Stories about Public Health Concerns

"I am now retired but before retirement I was a retail clerk and fortunate enough to have paid sick leave. There were a few times that I had to use my sick leave for various reasons and was very happy that I could do this. When you are sick other employee's don't appreciate you coming to work and spreading what you have not only to them but to their families. Paid sick leave should be something all employees have after all they work for it and deserve it. All employer's should want a healthy work place!!!!"
—Mary, CA



"First, paid sick days are important because if an employee goes to work sick, their productivity is hampered and if their illness is spread, then the employer loses money with the compounded loss of productivity from more sick employees...something the employer does not seem to get. Next, most of our workforce lives from payday to payday - without sick pay, an illness could force a worker and/or their family to living on the street. I heard a term once, and it is true to a vast majority of Americans, "We are only one paycheck away from living on the street.""
—Diana, FL



"I'm a nurse at a large hospital which also has to rely on “traveler” (agency) nurses to fill our staffing gaps. These nurses don't get paid sick days and sometimes come to work sick so they can pay their bills. They wear masks and try to practice good hygiene because they know what exposure to viruses means to our already compromised patients. Still, it is a risk. And, the nurses don't recover quickly because they are working hard when they need to be resting and recovering. We MUST do better for everyone!"
—Pamela, WA



"Here in Virginia we had a horrible flu & virus season in Jan, Feb, & March. We all are high risk so we get the flu shot every year, & every few years we get the pneumonia shots too. Well it all started when the influenza B that wasn't covered in this years shot combo (2 A's & 1 B variety) came to town & my kids school. My kids were out of school for 5 FIVE weeks. The flu was very bad w/ high fevers up to 106.5. Then came the secondary infections & my daughter developed pneumonia that got really bad, & my son a sinus infection & ear infection later. I was sick too & got sinus & ear infection &bronchitis. Then when my son got back to school 1 day after being out for 2 weeks he then developed & spread to all of us an awful gastrointestinal virus that had all of us very ill & with out systems already weakened we were a mess. My 6 yr old son lost 7lbs & still looks so frail & thin. We just kept getting sick.

I hardly left the house in FIVE weeks, except to got to ER, Urgent care, Pediatricians, my primary, laboratories, Radiology centers & of course the pharmacy for all our manyprescription & non prescription needs. Not only were our lives, school, & jobs disrupted but we were broke because of having to spend over $4800 in co-pays for the urgently needed medical attention & daily medicines we HAD to have. We have health insurance through my husbands work, but it is Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield & as of Jan 1st this year more was coming out of his paycheck to pay for it, & less was covered & our copays were much higher & in some cases for meds we went to percent. So my daughter meds for 1 month so she could BREATH was $500. And some of the medicines we are on became over the counter like many of our others & this madeeveryone's meds cost much more for us.

With the raising gas & food costs this was has been devastating. We have NO savings, & had to max & use credit cards to pay for our much needed care & needs. With missed work & all these expenses we no longer have anything to fall back on if we have an emergency or another illness or our cars fail us. My husband works 2 full time jobs & I work part time, & we still can't get ahead, or even float by well enough to meet all our needs.
—Garland, VA



"I get paid sick days at the hospital where I work, but my husband gets very few sick days. Consequently, his co-workers show up sick and then he gets sick. He brings it home to me and I get sick. He is afraid to use a sick day because he gets so few. It would make the whole community safer and healthier if people could stay home when they are ill instead of spreading it around. 7 paid sick days should be the minimum. The flu that went through our area this winter lasted at least a week and is contagious for days after the symptoms have started to subside. To prevent the spread of this disease people should stay home for 5 days after the symptoms go away!For the sake of public health people should not be forced to go to work when ill."
—Dorna K, SD



"Many of us at the restaurant where I work are forced to work sick. We work in the first stages of illness until forced to stay home by high fever or other serious symptoms. We infect one another and the customers we wait on because we CAN""T AFFORD to stay home! We can't get well because we CAN""T STAY HOME to care for ourselves. It is inexcusable that anyone should have to choose between getting well and paying bills. This cycle simply cannot continue."
—Rita S, OR



"To put this simply, if people were given enough time to recover from flu, colds etc, then it would nearly end other people in the workplace from getting direct exposure. Basically, less people would get sick, which translates into more people staying on the job. Without enough paid sick days, people just continue to expose and Re-contaminate others so more people get sick and stay sick longer. It really is common sense and logic that is being applied here. Ask any Doctor what they think, and I'm 100% sure they would agree with the above statements."
—Diana B, CA



"I'm a caregiver for the elderly. This past winter I got very sick with this very horrible bacterial virus and it just would not go away. I had to have two rounds of anti-biotics to finally kick it and was sick for over five weeks, coughing with a runny nose, etc, I could not go to work and make my elderly clients sick and was told to stay home until I got better.

Caregivers don't make a very good wage and in many cases don't even get benefits, and certainly no sick leave. I had to borrow money to pay my rent and bills and am now in debt with no way of catching up."
—Vera, CA



"I am fortunate to get paid sick days (not as many as is always needed but I do have them). I believe that when people are forced to go to work even when sick because they can't afford the cut in pay - that they spred illness to other workers or clients or patients they care for. People without paid sick time avoid getting needed testing for illnesses and then are in the very worst of states when the diseases they should've been screened for manifest themselves. That results in higher cost for health care and creates a burden on physicians, hospitals, and emergency rooms. This should be a basic benefit just as breaks and lunch periods are. It will only result in a more efficent work force and a healthier community in general."
—Kathryn, NY



"I work at Starbucks and as we all know that means I deal with food/beverages and the public. I am a supervisor so it is difficult to get anyone to cover my shift generally but nearly impossible when it is near last minute. My wife became very sick with fever, chills, vomiting, etc. the day before I was scheduled to work and of course I was nailed with whatever it was about 4 hours before my shift with the same symptoms. It was obviously contagious. I Called many other stores, managers, etc. all to no avail. Guess what ... I worked. Starbucks offers no sick days without loss of pay and often if you don't show you get written up. I am not saying I would have been in this instance but I had little choice since I would like to be promoted. Hopefully I did not infect any customers. Since November there has been at least one person sick in our store has been sick. We cannot break the cycle."
—Tim, PA



"When I had my second child and had to put her in daycare at six weeks old, she came down with a stomach virus. I had to take a week off from work to be home with her. Soon my older daughter came down with the same stomach virus, and I had to take another week off. After that I went back to work and of course I had the stomach virus, so I am sure I passed it on at work and who knows how many people have been infected with the stomach virus because of me. After I returned to work my baby's diarrhea only got worse, not due to the stomach virus but to the after effects a stomach virus can have on a new born. So I had to take so many days off I thought I would lose my job. Thank God I worked for a decent company, and a boss who understood what I was going through. She also had a daughter who caught the stomach virus, which could have been passed on by me because I had to go to work even though I knew I was sick and could pass the virus along to other people sick."
—Nancy, PA



