Leaders in the small business community are increasingly voicing their support for paid sick days. A new brochure captures their voices making the case for this measure as a way to keep down costs, retain employees, and strengthen the economy.
“We don’t see a conflict between doing the right thing and earning a profit,” said Rob Everts, co-president and CEO of Equal Exchange, a fair trade provider of coffee and other products, based in West Bridgewater, Massachusetts. “We value our workers for the skills that they bring and at the same time recognize that they are human beings with human needs.”
Dewetta Logan, director and Owner of Smart Beginnings Early Learning Center in Philadelphia, says implementing paid sick days at her center “helped build a partnership of trust between employee and employer.” Logan also believes that businesses like hers have a moral obligation to treat their workers humanely. “I believe having time off when you’re sick is a right – not something a worker should have to beg for.”
The fight against paid sick days is led by lobbyists for trade associations dominated by big national chains. “They disguise themselves as mom and pop shops. But they don’t speak for me,” said Freddy Castiblanco, owner of Terraza 7 Live Music, a cafe and music venue in Elmhurst, NY.
The brochure, titled, “How Your Business Can Benefit from Paid Sick Days,” is made available by Family Values @ Work Consortium and the Main Street Alliance and can be accessed here.
