When a loved one becomes ill, are you forced to choose between caring for them or losing a paycheck, or even your job?  People without paid sick days at their jobs often face these impossible choices — between the work they need and the families they love. Today, Philadelphia’s City Council took a step towards giving Philadelphia workers a new choice: the opportunity to earn sick days.

Full-time workers at companies who contract with the city or who receive city subsidies will now be eligible to earn up to seven paid sick days each year under a bill passed by City Council today. Bill 110557, an ordinance ensuring that all employers who fall under the 21^st Century Minimum Wage and Benefits Standard must provide sick days to their full time workers, passed with a vote of 15-2. It now awaits the Mayor’s signature.

“The health and livelihoods of all Philadelphians are compromised when working people are forced to go to their jobs when they’re sick,” said Marianne Bellesorte, Senior Director of Policy at PathWays PA. “City Council took an important step today by ensuring that city tax dollars only fund jobs that support public health, families, and the community.

Studies in other cities show that both businesses and employees benefit from earned sick days policies. Businesses save money from higher productivity and lower turnover, and workers use paid sick leave responsibly and often do not use all of the time offered to them. A study of San Francisco’s paid sick days law shows many business concerns about job loss were unfounded, with six in seven employers saying that paid sick days have had no negative effect on profitability and two-thirds of employers surveyed supporting the law.

“Earned sick days are good for business and good for working families,” said Rebecca Foley, Director of Public Policy at WOMEN’S WAY. “This bill is the next step to making sure that all Philadelphians have access to paid sick days.”

In June 2011, City Council passed a bill that would give all Philadelphia workers an opportunity to earn paid sick days at work. Mayor Nutter vetoed that bill at the Chamber of Commerce. A second bill is planned to be introduced next year.

FV@W executive director Ellen Bravo placed the Philadelphia vote in the larger movement for policies that value families at work with the following statement:

“National momentum for paid sick days continues to grow as elected leaders in yet another city voted today to help working people squeezed by the economy.  Philadelphia joins Connecticut and Seattle in voting this year to enact this common sense reform that will boost public health and strengthen families and the economy both.

“The Philadelphia law is a simple change that will have a major positive impact on the lives of thousands of families. Paid sick days will support economic recovery by helping people keep their jobs. Paid sick days are good for workers and their families, good for businesses and, with flu season approaching, good for the public health.  We look forward to continued progress in Philadelphia this January when the new City Council will take up comprehensive paid sick days legislation that covers more workers.

“With Denver residents voting now for a paid sick days ballot initiative and with diverse grassroots coalitions backing active legislation in New York City, Massachusetts and many other places, this is a movement that continues to grow.”

A new poll by Anzalone-Liszt Research finds that 65 percent of Denver likely voters support the paid sick and safe time initiative language proposed for Denver’s municipal ballot.  Released just as the Campaign for a Healthy Denver’s effort to start gathering signatures to qualify for the ballot commenced, the poll shows that support cuts across nearly every demographic group, including self-identified Democrats, Republicans and Independents.

“Denver voters agree that working families should not have to choose between their financial security and their families’ health,” said Erin Bennett, 9to5 National Association of Working Women Colorado Director and spokesperson for the Campaign for a Healthy Denver. “This new poll reinforces what our earlier research found – an overwhelming majority of Denver voters support paid sick days.”

Highlights of findings include:

• A majority of Democrats (73 percent), Republicans (58 percent) and Independents (65 percent) support the initiative language.
• Eighty-three percent of African-American voters support paid sick days.
• Eighty-two percent of young women support paid sick days, including 78 percent of mothers of children younger than 18.
• Nearly half of the initiative’s supporters (32 percent) are “strongly” for the paid sick days while only 16 percent are “strongly” against it.

The Campaign for a Healthy Denver is required to submit 3,973 valid signatures to qualify for November’s municipal ballot.  Volunteers and paid circulators will start gathering petition signatures this week.  Once submitted, the City Clerk has 25 days to verify the signatures.

“The poll results are creating a lot of excitement among our campaign’s volunteers and supporters,” said Brother David Garner, Abbott of St. Dunstan’s Abbey in the Grey Robed Order of St. Benedict and campaign volunteer.  ”Knowing that Denver voters support a paid sick days policy in the city is a terrific way to kick off our petition signature effort this week.”

Nearly forty percent of Denver workers – almost 100,000 individuals – do not have access to paid sick days to care for themselves or ill family members. Many working in jobs that require a high-level of interaction with the public go to work sick because they fear losing needed income or even their job.  If the initiative passes, all workers in Denver will be able to earn paid sick and safe time based on the hours they work, up to nine days annually for full time workers to be pro-rated for part-time employees. Smaller businesses with fewer than 10 employees would be able to cap paid sick and safe time to five days per year.

In San Francisco and Washington, DC, where laws have already been enacted, studies show that workers are healthier and more productive when they have access to paid sick days.  The studies also refute the corporate lobbyists’ predictions that legislation negatively impacts job growth and the economy –  six in seven employers surveyed in San Francisco say that paid sick days have had no negative effect on profitability and nearly 70 percent of employers support the law.

The Campaign for a Healthy Denver – a coalition of more than 40 community organizations, labor groups, faith leaders and organizations, public health groups, elected officials and businesses seeks to pass a Denver ballot initiative to protect public health by guaranteeing a basic standard of paid sick days for employees in all Denver workplaces.