"I, myself, have health issues that effect my lungs, and get pneumonia a lot and have a low immune system. Without these paid sick days I have no choice but to go to work every single day and work sick. Because I do that, I end up getting my co-workers sick and my customers. I have to touch their food, handle their credit cards, etc. My children, along with all other children in the U.S., deserve the chance to get better. I have no choice to send them to school sick because I cannot take time off. Within the company I work for, taking time off would jeopardize my job. We have three employees working at our particular location and we cannot take the time off, especially during the month of March and in summer time. Regardless of season, people still get sick. If we get sick and don't have a chance to get better, we are no good to the companies we work for! Children deserve to be take care of!"
—Nichole, FL



"Paid sick days benefit the entire company as well as the individual, because people should not work when their sick. Everyone I ever worked with has experienced sick days throughout the year especially in the flu season and alot of these folks went into work for fear of cancelling along with a days wage lost. Paid sick days build a healthier and stronger tomorrow for everyone!!! So if the Companies in the world really care about their employees, give people sick days with pay!! Thank you."
—Nadyne, CA



"I work at an elementary school. I have seen many, many children come to school so sick they could hardly stand...some even with fevers! When we would offer to send them to the office, the children would offen times cry and beg NOT to be sent home because they had already been told by Mom or Dad that they could NOT miss work because they could not afford it. Kids should NEVER have to worry about their parents loss of income when they are sick! These children are between the ages of 6 and 11!! This situation HAS to end. It is not right or fair to expect this from our familes or children. I doubt our Congressmen have this problem! They HAVE paid sick leave! They do NOT have to subsist on meager Social Security Benefits! They get their same pay after retirement! WE NEED CHANGE!"
—Tina, OH



"Everyone deserves the chance to get better. With paid sick days, people can take the time off when needed to get better quickly and be back at work at full-capacity sooner. Without paid sick days, people come to work anyway, are not working at their highest ability, and just spread the germs around. Stop the vicious circle!"
—Heather, MN



"I would like to say that if you are not allowed to have sick days that is wrong. People who come to work sick give the other people in there office or facility where they work what ever they have and it goes around to everyone. If the sick person had sick days then they would not bring the germs in to work with them and give it to everyone else there. This is stupid, I can see if they are not sick and take advantage of this situation, but if you are really sick you need sick days. If they abuse it and you know it do something to punish them for it. Don't blame everyone for someone elses bad behavior or reward someone for not using sick time up."
—Virginia, NY



"Sick days are important to me because not having them puts public health at risk. People who go to work who are sick with infectious diseases cannot function optimally on the job, so the employer loses, They spread their illness to coworkers, which expands poor job function. If individuals who are forced to work when ill serve the public, a larger percentage of the population becomes ill. Employers and the public sector all win when paid sick days are available for everyone."
—Judith, IN



"As a hospital chaplain, I have first hand experience of my own and of others who daily face the challenges of caring for sick family members and trying to make a living. People work to live; they don't live to work. If our policies do not allow people to support their families as needed and when needed, then our society will continue to crumble...."
—Kim, AZ



"I am a female medical professional with NINE years of college education -- I do not get any sick days. This is not just a problem of blue collar workers. The current system is WRONG!!!!"
—Linda, FL



"I am a Ped. RN and see the results everyday of how a child could/should have avoided costly tests and advanced stays in the hospital all because the mother could not take the time off to get their children to get medical treatment before their illness reached advanced stages. Working mothers MUST have time to attend to their sick children. If not, then it ends up costing everyone."
—Jennifer, FL



"I'm a public health nurse and the advice in medical care for the ill is to take time off- rest, get more sleep, don't go to work & infect others, yet so many patients say they can't take a day off of work & they can't take off if their child is ill. It's a dismal & unhealthy situation for everyone!"
—Deborah, IL



"As a retired and now substitute teacher I know from experience the importance of being able to take sick days for illness and medical appointments. It is crucial for the public health to be able to deal with illness at the outset rather than the emergency room when critical."
—Eleisa, CO



"I am a female chef and I have gone to work with pneumonia, bronchitis or just the flu. Working in a restaurant with food can get other employees sick and pass it to the customers. I believe that if you go to work and put in hours just like everyone else, we should be allowed to get paid sick time."
—Kristin, LA



"I'm a baker and I don't get paid when I'm sick. There are a lot of people like me, working with food, who have to work when they're sick, or stay home and miss a day or more of pay. That can't be good for anyone!"
—Ellen, WI



"As one of these working people without sick days, I would really appreciate being allowed a few days of sick time, paid or not, without putting my job in jeopardy. I'm on attendance probation for being sick two days! If I'm not well enough to walk to work, I'm not well enough to walk to (not that I could afford it anyway) a doctor for an excused absence. I handle the plates, refuse and utensils of hundreds of diners a day, and even with gloves always on, I still manage to get sick."
—Gina, MI



"I am a registered nurse working for State government. The reason I opted to do so about 22 years ago was because the sick days policy would allow me to take care of sick family members as well as myself. Having 2 small children at the time, this was very important to me. I haven't needed to use sick time that often; however the ability to do so when needed gave me a real sense of security. ALL people should have that right."
—Doris, NJ

Stories about Paid Sick Days

"Go to this website url and listen to the story of Kara Dewitt fired for caring for her children with a husband in IRAQ: http://www.unionsong.com/u322.html"
—David H, CA



"Hi my name is larssen I work for a company that do not have paid sick days , and sometime when my son is sick I have to chose food for him and shalter or take off from work and take him to the hospital, its very hard decision, It will be wonderful if such a bill passed for folks like me to help us to take care of our beloved family, thank you"
—Larssen L, CA



"I lost a very dear friend last July whose life may have been saved had she not been intimidated by her immediate supervisor who threatened to write her up for excessive absenteeism if she was not at work the next day. Dana began having some medical problems in the fall of 2005. She had been to several MDs to try to determine what was going on with her, and had a scheduled colonoscopy the next day. For fear of losing her job, she cancelled the procedure and did not have it done. In April of 2006, she ended up in the ER after becoming very sick over the weekend, and tests determined that she had colon cancer which had spread to her liver and lungs. She was stage 3 at that time. Please share this information with anyone in your circle of influence to be sure that this kind of thing does not happen again.
—Patricia S, NC



"As a full time Registered Nurse, in very busy ICU. I am in contact with all type of people and illnesses. I do a very good job of Hand Hygiene and i preach it to my family at home. unfortunately there are times when my kids get sick. My husband is self employed and can not leave work. That leaves me. Now as a professional- i have one bank and I accumulate PTo hours- that is AKA Paid Time Off, at a pathetic rate of 0.09 and change which usually ends up being 6 hours a pay period. I had walking pneumonia this winter and didn't have any more PTO time to take off and wore a mask for weeks- hacking my lung up and doing breathing treatements during my lunch hour. It was a treat. Sometimes I wonder if i had time to take for my family when they are sick and not let myself get run down- i wouldn't end up sick like them. At the same time we would be home in quarantine like situation and keep our germs to ourselves and prevent epidemics like the flu's and viruses from spreading!"
—Francesca H, TX



