paid sick days : progress that’s possible
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Paid Sick Days : Progress That’s Possible. Vicki Shabo Director of Work and Family Programs. YEO National Convening Washington, D.C. June 21, 2012. About us. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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2008: Ohio (ballot initiative qualified, later withdrawn)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
6
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
8
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 [email protected]
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