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Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Health / City Small Business Owners Drop Opposition to Paid Sick Leave

Posted by Cienna Madrid on Tue, Jun 21, 2011 at 1:54 PM

An abstract proposal to require paid sick leave was fleshed out in detail today at City Hall, thereby assuaging the fears of some restaurant owners who were opposed to the measure last month on the grounds it would cost them too much money. Seattle City Council members and the Seattle Coalition for a Healthy Workforce said the measure would benefit the 190,000 Seattle workers who currently work without paid sick leave. And many business owners say they can support the measure—because they helped draft it.

Tasha Westbaker rallies for paid sick days.

Single mother Tasha Westbaker rallies for paid sick days.

“This is the first time in the nation that proponents [of paid sick leave] sat down with small businesses and addressed their concerns prior to introducing legislation,” said Marilyn Watkins, policy director at the Economic Opportunity Institute at a press conference at City Hall this morning. The proposal is currently supported by more than 70 local organizations. “It’s reason to celebrate.”

The collaboration went a long way towards convincing small business owners like Five-Point Café owner Dave Meinert and Linda Derschang, owner of Linda’s Tavern. “The previous proposal didn’t recognize shift trading, this one works it in,” explains Meinert. “It also gives new businesses a two-year window to become profitable [before implementing a paid sick leave system]. And it’s fairer to businesses in calculating sick leave for part time workers.”

This is the proposal: Small businesses with fewer than 50 employees would be required to offer full-time employees up to five sick days a year, businesses with less than 250 employees would offer employees up to seven days, and businesses with over 250 employees would offer up to nine days annually. Furthermore, the leave could be used to care for a family member, if a public health emergency arises (like the swine flu epidemic). Sick days could even used to deal with domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking.

And while the legislation allows small businesses to encourage shift swapping instead of taking paid sick days, owners must still offer sick days to all employees. “The Office of Civil Rights will be monitoring and disciplining this,” said Watkins.

The legislation would cover roughly 40 percent of Seattle’s workforce that currently has no paid sick leave. “We need to keep disease out of our stores and out of our schools,” said Tasha Westbaker, a single mother of three and grocery store employee who says she’s worked sick many times. “It’s a choice between that or losing a day’s worth of pay—or twenty percent of my income for the week. And that means my family is going without. What a terrible choice to have to make.”

Council members Nick Licata, Sally Clark, and Jean Godden were on hand to support the proposal, as was Mayor Mike McGinn. The Seattle City Council is widely expected to pass the proposal this summer. Once passed, it would give businesses a grace period between 180 days and two years to implement a paid sick day system.

Comments (21) RSS

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Fantastic! But you don't say ... which city council members are supporting this? Who was at the event?

Posted by Leaward on June 21, 2011 at 2:20 PM

Very cool.

Our efficient urban center continues to advance leaving our suburban and rural wannabes "left behind" in the dust.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on June 21, 2011 at 2:24 PM

Wow, I guess that signals the total collapse of all small business in Seattle, if I'm to believe the nay-sayers. The price of all items on a restaurant menu will go up 300% overnight to cover this nanny-state intrusion.

Or, not.

Posted by tiktok on June 21, 2011 at 2:27 PM

Total BS! F**K off govimint.

Posted by iamveryseriousnow on June 21, 2011 at 2:36 PM

I'm happy to see the strategy of "show the bosses what we will do without their support if they don't work with us" seems to be working here. Nobody really wanted a fight over this, but the backers made clear they weren't going to sit around waiting.

@1, there's a bit more at http://publicola.com/2011/06/21/new-paid…

Posted by gloomy gus on June 21, 2011 at 2:57 PM

Jesus. What are the odds Mayor McGoo will be recalled by the time the council approves this so someone who has an ounce of business sense has the chance to veto it? I would not have opened my business in Seattle if I had realized what a fucking nanny state city council we have here. Yeah, my 18 year old employees will not be abusing this at all. When I have an employee who is sick, they call me and I offer them another shift when they feel better. This is a system that is fair and works! Free money! Thanks guvment!