"I worked six years for an independent grocery store chain based out of Minnesota. They did not provide any sick leave to any of their employees. This is a terrible policy and benefits wise was the worst company I have worked for; yet all they could do is scream the terrible effects that Walmart has on our country. It is very difficult when you don't have any sick leave to fall back on.
—Krissy H, MN



"We are lucky. We get 3 paid sick leave days which we can take in partial days. My mom-79- has been thru a lung cancer and a stomach cancer work-up since the first of this year. My sick leave is now used up, but without it I would have been struggling to pay bills. No one should have to make choices between their own health or the health of their loved ones and paying their rent or buying groceries."
—Dianna, TN



"My husband suffers from a chronic illness and is on disability. If I lost my job do to a “sick day”, I would also lose my health insurance! What kind of “sick” lawmakers would even entertain the idea of unpaid sick days. The number of sick days should be commensurate with an employees' status."
—Johanna, PA



“Unfortunately many people have temporary jobs as consultants / contractors. This is particularly true in engineering and computers. Consultants are paid hourly and don't get sick time. There has to be a way temporary workers can get sick time.”
—Linda, CA



“It's sad how this country treats it's workers. Shame on American companies....”
—Donna, WI



“I think paid sick leave it a great Idea. I don't know how many times I've went to work sick when I should have been home in bed. Except I couldn't stay home sick I had to work because we get points took away if we stay home sick. And family members have stayed home by themselves because I couldn't stay home with them. Walmart don't have paid sick leave so you just go to work anyway sick or not.”
—Brenda, TX



"I have been with my current company almost 20 yrs. I have paid time off but that is to include vacation & sick days. I do not feel that my vcacation time should have to be used when I am ill,even though I am not out much anymore. But, when my kids were small it seemed like I had to be out constantly. I was even told several times.I needed to find a solution if I wanted to keep my job. I was like most both parents worked and kids were in daycare. Both our parents also worked, so if the kids were sick I had to stay with them. The U.S.A. is suppose to be so ""For the PEOPLE"" and to ""Stand by the PEOPLE""...I have news for everyone mother's and women are included in both those statements...not just MEN!!!!"
—Pamela H, FL



"I'm a substitute teacher and I do not receive sick benefits. the workman's comp didn't assit me. I injuryed my back and am in need of surgery. "
—Susanjane A, CA



"I work at a small medical company. Our production people are not given any paid sick days. In fact, when an employee calls out sick and does not take a vacation day (they receive 10 vacation days per year that they can not carry over) they are actually penalized. That penalty is a mark on their yearly review. I am salaried but was saddened when I learned that the employees are taken advantage of in this way. Particluarly since we make medical devices. We should be more sensitive to healthcare issues. But ultimately it is about the bottom line. We are able to take advantage of the employees because many do not speak english so they are limited in their abilityto find other employment or organize to receive better benefits. It is time we fix the quality of life in this country. All other developed nations protect citizens right to sick leave and vacation time. We let the ""market"" determine what it will offer. So as CEOs make hundreds of millions of dollars, the average employee go to work sick or sends their child to work sick. It is time to make a change. We are the most prosperous countery in the world but only a small portion of our citizens enjoy the quality of life that people in other developed or semideveloped nations have. We need a change. Federal employess receive 13 sick days per year at our expense but the government does nothingto get us the same benefits. It is trying to pass bills that woudl guarantee paid maternity leave for itself but not for us. We need a government that works for us not itself and the corporations."
—Kathy F, PA



"I am one of the fortunate ones. I have always had paid sick days. I'm sure it has made the difference in my being able to pay my bills. Especially when I was a single mother. Everyone should get paid sick days."
—Paula, SC



"Let's get beyond that old 'survival of the fittest' attitude and offer paid sick days if only because that would make life more tolerable, less 'on the edge'. What a concept! People who make a comfortable living don't understand the extreme discomfort caused by a few missed days of work and the loss of a few day's income, when each dollar already has a necessity to pay for before its even earned."
—Martha, CA



"I am very lucky to have paid sick days. I was treated for breast cancer and needed to take sick days for surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. I was single, with no additional income, a mortgage, car payment, etc. Not to mention medical expenses! If I had to forgo all of that income for days missed, it could have bankrupted me. Every worker needs paid sick days."
—Christine, MD



"I don't have a story I've been lucky enough to have paid sick time. However,if between the business and the government workers can't be given proper benefits,the business should the cease to exist. Someone else will fill the gap. We all have to stop buying into this bottom-line crap. People are more important than profits."
—Thomas, NJ



"Construction and trades among other labor industries are notoriously characterized for not giving paid sick leave. Had my husband not gotten a hernia on the job for the reason of the company we worked for being unwilling to rent the proper equipment to do his job in a safer fashion, we might have been able to keep our rented house. These days we have been forced out of the electrical trade seeking other avenues of employment for a lot less money. Our Forman told him "he will never be the same" which further proves the theory of employers existing by the adage of being "as good as your last ball game". In this scenario it would seem that the workforce needs a good overhaul."
—Kathy, TX



"I am a single mother of two children, aged 17 and 14, and yesterday I had my first paid sick day in my entire life. It was an immense relief to know that, for once, staying home with the flu would not set me back financially. I had the "luxury" of resting and taking care of myself while I was sick! And, being able to stay out of the office prevented the "sharing" of germs--which saved other people from having to take their sick days. I feel very lucky to finally have a job that affords me time off when I am sick. Everyone should be so lucky!"
—Shay, VA



"Here I sit at home with the flu feeling guilty because I get 10 sick days every year, & I know my paycheck will be exactly the same.

I know there are people who do and will abuse sick time, but I also believe eveyone should have sick days as part of their bargaining agreement."
—Mike, IL



"I am an employee of [a telecommunications company]. I have worked for them for 28yrs. Thank God we also have the CWA Union coordinate contrcts with the company for years now. Back on June 13th 2004 I fell off my orse and smashed my head on a work. I bounced my brains in my skull and almost literally almost killed myself. I was rushed, by helicoptor, to a hospital and had emergancy brain surgery. I had 1/4 of the front left lobe removed And 1/4 of the left rear hemisphere removed also. I was in a coma 3 weeks after surgery. When I woke up I had amnesia and was paralyzed. In a few weeks I started getting my memory back and the paralysis began backing off. I was off work for a year before I started back. Due to my injury I have off and on work several times for long periods. If a contract had not been established through theCWA, my company would have fired me before I as even out of the hospital. If all corporations would use common snese intelligence and provide reasonable need to all dedicated, hard working employees, they would receive outstanding work perforamnce from all of their employees. And, yes, I did receive pay all the times I have been off."
—Kelly, AR



"I work in the restaurant business and we have no benefits at all..........the past two days I have been out sick with the flu or something and I will not get paid."
—S., GA



