Paid sick leave bill is long overdue: Editorial

When most people think of paid sick leave these days, they think of public employee contracts that allow workers to cash in unused sick days, sometimes totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars. It’s a burden on local taxpayers and Gov. Chris Christie’s efforts to shut it down are on target.

But what about people who have no paid sick time at all? A 2011 study by the Rutgers University Center for Women and Work found more than 1.2 million private-sector workers in New Jersey don’t get paid sick leave. It’s partly a symptom of the decline of unions. These are full- and part-time workers toiling in kitchens, child care centers, retail stores and nursing homes at low salaries. They deserve to stay home when sick, and the public deserves it, too. This isn’t just an economic justice issue. It’s a public health issue, as well.

Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt (D-Camden) has introduced a bill that would mandate paid sick leave, with limits on how many days could be carried over to the following year, and with no cash-out option. At companies with more than 10 employees, a worker could earn a maximum of 72 hours. Businesses with fewer than 10 employees would allow a worker to earn a maximum of 40 hours a year.

Lampitt is listening to business concerns. The law could be phased in, she said, and seasonal employees might be omitted. Business leaders are skeptical. Stefanie Riehl, assistant vice president for employment and labor policy for the New Jersey Business and Industry Association, called the proposal well-intentioned, but said businesses already do what they can to hang on to good workers, without a law mandating it. That’s not good enough.

No employee should have to count on the boss’s good will to take a paid sick day. This law is long overdue. New Jersey already has a family leave law that enables employees to take paid time off to care for a sick child, spouse or parent. Allowing employees to take care of themselves when illness strikes, and not infect co-workers or customers, is simply common sense.