider ways your Healthy Workplace: Paid Sick Days Now day of action can help build your organization by increasing your membership, activating existing 9to5 members, cultivating new partnerships, gaining media attention, etc.   The items below are coded according to whether they can be completed individually (I), would be better planned by a group (G), can be carried out in a workplace (W). The coding provided, like all the materials in this Action Kit, is meant as a guide; feel free to adapt and modify these action ideas to fit your own situation, organization or community.   Sign up to host an event or order an ACTION PACK (full of stickers, posters, palmcards & petitions) by emailing activist [at] 9to5 [dot] org. 

1. Show Out

Wear A Sticker to Work (I, G, W,)
Wearing a sticker to work is something almost anyone can do and it provides an opportunity for coworkers to ask you about paid sick days. You can also solicit people you know to wear stickers. Order “Healthy Workplace: Paid Sick Days Now” stickers by emailing activist [at] 9to5 [dot] org or calling 404-688-0164.

Pledge To Support the Healthy Families Act (I, G, W)
Send a letter to Congress from (www.9to5.org). Get friends and co-workers to sign postcards or a circulate petition in support of paid sick days.

Put up a Posters in Your Community (I,G,W)
Email activist [at] 9to5 [dot] org for your ACTION PACK then take the posters and flyer them around your neighborhood, workplace, or community center.

Hand Out Flyers (I, G, W)
Pick a prime location during the morning commute or lunch hour and pass out Healthy Workplace: Paid Sick Days Now flyers (or create your own) at work or in your community. To order flyers email activist [at] 9to5 [dot] org.

2. Speak Out

Be a vocal advocate for paid sick days. Whether you are involved in an existing campaign in your workplace or community, or if you are trying to get an effort started, use these actions to educate people about the issues, garner more support and challenge decision-makers to respond. If your workplace has a union, inquire about any ongoing efforts to improve policies or contract language to include paid sick days. When possible, coordinate your actions with their strategies to ensure your efforts have the greatest impact.

Social Network (I,G)
Spread the word through social networking and post our amazing poster and website banner ads to your Facebook, Twitter, or Blog download banners at www.9to5.org/activistnetwork.

Set Up An Educational Table (I, G, W)
Put up an informational table in a well-trafficked location in your community. Lunchtime is a perfect time to talk to people about the day of action and the need for paid sick days. Hand out flyers, stickers and fact sheets. Include an action item such as letters to Congress or Healthy Workplace: Paid Sick Days Now Postcards. Contact activist [at] 9to5 [dot] org for materials.

Commit To Five “Elevator Talks” (I, G, W)
An “elevator talk” is a very brief, introductory conversation to engage someone around an issue and solicit their support. The idea is to convey a point in the amount of time it takes to ride an elevator with someone (usually less than a minute). You can use your “elevator talks” to discuss the Healthy Families Act/Paid Sick Days. In preparation, jot down some notes about what you want to say to coworkers. Practice out loud until you feel comfortable quickly making one or two points. Think about opportunities you have in the course of a work day to engage others in a brief chat such as in the break room, at the elevator or waiting in line at the lunch truck. Then, on the day, be ready with your “elevator talk” when those opportunities arise. If you plan this activity with a group, you can practice together and schedule a time to debrief at the end of the day.

Write A Letter To The Editor Or An Op-Ed (I, W)
You may be able to get a letter or op-ed piece published in a local paper or in the newsletter of an organization you are involved with, such as a union, PTA or community organization. Write about Healthy Workplace: Paid Sick Days Now, how you plan to participate and why you think it’s important. For sample Letter to the Editor on paid sick days CLICK HERE.

Write An Article (I, W)
If your union has a newsletter or your community paper takes article submissions, you can submit a brief article about Healthy Workplace: Paid Sick Days Now and its importance.

Write Your Legislator (I, G)
If you live in a city, state or other jurisdiction that is working to pass a paid sick days law, or ordinance write a personal letter to one or more of your elected officials who will vote on the measure. Let them know why you are in support of paid sick days and why the issue is important to you. Make sure to mention that you are a voter and a constituent.

Meet With An Elected Official (G, C)
Schedule a meeting to talk to a key elected official about why paid sick days is important to you and to ask them to support specific legislation concerning the issue. You can organize a small group of neighbors or coworkers to visit your legislator, or plan a lobby day in which you get a large number of supporters to lobby elected official together.

Circulate A Petition (I, G, W)
In building support for the Healthy Families Act or a state/local paid sick days law, a petition can be a fairly easy way to tell people about your efforts and gather more support. If you hope to keep the people who signed involve in your efforts, also collect their contact information, asking people to write clearly, and let people know you will contact them later.  To download the petition CLICK HERE

Organize A Protest, Rally Or Vigil (G, W)
If you are already involved in an ongoing campaign to win specific protections in your workplace or community, it may be time to stage a public demonstration. These kinds of actions help put pressure on decision-makers by demonstrating the support you have. If you have a large turnout and/or an interesting angle to your story, you may also be able to attract media attention to further challenge your target to take positive action.

Organize Educational Events (I, G, W)
Talks, workshops, brown bag discussions, forums, panels, video screenings and other similar events can be great tools for educating people about the issues and how they can get involved. Include an action step for attendees so everyone has the opportunity to learn, voice their opinion and take action.

Document And Share Stories Of the need for Paid Sick Days (I, G, W)
Telling real stories about the ways people balance their own and family member’s illness with work responsibilities and go a long way toward making the case for paid sick days. Create your own oral history project and collect and document the stories of coworkers or community members. Of course, use the stories of others only with their permission and keep in mind that the lack of paid sick days can make this a risky action for some. Create a way for people to share their stories anonymously, if they choose. Create a short blurb for each story and compile them into a factsheet or booklet that can be used in legislative and other fights. Encourage people to share their stories with 9to5 as well by using the “Voices” page on the Healthy Workplace: Paid Sick Days Now web site at http://9to5.org/voices-write-your-story

Create A Political Art Installation (G, W)
Murals, photo exhibits and other arts displays can be used to tell a compelling visual and narrative story. You can invite coworkers or community members to help make your own public artwork. Some examples of kinds of installations you could create include a photo exhibit of working families your community -- again, with permission of those in the photos --, a video workers talking about the harassment they’ve experienced, a memorial wall of stories of harassment where you invite community members to add stories and symbolic mementos. You can also ask local artists to create works depicting the need for protections and organize a gallery night to display the pieces, followed by a possible auction. Please share your stories with 9to5 at http://9to5.org/voices-write-your-story

Sign People Up For The Activist Network (I, G, W)
9to5 has ongoing community organizing with over 1800 activists across the country. Sign people up to be part of a national network of thousands of people fighting for paid sick days. To join the Activist Network sign up here: https://www.thedatabank.com/dpg/264/personal2.asp?formid=qsignup

3. Reach Out

Recruit Supporters (I, G, W)
Organize a postcard drive in your workplace or in the community using 9to5’s postcards. Set goals for how many supporters you want to recruit and ways you want to engage them in efforts to improve workplace protections or to create a more friendly work environment.

Hold a Social Event (I, G, W)
Planning a social event to bring together workers and supporters can be the first step in building an organization that can advocate for change or in reviving a group that has become inactive. Consider a Happy Hour after work or even a Family Picnic to socialize and strategize about ways to affect pass the Healthy Families Act.

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