"I have two sons and over the past 16 years I can't count the amount of times that I or my wife have had to take off from work because one or both were ill. Fortunately both of us have paid sick leave, I can't imagine how difficult it must be for parents who have to choose between going to work or caring for their children."
—Rick, CA



"Paid sick days are essential to me. When, I am ill it is not my fault and the worker of the world needs time to get better and heal themselves. Also, it will cost employers a lot more if they continually decide not to implement a program that had a whole lot of days that can get taken off for illnesses."
—Isaac, CA



"I've am just now back to work after a week off with a pretty severe flu. I find myself struggling to feel energized enough to catch up with all the work I've missed. I still haven't had the energy to shop or do other errands I usually incorporate into some corner of my work days. I am fortunate to have health coverage and can barely imaging how depressed I'd feel if this time off also had thrown me into financial crisis. Everyone who works should have paid sick time. As I have heard before in regards to Social Security - if legislators were subject to the same benefits or lack there of, I believe these problems would find quick resolution."
—Linda, OR



"As a part time college instructor there is no way that sick days are part of the package. I have a doctorate, work on a contract basis. I have made ends meet for my three kids because of borrowing huge students loans and re mortgaging my home. There is no way to work enough to make ends meet as a single mother. When my kids are sick or I am sick, we just do the best we can. I also work seven days a week in winter at a ski area, and teach at nights. Neither job has health insurance, and going to work in freezing temperatures is par for the course--even if you're sick."
—Michele, NM



"I go to work sick all the time. We have personal day and vacation days but no sick days. To get a personal day you have to plan it 3 week ahead of time. You can't plan when your going to get sick. Plus its just easier to just go to work sick."
—Brenda, TX



"As a student and single mom I rely on every dollar I earn. When my son is sick and I have to miss work we go without money coming in that week. Worse, there have been times he hasn't felt well and I've had to bring him to school because I cannot miss a day's pay.

My landlord runs a daycare from her home and has complained a lot this winter about parents dropping off sick children. The reality is, parents would much rather stay home and take care of their sick children but can't because they cannot afford to miss a day of work.

While in school, I worked as a waitress in a Bangor restaurant. I went to school during the day and worked at night and on the weekends. I have gone to work ill many times; many service workers do because paying rent and putting food on the table is a higher priority than the health of our customers."
—Nicole, ME



"In 1981 I was divorced and left as a single parent. My employer did not believe in giving his employees any sick time. I could not afford to lose one day because that might mean an unpaid bill. I reported to work with fevers, aches and pains all because of my fear that my pay checkwould't cover our expenses. Any decent company should realize that a healthy employee is a productive employee. Please support sick days for all employees, it is the only decent thing to do."
—Stephanie, SC



"I work under a negotiated contract between my union and my employer. I am given 15 paid sick days per year. I may "bank" up to 180 acquired "sick days" but I may not acquire more than 180 days in my "sick days bank". I will not be reimbursed for any "unused sick days" in my "sick day bank" when I retire. I don't know how people can survive without paid sick days. Any human being can become ill. Nobody is immune from illness. Families that depend on income to pay their bills are deprived of that income should the wage earner(s) become ill and have to miss work. The most deleterious effects of income deprivation are felt by children and the elderly. In the wealthiest nation on the planet this is intolerable!"
—Timothy, CT



"I work as a Child Care Health Consultant and do health and safety consulting for licensed child care providers, both center and home based. I get phone call after phone call from providers who have had sick children, who should have been at home being cared for by a parent, dropped off at child care because the parents did not have sick days. These sick children then infect every other child cared for by that provider, who then take the illness back to each of their homes and pass on the germs to everyone in their household. This is how epidemics start!! Parents should be able to stay home with their children when they are sick - without the risk of losing their jobs. This would keep everyone healthier!!"
—Ann, ND



"Four years ago I had cancer and the expenses mounted.Between the chemo treatments and the radiation treatments a couple of times a week we just couldn't keep up with the payments and ended up having to declare bankruptcy.The costs were just outrageous especially for one shot which I need very often.If people get sick what are they suppose to do die if they can't afford treatments? Our health care provider hardly paid for any of my treatments."
—Doris, SC



"My company - a well known global outplacement firm - does not permit "professional" staff to work more than 30 hours per week so that they do not have to provide benefits - I am 64 pay my own health insurance with a $5000 deductible and must go to work when sick or I am not paid."
—Elizabeth, AZ



"I work in a healthcare related job that only allows i think 9-12 sick days a year.this current status of such a low amount given to employess in healthcare is pretty bad to say the least.as someone would say if you are sick you are sick and it should not matter how much you miss during the year.the flu is the flu is the flu.as is the cold or the crud depending what family member you talk to."
—Edith, NC



"As an adjunct teaching in one the largest universities in the US, I, like the hundreds of thousands of other adjuncts across the country, do not get sick pay, do not have access to health insurance or any other typical benefits, and get paid a fraction of what professors get paid for the same job duties. We're responsible for teaching your children, yet we're treated like second class citizens. Meanwhile, every day we hear of yet another elected official who lied, cheated, embezzled, procured prostitutes or drugs, and I guarantee they got paid for sick days!"
—Rhet, OH



"I fell into a open water meter hole and seriously injured my leg and knee. i was on bedrest for almost 3 weeks, i missed out on earning oppertunities and i am still waiting to hear back from the city about my medical bills and missed wages. i have been waiting over 6 months to hear back from them."
—Caroline C, GA



“I was fired due to the fact that I am asthmatic and lost a lot of time at work due to my asthma. I was considered part time worker even though I worked full time hours. If I would have been full time I would have sick days. I did not have sick days as a part time worker and I do not believe the full time workers had Paid sick days. I believe paid sick days are a necessity on any job. I also believe that part time workers should be allowed to have paid sick days as well."
—Sue W, MA



"I work a nationally recognized company and we get no sick days. Recently I came down with the horrible flu that masqueraded itself as a bad cold. I was in bed for four days and out of work for two. Two days worth of pay resulted in a decrease of $250 from my paycheck. I live in Maine...that's not even 100 gallons of kerosene to heat my house, but it did result in very limited grocery shopping. My two week paycheck was $398 (insurance costs me over $200 every two weeks.) Had I had sick days, I would have been able to do grocery shopping this weekend."
—Velma M, ME



"Let's be reasonable. Who doesn't benefit from having paid sick days? Employees with this benefit will miss less work in the long run with prevenative care making them much more productive. Families with kids need this time also. How are you to care for them? It's not fair. This is a practice that should be standard. It is inevitable that we all get sick sometimes and is it fair to feel our jobs are in jeopardy because we have to take care of ourselves?”
—Kathleen H, OH



"It is unfortunate, people in position of making decisions for the rest of the population, have not for the most part ever had adversity. Having said that, they would know if they did succumb issues there needs to be room for paid sick days. More and More companies are not looking at people as people they are looking at them as an extension of their computer network. IE people are machines! What a sad state of affairs we have in this country. WHAT EACH COMPANY NEEDS TO BE TOLD AND THEREFORE POLICY NEEDS TO BE SET IS. People are what comprise a company PERIOD THE END. Sadly we do not have loyalty anymore."
—Jacquelyn S, NY



"I worked for many years for the Univ. of Texas. They not only provide sick days, they allow workers to donate any extra they have to people who may have a catastrophic illness and need a long period off. Everyone should have this."
—Elaine B, TX



"Growing up, my father was the sole finacial supporter for our family, while my mother stayed home with the kids. While my mother was always around to take care of us when we were sick and was able to rest or go to the doctor when she was sick, my father did not have that luxury. He was working a salaried job with extremely long hours and extensive travelling, to the point where I practically didn't see him for a whole year. But he was afraid to take a day off for fear that he would lose his job and our only source of income.

