9to5 Supports the Healthy Families Act

Dear Member of Congress:                                                                    August 4, 2010

We are writing to urge your support of the Healthy Families Act (H.R. 2460/ S. 1152), a groundbreaking piece of legislation that would guarantee workers up to seven paid sick days a year to recover from short-term illness, to care for a sick family member, for routine medical care or to seek assistance related to domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking. In this economic climate, a basic workplace standard of paid sick days would help prevent workers from being forced to choose between their own health or the health of their family—and their paychecks or even their jobs.   Workers have always needed to care for their children, families and elderly relatives, and at the same time, be productive, responsible employees. But today, when workplaces don’t provide the basic labor standard of paid sick days, the economic security of workers and their families is at risk. Nearly two in five (39 percent) of private-sector workers do not have access to paid, jobprotected time off to recover from illness or to care for a sick family member. And among workers in the lowest income bracket, 79 percent do not have a single paid sick day. Consequently, nearly one in six workers report that they or a family member have been fired, suspended, punished or threatened with being fired for taking time off due to personal illness or to care for a sick relative, according to a 2010 University of Chicago survey. As our population ages, more working families will be providing care for elderly parents—and will need paid sick days to do so. Caregiving takes a financial toll on working people, especially when they have to take unpaid time off from work. Over 34 million caregivers provide assistance at the weekly equivalent of a part-time job (more than 21 hours), and the estimated economic value of this support is roughly equal to $350 billion. Among caregivers, 98 percent reported spending on average $5,531 a year, or one-tenth of their salary, for out-of-pocket expenses.   The lack of paid sick days is also a public health concern. Workers who interact with the public every day are much less likely to have paid sick days. Only 22 percent of food and hotel workers have any paid sick days, for example. Workers in child care centers, retail clerks, and nursing homes also disproportionately lack paid sick days. When working people have no choice but to go to work sick, their colleagues and all others they contact face an increased risk of contracting illness. In this economy, businesses cannot afford “presenteeism,” when sick workers come to work rather than stay at home. “Presenteeism” costs our national economy $180 billion annually in lost productivity, surpassing the cost of absenteeism. For employers, “presenteeism” costs an average of $255 per employee per year.   The Healthy Families Act also would make paid time off available to victims of domestic violence, stalking or sexual assault so they are able to seek assistance without fearing that their livelihood is in jeopardy. Although domestic violence, stalking and sexual assault affect both men and women, nearly one in three women in the U.S. report physical or sexual abuse by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives. And up to 85 percent of domestic violence victims miss work because of physical and sexual abuse. By enabling domestic violence victims to use paid sick days to care for their physical and mental health, find alternative housing or obtain a restraining order to prevent further abuse, the Healthy Families Act would help to ensure that these workers are not forced to choose between their income and their safety. The FMLA does not guarantee workers paid sick days—and neither do any state laws. San Francisco, the District of Columbia and Milwaukee have passed ordinances requiring that private-sector employers offer paid sick days. Over a dozen cities and states are working to pass paid sick days laws to ensure this basic labor standard becomes a right for all workers. But illness knows no geographic boundaries, and access to paid sick days should not be dependent on where a worker happens to be employed.   Our nation has a history of passing laws to help workers in times of economic crisis. Social Security and Unemployment Insurance became law in 1935; the Fair Labor Standards Act and the National Labor Relations Act became law in 1938, all in response to the crisis the nation faced during the Great Depression. Working people should not have to risk their financial health when they do what all of us agree is the right thing—recover from illness without jeopardizing the health of others, or care for a sick family member who needs them. Now is the time to put family values to work by adopting a basic workplace standard of paid sick days. We urge you to demonstrate your strong commitment to our nation’s working families by becoming a cosponsor of the Healthy Families Act. Thank you.   Sincerely,   National Partnership for Women & Families 9to5, National Association of Working Women A Better Balance AFL-CIO American Association of University Women (AAUW) American Civil Liberties Union American Federation of Government Employees American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) American Federation of Teachers American Friends Service Committee American Public Health Association American Rights at Work Apostolic Catholic Church Asian American Justice Center Association of Flight Attendants—CWA Business and Professional Women’s Foundation Center for American Progress Center for Community Change Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) Church Women United Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) Coalition on Human Needs Communication Workers of America (CWA) Community of Christ, Ecumenical and Interfaith Ministries Demos: A Network for Ideas & Action Direct Care Alliance Disciples Justice Action Network Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Families USA Family Values @ Work: A Multi-State Consortium Friends Committee on National Legislation Half in Ten: The Campaign to Cut Poverty in Half in Ten Years Human Impact Partners Interfaith Worker Justice International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace & Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) Jewish Labor Committee Jewish Women International Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA) Labor Project for Working Families Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Legal Momentum NAACP National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) National Association of Social Workers National Center on Caregiving, Family Caregiver Alliance National Human Services Assembly Mennonite Central Committee U.S., Washington Office MomsRising Muslim American Society Freedom The National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA National Association of Commissions for Women National Association of Mothers' Centers (NAMC) National Association of School Nurses National Council of Jewish Women National Council of Women’s Organizations (NCWO) National Education Association National Employment Law Project National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health National Organization for Women (NOW) National Women’s Law Center NETWORK: A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) OWL – The Voice of Midlife and Older Women Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Washington Office Progressive States Network Restaurant Opportunities Centers United Service Employees International Union Trust for America’s Health United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries United Food and Commercial Workers International Union United Methodist Church – General Board of Church and Society United Steelworkers (USW) Voices for America's Children Wider Opportunities for Women Women’s Research & Education Institute (WREI) Alaska Alaska Public Interest Research Group California 9to5 Bay Area 9to5 Los Angeles Jewish Labor Committee Western Region Legal Aid Society-Employment Law Center Young Workers United Colorado 9to5 Colorado Connecticut Connecticut Permanent Commission on the Status of Women Connecticut Working Families District of Columbia DC Employment Justice Center Georgia 9to5 Atlanta Atlanta-North Georgia Labor Council Georgia Stand-Up Illinois ParentsWork Women Employed Iowa Iowa Commission on the Status of Women Maine Maine Business and Professional Women Maine Centers for Women, Work, and Community Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault Maine Equal Justice Mainely Girls Maine Women's Health Campaign Maine Women's Lobby National Association of Social Workers, Maine National Council of Jewish Women Southern Maine WAGE Project Maine Maryland Montgomery County Commission for Women Massachusetts Massachusetts Paid Leave Coalition Montana Working for Equality and Economic Liberation (WEEL) New Hampshire New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women New Hampshire Women’s Lobby and Alliance New Jersey Family Voices—New Jersey New Jersey Statewide Parent Advocacy Network New Jersey Time to Care Coalition New Mexico New Mexico Women’s Agenda New York New York City Paid Sick Days Campaign New York State Paid Family Leave Coalition Uri L'Tzedek: Orthodox Social Justice We Are Family North Carolina North Carolina Justice Center Oregon Children First for Oregon Pennsylvania Maternity Care Coalition PathWays PA Texas Workers Defense Project Vermont Vermont Livable Wage Campaign Voices for Vermont’s Children Washington Economic Opportunity Institute Washington State Family Leave Coalition Wisconsin 9to5 Milwaukee Black Health Coalition of Wisconsin Campaign Against Violence Citizen Action of Wisconsin Milwaukee Graduate Assistant Association Sojourner Family Peace Center