Posted by workers paradise on June 21, 2011 at 3:13 PM

You should probably note in this article that the Stranger is partnered with David "So what if my employees are sick?" Meinert in the annual Capitol Hill Block Party.

Posted by trstr on June 21, 2011 at 3:21 PM

@6:

Go open a business in Mogadishu if government intervention bothers you so much.

Posted by trstr on June 21, 2011 at 3:32 PM

What does "required to offer full-time employees up to five sick days a year" mean, in terms of a floor? When I see the words "up to", followed by a number, the described range often includes zero.

Posted by Nathaniel Irons on June 21, 2011 at 3:50 PM

@9, employees will accrue one hour of sick leave for every 30, 35, or 40 hours worked, depending on company size. This translates to no more than five, seven, or nine sick days per year.

Posted by Cienna Madrid on June 21, 2011 at 4:10 PM

@1, Nick Licata has been a big proponent of the legislation. Sally Clark was there, as was Jean Godden. But frankly, now that more small businesses are on board, I don't see much opposition rallying to kill the measure (and Licata didn't seem to either when pressed at the presser this morning).

Posted by Cienna Madrid on June 21, 2011 at 4:12 PM

Kinda torn. My wife would benefit from this, she doesnt get paid to call in sick, so she never calls in sick. I get paid sick days, but like the wife, never call in sick, I go into work when im sick, snowing, wind storm, whatever.

My wife's boss is a total moron and would probably wouldnt like this new law. He would probably hire a FNG and break up everyones hours so that nobody gets full time hours, enough to qualify.

Posted by Kinison

on June 21, 2011 at 4:15 PM

13 Comment Pulled (Trolling) Comment Policy

@12 sounds like a smart man

Posted by goldy's a infeminate old faggot on June 21, 2011 at 4:21 PM

Councilmember Licata is the prime sponsor. There will be a discussion of the proposal in Nick's committee tomorrow and next week the legislation will be referred to Nick's committee.

Posted by lisalouh on June 21, 2011 at 4:45 PM

Um... does,

Small businesses with fewer than 50 employees would be required to offer full-time employees up to five sick days a year

...mean that part time employees remain just as screwed as always?

Posted by Timrrr on June 21, 2011 at 5:53 PM

@16,

The legislation would cover roughly 40 percent of Seattle’s workforce that currently has no paid sick leave.

Yes.

Posted by keshmeshi on June 21, 2011 at 6:07 PM

@12 The weather thing I get. I've never let wind, rain or snow stop me (although I have tried to live close enough to work that I could always walk if I needed to). But really? You get paid sick time and still go to work sick? I can't stand people like that. I've been sick a couple of times this year. Each time it was something I picked up from someone in the office who came in to work sick. Seriously, if you have paid sick leave and don't use it when you need to, each of your co-workers should get one free punch to your face.

Posted by Hernandez

on June 21, 2011 at 6:23 PM

@12 and @16: In re: your comments about part time workers, I found this on the coalition's website.

Here's how i read it: Part time workers accrue paid sick time at the same rate as FTEs. So if a part-timer works 20 hours a week in a small company they'll earn 2.5 sick days per year, compared to 5 paid sick days for their FTE counterpart.

"In companies with fewer than 250 FTEs, the cap for part-time employees is prorated based on the two highest quarters of the past 12 months."

http://seattlehealthyworkforce.org/our-p…

Posted by oyezoyezoyez on June 21, 2011 at 9:34 PM

I wouldn't worry too much about this if I were you, #6. You'll probably go out of business for some other reason long before this starts to impact your bottom line.

Posted by Catalina Vel-DuRay

on June 22, 2011 at 7:22 AM

@18

I work tech support, 6 others like me, so when one calls in sick, everyone else feels this during the day with non-stop calls and high wait times. I have my own secluded cubicle, so the risk of spreading my disease is low.

Plus, when the economy continues to suffer (or not recover), damm straight im not going to be the one with the highest sick day count.

Posted by Kinison

on June 22, 2011 at 1:35 PM