He went to work when he was sick, mentally and physically exhausted, and it cost him. He had a heart attack at 42, shortly before Christmas, and spent Christmas in the hospital being prepped for open-heart surgery. At the time he was just finishing up with his current job and had received a job offer with another company. Both he and my mother were very worried that they wouldn't take him anymore. If only he'd been able to take a few days off of work, paid or otherwise, without feeling that his job was in jeopardy. This needs to change."
—Anna G, MI



"I was waiting for tests to confirm I had Momonucleosis & my employer threatened to cancel my health insurance if I didn't come to work even though my Dr. had told me to stay home & rest. I was also threatened with termination so I had to go to work barely able to sit up and with a very contagious disease which was then confirmed by the tests.”
—Victoria C, PA



"I have some sick time,but i dont have enough,i would like an adequate paid sick time at the beginning of the year.,,so that if i am sick or a family member is sick or, hospitalized that i can get paid for it as i cannot sfford to take sick time without adequate compensation,as i have been sick and i hve went to work feeling awful and rundown and i should have been home dealing with my sickness,so that i wouldnt give something to someone else and therefore they pass it on to someone else,and so forth,,we deserve to be able to stay home when we dont feel well with full compensation without having to worry about taking the time off and loosing pay,,no one can afford this,we all deserve adequate compensation."
—Kathy D, MA



"I was one of the lucky that had paid sick days. But due to company downsizing, loosing my job I therefore lost 79 days of earned sick leave. I had been with the company 14 years, so the days rolled each year. My problem is my husband, he has been with his employer over 20 years, and has no sick leave. They just get 5 personal days to use however you want.(doctor appt, sick) Last year he was docked pay couple times since he ran out of personal days before the end of the year."
—Linda D, TX



"I work for the most fabulous Mom & Pop Organization. With only 7 employees, they realize that is cheaper to offer paid ""sick"", ""personal"" or ""vacation"" days to their employees, than to train new employees. Four years ago when my husband suffered a stroke, I knew that once he was home, I would have to be his caregiver. I offered my resignation, however, they told me to take as much time as I needed,with pay. What a relief!!! After a few weeks, I was able to have his son stay with him a few hours in the evening, which allowed me to go and do the paperwork that had been piling up during my absence so my employers would not have to deal with it. I still work for this company and (3) of us have been there for almost 10 years."
—Kim S, OR



"I'm very thankful to have paid sick days, even if they aren't in abundance. I suddenly got ill last October and was hospitalized for 10 days. I couldn't have made it without those paid days!"
—Starr R, PA



"About 14 years ago I had a back accident which left me partially and permanently disabled. If I had not had sick days, I would have lost my job as school psychologist and then, of course, my house. In all honesty, I might have ended up on the street- yikes. So I know the importance of having sick leave."
—Deborah T, CA



"I worked at a preschool last year, and if you've ever done the same, you know the multitude of germs circulating through the classroom. Flu season is constant. For the first time in my life, I was sick nearly all winter. The bronchitis I remembered from childhood re-emerged and I had the first sinus infection of my life. I had heard stories of the flu that lasted all winter for first-time teachers, and it was not a myth. I went to the doctor twice, using out of pocket money from my catastrophic insurance (not covered by the preschool). Each time, the doctor told me it was the flu and I simply needed to wait it out because anti-biotics would do no good. I was sick all winter, with doctor bills that were all my responsibility, and not a single paid sick day, despite the hazards of the job."
—Rebecca S, WA



"I have two jobs as an adjunct (part-time contracted semester by semester, ie no job security, no sick pay), in two colleges, one teaching and and one non-teaching, and a couple months ago I had a serious female bleeding problem and couldn't come to work for several days, and because I lost that pay I had to borrow money from my mother, who's elderly and on a fixed pension income, in order to pay my rent. And I had to accept food given out for homeless people on the NY subway, since I didn't have any money at all for about three days."
—Carolyn S, NY



"I need my mom and dad to take me to the doctor. I don't want to have to take care of myself. Not now. All kids need their parents and our parents should be paid. It's not a vacation of any sort. Please support paid sick days.”
—Vanessa J, CA



"Paid sick days are so important - to everyone. When you're an hourly employee like I am every day, every hour counts. One day that I stay home sick is one day that I don't get paid. So if I get the flu or a cold or even an ear infection, I suck it up. Drink some tea, stuff my purse with cough drops and head to work. One day won't kill me, right?"
—Laila A, AZ



"I am unemployed and on disability. But when I was working I worked for a small company and we got 1\2 a sick day per month. We did get a funeral day for when a parent, sister or brother passed away. The courant working force needs to have sick days either for themselves or to take care a sick one."
—Mary Ellen C, CT



"I am one of the Lucky Ones, I have a home business with residual income, which means I get paid, whether I can work or not and since I work from home it has given me the freedom to take care of my kids, if the need arises, and to battle my cancer, without losing my income! But most people are not this lucky, Everyone needs and deserves Paid Sick Leave! It is difficult enough to battle any illness without the added stress of, ""How am I going to pay my bills if I can't work?"". No one should have to worry about having to stay home to take care of themselves or a loved one! It shouldn't be a choice for an employer to provide Paid Sick Leave, they should Have to Provide It!"
—Virginia R, TX



"I've been a personal care attendant for a man with muscular dystrophe for the last 20 years. after all that time pay is still only 10.84 an hour and i have never had any benefits of any kind until very recently when the state began paying holiday pay for a few select dates. if someone is sick we must fill in for each other and can't ask for overtime pay because it won't be authorized. and i understand this is likely the best state to work in as a pca."
—Jef, MA



"I retired from the railroad in 1983 and we had paid sick, breavement and health insurance long before I retired. I have been a member of the TCU union since 1946 and to this date. Why don't workers have even better benefits now?"
—Warren, WV



"Sometimes I have to stay home because I am to sick.to go to work. I don't like missing work.Especially if i've exhausted all my paid time off, Then i feel like I have to gamble my health or work. I also find myself in this situation when my my poor baby is sick. I can't leave my crying baby with a sitter when he is very ill. paid sick time will help us not feel like we are taking a gamble. And keep everyone else around us healthier. And get our bills paid!"
—Maribel, CA



