ABC - ABC Opposes Bill Mandating Paid Sick Leave

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ABC OPPOSES BILL MANDATING PAID SICK LEAVE (06/17/2009)

ABC June 10 opposed the Healthy Families Act (HFA) (H.R. 2460/S. 1152), a bill that would require employers with 15 or more employees to offer a paid sick leave package to workers.

Under the bill, full-time employees, or those that work 1,680 hours or more yearly, would earn 56 hours of sick leave per year, or about seven days. Part-time employees would earn one hour for every 30 hours worked. The leave could be used to recover from an illness, care for sick family members or receive services related to domestic violence.

In a letter sent to all members of the House of Representatives, ABC along with seven other construction organizations, expressed concern over the bill noting that it would limit an employer’s flexibility in designing compensation packages.

“The HFA’s one-size-fits-all approach threatens an employer’s ability to provide the benefits that best fit the needs of their workforce,” the letter stated. “The unique nature of the construction industry demands that the benefits reflect the reality of the industry workforce.”

The letter also pointed that the economy has taken an especially big toll on the construction industry which has lost more than 1.3 million jobs since January 2007.

“At a time when employers are struggling to avoid layoffs and business closures, imposing paid leave mandates on employers is unwise policy that threatens jobs and the viability of many of the nation’s small businesses,” the letter continued. “Small businesses across the country are struggling to keep their doors open in these trying times and mandating paid leave will only aggravate this already fragile situation.”

To read the bill, click here.

For more information, contact Kristen Swearingen at ABC, swearingen@abc.org.

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