Statement on Paid Sick Days for Public Health Emergencies and Personal Family Care Act

Today, Wendy Chun-Hoon, executive director of Family Values @ Work, a network of 27 state coalitions working for paid sick and safe days, family and medical leave insurance and other policies that value families at work, released the following statement applauding Senator Patty Murray’s and Rep. Rosa DeLauro’s bill, Paid Sick Days for Public Health Emergencies and Personal Family Care Act:

“We commend Senator Patty Murray and Rep. Rosa DeLauro for taking this sensible action to help protect individual and public health, especially now as the nation faces the COVID-19 outbreak. As original sponsors of the Healthy Families Act, Sen. Murray and Rep. DeLauro in this bill are expanding the HFA to ensure that all workers have access to paid sick days in the best of times, and additional time as needed during a public health emergency.

“Our network – which has helped win paid sick days in 13 states and 19 other local jurisdictions  – is driven by workers who know the economic, health and human toll of having to choose between following doctor’s orders and staying afloat. We appreciate the legislation’s provision requiring employers to provide a separate amount of 14 days of paid sick leave that is immediately available at the beginning of any public health emergency. This would allow exposed and infected workers to be tested and treated, or to quarantine or isolate or deal with school or workplace closings, without worrying about whether they’ll be able to pay their rent. The proposal also withdraws the HFA’s requirement for a doctor’s note for leave taken during a public health emergency, and expands the list of qualifying events for use of paid sick leave—two changes which will remove some of the barriers that COVID-19-affected workers are facing right now.

“Our coalitions also include small business owners. We know that many of them want to provide this extended time but will need additional resources to afford to do that. We support a provision in federal aid bills allocating sufficient funds for this purpose.

“This nation will only be as healthy as our most vulnerable and least cared-for residents. We need action now to ensure that millions of people in the U.S. aren’t exposed to the COVID-19 virus, or to other public health threats in the future, and that those who are have the time they need to recover or care for a sick family member. Our network has clear recommendations for how we can all contribute to the fight against the coronavirus, and will be actively engaged at the state and local level, as well as in galvanizing support for this federal measure.

“Sen. Murray and Rosa DeLauro’s bill treats public health emergencies the same way we would a natural disaster: acknowledging that everyone has a role to play, and asking Congress to step up and do theirs.”

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