"I'm now retired, but I had the benefit of paid sick days. We earned 1 sick day per month, regardless of our salary or seniority. We could hold those sick days over from year to year, up to a very large number (in the range of 400). We also received a positive incentive not to use them by being able to cash in up to 3 days a year when we used under 5 sick days in a given year. (As I worked for a local government, there were no end-of-year bonuses.) And, we could use them for caring for family members of any age. We could also share them with co-workers in need of extra paid sick leave days for extended recovery or illness time. I did that more than once. I needed 6 weeks to recover from a mastectomy and had ample sick leave time. I was and am my only source of income as a single person with no children; paid sick leave meant I could pay all my bills during that extended leave and any other time I was ill. Everyone should have such a benefit."
—Peggy, PA



"Back when I started school, I thought having higher educational degrees would provide me things like insurance and paid sick days but that hasn't been the case. Not only do I not get paid for the time I take off to visit the doctor, but I have to pay for it too. It's like a double-whammy every time I get sick. As a consequence, I tend to go to work sick, infecting my co-workers, because I cannot afford to take the time off."
—Lee, CA



"ON MY JOB, WE RECEIVE NO SICK PAY, SO EVEN WHEN I AM SICK, NO MATTER WHAT, I GO TO WORK, OR I LOSE EVERYTHING, WHICH IS NOT MUCH, ANYWAY!"
—Kathy, CA



"Luckily, I have no sad stories to tell! I've always had the good fortune to have employers who knew the worth of their employees! Even maternity/paternity leave has been available to me. Of course, good unions helped!"
—Richard, FL



"I had to come into work last week even thought I had a sinus infection. I was so weak I had to nap in my car during my lunch. The last day I had to work I was so sick and exhausted I started to cry. Then I got in my car and came to work. I had to I am a student and barely work enough to pay the bills and I have no sick days."
—Elizabeth, CA



"MY NAME IS JERRY I AM SCHEDULED FOR SURGERY IN MAY,OF THIS YEAR, IF IT WERN'T FOR PAID SICK LEAVE EVEN THOUGH THIS IS AN L&I SITUATION IT COULD BE A DEVISTATING ORDEAL, WE ALL KNOW TO WELL HOW MESSED UP THE L&I SYSTEM IS WHAT SHORT FALL I WILL HAVE WITH L&I FINACEUALLY MY PAID SICK WILL COMPENSATE, WITH OUT IT FINACES WOULD BE TERABLE AND BILLS WOULD NOT GET PAID, I'M VERY THANKFUL FOR THE COMFORT OF PAID SICK LEAVE!"
—Jeffrey, WA



"I sit here thinking how will I live without a pension.And worry about getting sick, how will I live without sick pay without loosing my home?"
—Gwen, CA



"I have been at my job long enough to have 120 hours of Paid-Time-Off. However, you have to prearrange in order to take the time. The problem with that is, how can you prearrange for an illness. It is not like you wake up one morning and decide you are going to be sick in a couple of days."
—Donna, OH



"It is "critical" that individuals and families have access to paid time off - it is essential and it allows individuals and their families to sustain the quality of their lives and their dignity."
—Martha, VA



"As a worker for New York City, I get one paid sick day a month. I think your call for only 7 sick days is far too small. I need more sick days, sometimes, than I get, and I have to take the time out of my paid annual leave, or even borrow against future accruals.

Right now, I'm recovering from a flu that went into pneumonia. I've been out 11 work days. I exhausted all my leave accruals after 4 of those days. I have to apply for the right to borrow 7 days of future accruals. Since the higher-ups may decide against me, I need for you to wish me luck."
—Carol, NY



"I am a medicaid recipient. Last fall I had outpatient surgery to repair an abdominal hernia that had been steadily getting worse for the past 11 years. Prior to getting medicaid, I was uninsured for 4 years. The surgery had to be repeated within 2 weeks because of the staph infection that resulted inside me. I was hospitalized for one week. My income loss in gross wages was $996. It's now 5 months later and I'm still behind on all my bills. There's no sick pay on my job. During the hospitalization and subsequent recovery, I missed 3 paychecks. It was horrible for my children, the fear and uncertainty and mostly the lack of food."
—Ursula, PA



"I have an adult son, age 25, living at home. Recently he had to take several days off to have medical tests at a facility 45 minutes from home as well as taking several sick days. He makes a little over minimum wage and his employer provides no sick time. It is becoming increasing difficult for him to pay his bills ie: car payment, credit card etc. If he was living in the community on his own he would definately not be able to make it."
—Nancy, NY



"My name is Melissa,I am a professional Truckdriver.We do not have paid sick days.About a year ago,my husband and I delivered a load of product in Ft.Worth,Tx.I had a fever of 102 degrees,and I felt miserable.I told my driver manager that I would not be able to drive that day,each truckdriver is assigned to a specific truck,my driver manager told me that if I could not drive that my name would be taken off the truck.I left there employment.I know that there are million's of people in this country,that have no paid sick day's,and no health insurance at all.Something has to change."
—Melissa, OK



"Last year I sustained several broken noses and had ankle surgery. Because the company I worked for had just implemented sick days, and only two days, I worked from home the day after major surgery for my ankle then while still learning how to use crutches, drove to work the next day.

I had to go to the office every day for a week with a splint, and the most recent time it was broken I had to attend a conference with a splint on my face, which, while it was memorable for conference contacts, is not easy to drive three hours then cover an event, and drive back, when in that much pain.

Over the past two years I have used the little vacation time I had (5 to 7 days) for sick days to care for my child, and thus haven't had any days off that were not spend recovering or taking care of a sick child in over two years.

I have gone to go to work with the flu, trying to be carefull not to share germs with coworkers, fever, and a broke nose that resulted in sinus and ear infection, barely able to breathe, because I was out of vacation days.

People I work with regularly attend work with fevers and even the full-blown flu because of the small number of sick days. This creates sickness that keeps making it's way around the office, then repeats again because we are touch the same surfaces, etc.

The lack of sick days is creating a workforce that is burnt out and not capable of working to full potential."
—Kate, PA



"As recently as three years ago, I worked full time for a company that did not provide paid sick days. During the winter holidays of 2005, I caught a cold. I wasn't paid a living wage for the city in which I live, so I could only scrape by with 1 day's absence. I had to return to work, even though I was not well enough. Since I have asthma, and several coworkers had health issues such as diabetes and high blood pressure, I put myself and others at serious risk. Though I've since moved on, I doubt their policy has changed. Not having federally mandated, paid sick leave allows companies to keep putting profits over people."
—Breck, CA



"Despite the fact that I've worked the same F/T job for nearly 3 years, and that my employers readily admit that I am a huge asset and consistently do an excellent job, I do not get any paid sick days or holidays.

Most employers simply will NOT provide workers with any benefits unless forced to by government. Governments in civilized Western nations realized this long ago and passed laws requiring paid vacation time and paid sick days. Yet the U.S. has not. Like many other Americans, I live paycheck to paycheck. I cannot afford to lose a days pay without risking not being able to pay my rent/ utility bills.

