San Francisco Experience Makes the Case for Paid Sick Days
The Drum Major Institute for Public Policy has released a new report showing that San Francisco’s paid sick days ordinance has not had a negative business impact on the city. In fact, business and employment growth in the past three years has been much stronger in the city than in the surrounding area. From the introduction to the report :
“A bill in the New York City Council guaranteeing workers the right to earn paid sick leave is closely modeled on a law enacted by San Francisco in 2007. By examining the impact of San Francisco’s law we can better understand the likely impact of paid sick leave legislation on businesses and employment in New York City.
“This report presents new data on employment in San Francisco and finds no evidence that job growth has been harmed by paid sick leave.
“Although there is not sufficient evidence to conclude that paid sick time increases employment or business growth, the main findings here are consistent with a large and growing body of research that shows paid sick leave to be a cost-effective policy with positive outcomes for employers and employees, including increased worker productivity, reduced spread of illness, and other health and economic benefits.”
