Exciting news!  On Wednesday, March 20^th, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) re-introduced the Healthy Families Act  in Congress, along with 95 House sponsors and 18 Senate sponsors.

The Healthy Families Act would help America’s workers to meet the real health needs of themselves and their families by giving them the right to earn paid sick days at work.

Specifics: The bill would allow employees who work for employers with 15 or more employees to earn up to seven paid sick days each year (earning one hour for every 30 hours worked) to:

• Care for themselves when they are ill, or access preventative care
• Care for themselves and seek assistance when they have been a victim of domestic violence or sexual assault
• Care for a sick family member

So important:  Too many Americans are forced to choose between keeping themselves or a family member healthy  and their paycheck.  Forty percent of the private sector workforce in the United States is excluded from the opportunity to earn paid sick days at work.  Even more cannot get paid time off to care for a sick family member.  Almost a quarter of American adults are threatened with job loss for taking time off from work to care for themselves or a sick family member.  Women are particularly impacted by the inability to earn paid sick time, as they disproportionately assume caregiving responsibilities for children.  The Healthy Families Act would provide American working families with the financial security they need to take time off to attend to their health needs.

Policies work:  California’s experience with paid family leave and sick leave demonstrate that providing workers with access to such leave is not only important to workers, but is also important for public health, and that such laws do not hurt businesses.  A comprehensive study demonstrated that San Francisco’s sick leave ordinance has improved outcomes for all players.  A second study demonstrated the same for California’s Paid Family Leave Program.

To support the Healthy Families Act, contact your local congressperson.

For information on efforts to increase protections for working families in California, visit the California Work & California’s website.

The Healthy Families Act was originally introduced in Congress in 2011 by Senator Harkin and Representative DeLaura.  The National Partnership for Women and Working Families and a coalition of women’s rights organizations support the bill.

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