Last week I caught a bad stomach virus. Without sick days I have had to work for the last 5 days with a fever, stomach cramps, aches, nausea and a severe headache, - all because I do not have paid sick days. It is extremely demoralizing to know that I am a fantastic employee, do an exemplemary job, and despite that I have to force myself to work while sick and in pain, risking a prolonged illness, because calling in sick might mean losing my apt.

We are a first world nation who pride ourselves on our liberties. Coercing our work force into working while ill is inexcusable."
—Jade, NY



"I had always worked for an agency that gave employees benefits. Because I was a war baby, my parents instilled in me the importance of medical and hospitalization benefits. In the early 1990's however I was employed at a mental health facility as a counselor. I worked many hours, but was hired as part time so the employer could avoid paying benefits. Even though I worked over 40 hours per week, I was part time. The money was good. I was younger and healthy and figured I would be all right. My job took me to a bad part of town in a neighborhood that was notorious for substance use and other negative behaviors. When bullets flew over my head as I entered the project, I knew it was extremely necessary to have all kinds of benefits. I have never been employed without benefits since then."
—Sue, CA



"Employers will benefit by backing paid sick leave. Germs are spread at work and others get sick and cannot afford to stay home and get well. Although I am retired, I remember well cases where friends struggled to work when a weakened condition could have been eliminated by paid sick leave of even two days off. Smart employers realize this and fortunately I worked for smart employers."
—Eleanor, CA



"Back in 1989 my husband had an emergency heart problem that ended up with knowing his artieries had three bockages 98 and 99% lowest ONE was 100% blocked! HE had triple by-pass and with the wait/diagnoses and operation then one week in hospital to recover--and two months to recover to be able to return to work--IF Mack TRUCKS hadn't had a good sick leave program (back then) we would have had horrendous bills and never had made it back to financial security. HE was NOT in an Union.

NOW--it's hard to find companies that give time off for illness or if they do they are very stingy with it. My daughter has an 18 month old daughter and had to take off to nurse her back to health one time so when SHE got sick she had to work through the illness and thus spread it in her department!

I understand that the government helps industry in FRANCE and they have UN-Limited sick leave!

AND we are called a ""first rate"" country?"
—Martha, PA



"I have seizures and my husband cant stay home with me he leaves for work and i can be having one or he has to find someone to sit with me because we cant afford for him too stay home he has NO paid sick days. this past week he fell going to the car to go to work and was off all week WE Have NO check this week. NO check. NO sick days."
—Beth, MI



"I have no paid sick days, vacation, or hollidays where I am employed. And the sad part is I work for a home healthcare agency, that is funded primarily by the federal government. Now how sad is that? And I have a handicapped husband at home who cannot work and never will be able to work. My wage is barely over minimum wage, no pay for gas mileage and I receive my pay check by snail mail. I never get paid when I'm suppose to. We need lots of reform!"
—Paula, TX



"I am lucky. I have had wonderful jobs that had either sick or personal leave that could be used in case of my illness or that of a family member. My family is grown and gone and I am now retired, but I was reminded again -- just this week -- how important sick leave is for working people. I spent Sun, Mon, and Tues (March 2 - 4) helping take care of son's family while his wife recovered from pneumonia. The day after I came home, I was struck with a raging case of the flu. I would never have been able to go to work had I still been working -- nor would my work colleagues want me at work to infect them. As our representatives in Congress, you have the best health care benefits in the nation. It behooves you to work for better health care and sick leave benefits for those who do not have them. To do otherwise is the worst kind of hypocrisy!"
—Ann, IL



"Because my husband does not get paid sick leave, he must work with a herniated disk. He must work because if he does not, not only do we lose his income (without which we cannot pay our bills), we also lose our health insurance (my job doesn't provide any)."
—Cara, WI



"My company just changed our sick policy from providing sick days to replacing those sick days with our vacation days. The general email read "in an effort to better help our employees balance their home lives with there work we are implementing a policy that will replace your sick time with your vacation time." (it wasn't that blatant but anyone with any sense new what it really said.) They did give us 5 extra days that are lumped into a pool of personal time. There is no longer sick time, vacation time or personal holidays its all PTO. (Personal time off) This is not totally bad as it stands for some of the shorter timers but it sets a bad trend, as I see it anyway. Employees that have been there 20+ years only got 2 extra days of PTO because they also did not add to the cap on the number of vacation days, so they got totally ripped off. (Also part of the bad trend) I know that there are people that abuse the sick time but that is a small percentage and they should be dealt with on a case by case. The incentive now is for people to come to work sick and in the last several months everyone is sick all the time but no one is staying home to get well.

So now we are still asked to put in the extra hours for free as a salaried employee but the balance of taking paid time off for doctor visits or sick days is not there. So now if we are sick more than the extra days 2-5 it comes out of our vacation time, which in my opinion should be more like the Europeans. They seem to just as if not more productive and definitely happier, in general. We are lucky in that my wife can stay home if one of the kids are sick and I can only imagine a single mom with no sick time and how hard that must be. Employees deserve paid sick time as long as it's not abused. Employers should realize that one good flu could wipe out their whole work force for long periods of time and the ones that can make it will only be able to put in a fraction of their normal effort."
—Mike, AZ



"Lets do away with some of the Government Paid Holidays and maybe the employers would be more willing to give people time off when they are not feeling well."
—Jerry, MO



"I'm at home for the 3rd day in a row, sick with the flu and may not be in to work for the remainder of the week. We received NO sick days, NO holidays, and after working there for 3 years I have just started to accumulate a small amount of vacation time. So I now have the choice to use my less than a week accumulated vacation time to cover being gone due to sickness or I can go with out pay. Thank God I love my job, but being from a very small community, I would have a hard time finding another. I would love to feel appreciated and given the healthy benefit of paid sick leave."
—C., WI



"I have suffered from cervical arthritis and fibromyalgia since my early 20's. The pain has been largely uncontrollable, and has included pinched nerves in both arms. Without the advantage of sick leave, I never would have been able to work for 32 years!"
—Betty, NY



"I am a low wage working mother of four children. Missing at least one day of work would financially destroy my children and myself and put me behind in my bills. My bills are the top priority at my house. Not food, t.v. or gas. If I could get even half a day’s pay for being out sick, a day would help. Please consider helping us lower class, hard working families?"
—Karla, CO



"It just seems to me that if Congress is caviling at, or unwilling to institute, single-payer, not-for-profit health-care for all citizens of this Republic, then guaranteeing paid sick-days is another, if less satisfactory or comprehensive, manner of securing the health and welfare of the people who pay their salaries! Greed ought not dictate public policy!"
—Scott, CA



"I have gone to work when I had the flu, after surgery, and when family members were sick and needed me, all because I couldn't afford to take a day out of work. This is not just a low- income workers' problem. I have advanced degrees and, because I get paid by grants, I haven't had sick time, despite having a professional position."
—Katie, CT



"Being a working women undertaking on-going fertility treatment, with a disabled partner & mother to care for too becomes difficult & employers need to take this into consideration for some employees. support mechanisms in the workplace about these subjects are also difficult."
—Tracy



"As I compose this, My mother is getting a pacemaker five floors above me. Fortunately, she has three sons and their familes to provide care and emotional support after the operation. Fortunately, each of her sons can take a day off work so she's not alone at any given time. Fortunately, I belong to a union with lots of sick days under contract. What about the rest of US? Don't all Americans deserve the right to express their family values by caring for those among them in need? Bush talks the talk but won't help US walk the walk!"
—Christopher, NJ



"This is a critical issue that affects everyone. If someone has to choose between going to work sick, or not paying bills, they are probably going to go to work sick. My son works 12 hour days, outdoors, in all kinds of weather, (today it is 7 degrees). He has no sick days. He gets one week of vacation a year. And if he's five minutes late for work, he is docked a half-hour. My husband has never had a sick day in his life and has worked for the same company for 33 years. If he's too ill to go to work, he does not get paid. When in need of dental work or minor surgery he has to use vacation days.

