Hobbs' Bill Ensures Earned Sick Days for All Michigan Workers

Bill lets sick workers recover, protects working families and the public

LANSING — House Democratic Floor Leader Rudy Hobbs (D-Southfield) has introduced a bill that would allow workers to take earned paid time off to recover from illnesses without fearing retribution. When passed into law, the bill would create a uniform statewide standard that would slow the spread of harmful diseases such as influenza and norovirus in workplaces. It would also protect the general public from catching those diseases from infected employees who otherwise wouldn’t be allowed to take a day off or couldn’t afford to stay home without pay. Currently, 1.5 million Michigan workers are unable to take paid time off.

“Companies win when their employees come to work healthy, rested and ready to take on the day, and families win when they are able to care for their sick children and achieve economic security through earned paid sick days,” said Hobbs. “Workers, employers and customers alike will benefit from this proposal. A healthy workforce leads to a healthy community and a healthy economy.”

Danielle Atkinson, director of Mothering Justice, explained, “Every day, millions of workers in Michigan are forced to jeopardize their wages and their jobs when they become sick or need to care for a sick child or loved one. For mothers, this reality is devastating. Forty-three percent of working women in the private sector are unable to take a single paid sick day when they or their children are ill.”

Hobbs’ bill would require employers to set aside one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours an employee works. The bill also stipulates when a worker could use this earned time off, including their own illness, the illness of a close family member or recovery after violent crime. A recent poll in Michigan found that nearly 60 percent supported earned sick days, including majorities across all regions and partisan groups.

“Making sure people who are sick are able to stay home and recover is just common sense and the right thing to do,” Hobbs said. “Many in Lansing have recently argued in favor of a uniform, statewide solution, and this bill offers just that.”