I on the other hand, work for the State - so I get 12 sick days per year and can use them whether I am sick or not - or let them accumulate over the years and get paid for them when I retire. My advice - everyone should work for the government!

Seriously, the lack of health care benefits, including sick days, in the United States is shameful and atrocious! The CEOs, salaried staff, and government workers don't seem to care about the other people who have to make a choice between going to work sick or losing money.

This practice makes America look selfish and greedy. We can --and should--do better!"
—Mary, PA



"When did we as a society forget that we are HUMAN BEINGS! We get sick, our children get sick, our partners and parents get sick. Even machinery working 24/7 will fail without proper maintenance and care. If we can't get paid sick days, we can't afford our medication. Doctors and medical testing sites don't offer "after work medical appointments", what are we supposed to do? More children are home alone when sick because we have to work. This is so sad!"
—Kiki, PA



"I have a congenital birth defect. I am usually healthy, but in the colder months I get many colds, flu, and yearly get bronchitis which often leads to pneumonia. I only get 3 paid sick days. I often go to work not feel my best because I can't afford to lose the money. Doing this can easily lead to me getting worse and possibly need to be hospitalized. I do everything I can to try to prevent illness in myself and my family, but when I don't succeed I should be able to take time to get the rest I need."
—Melanie, OH



"I have cervical cancer and no insurance ~ because I can't afford it."
—Dellianan, CO



"I live and work in Australia. Paid sick days are one of the many benefits now expected by most Australians. At my job I get 10 paid sick days per year, and if I don't use them they accrue, and there is no limit to how many I can accrue. Now that I am a mother, I can also take carer's days to look after my son if he is sick (and therefore cannot attend his childcare centre). My carer's days come out of my sick days entitlements, so I must be half as sick as any other person with no carer's responsibilities.


Having paid sick days makes me a better, more confident employee. If my employer did not offer paid sick days and carer's days, I would seek a new job with these benefits. It seems cruel to me to force a sick employee to work, or threaten their job if they stay home (even if they are not paid while sick). Here we have a certificate from the doctor to give our employers to assure them that we are not cheating."
—Michelle, Australia



"I was in a car accident and my car was totaled, leaving me with no way to make the hour commute to work because the insurance company would only pay for a few days of rental car. I had to find another job within walking distance, and I was injured. I did not receive any paid sick/injured leave, so I went two weeks without pay until I found a waitressing job that I could walk to. It took six months until I saw any money from the settlement. I really could have used some paid sick days from my job to cushion the blow."
—Devon, IL



"It is time for the average worker to be given sick leave. So many lose their homes and suffer financial hardship due to illness. My son just spent 2 weeks in the hospital and there was no money coming in. He has a family and they had some savings, but a hospital stay soon takes all of that plus more."
—Barbara, VA



"After years of having health insurance provided by my employer, I now have none. I cannot get it either, because I have been a good patient and had my conditions diagnosed. I am taking care of myself and hoping to avoid any serious illnesses, but I am now a ""high risk"" patient and no one will insure me. I have to stay healthy until next January, when my state retirement health insurance will kick in. Thank goodness, I have that! John McCain says people do not have health insurance, because they do not choose not to...I guess it is my GENES that made the choice for me!"
—Valerie, AZ



"Everyone got the same flu, but since I'm an hourly paid worker, instead of a salaried paid worker, I have no sick time whatsoever (even though I'm employed full-time). I was out for a week and a half, and now I'm struggling to make ends meet this month. My only debt is medical and educational, and I am struggling to catch up to pay it on time, let alone pay it off. Please do whatever you can to help those who need it most--people like me who "make too much" to qualify for any kind of federal aid, but make too little to keep up with the cost of healthcare and missed work."
—Erin, UT



"Paid sick days are important to me because I live from pay check to pay check. As a full time college student, I am trying to better my life and make a positive change in the world. Being fearful every time that I get sick that I will not be able to buy food or make rent is not the right way to live. Support paid sick days for everybody to be a right, not a priviledge."
—Veronica, WI



"I work a job doses not pay for sick, days I work about 38 hours a week as a cashier on feet all day, I went to work many times not feel well, and now I just turned 50,so it gets very hard on me I cant afford Ins, Something needs to be done are we or are we not suppose to care about each other companies should understand that if it were not for the people that do the work, how do thing they would make, because believe me the company I work for does not give a damn!"
—Vonnie, AZ



"I just had an emergency appendectomy & if I would not have had sick time my family would have been in serious, serious trouble since I am the main source of income! Every working citizen should have the right to these days."
—Angie, CO



"I have worked for the State of Ct. for 18 years and because I work 19 hours I do not receive sick time. I am willing to work the extra hour but due to politics I have been refused. EVERYONE GETS SICK AND SHOULD GET SICK DAYS."
—Helene, CT



"As I'm typing this, I feel the flu coming on at work, but I can't stay home because I'm a temp, and temps don't get paid time off. Period. (and on a similar note, I missed my Grandmother's funeral two years ago for the same reason-no paid time off) Yes, I've tried-several times-to get a permanent job, but people just aren't hiring right now. They're especially not hiring people without college educations, like me. So, here I am, muscles aching, stomach acting up and all I can do is grin and bear it because the rent is due today."
—Annie, MN



"I've got 4 kids, and I'm in very poor health, and even though I don't have a job personally, my husband does, and he's got a lot on his plate to support a family of 6. He can't afford to get sick, and when he does, he still works, which makes his sickness worse, and it takes longer to get rid of as well...but because he don't want to lose out on the pay, he just doesn't take the chance to care for himself. And in return, all of us gets sick as well. Situations such as mine is important for sick pay to be in effect. Peoples health should matter more than a few dollars, because there is always that chance that the next sickness could be deadly...and that's something that would devastate not just me and my children, but a whole amount of people. Please consider us, and many people like us, when you decide against sick pay!"
—Tammy, TX



"My mother is a waitress and receives no paid sick leave. After more than 30 years at the same restaurant, when she becomes ill, she must take the day off without pay. Over the past 5 years, her health has been in decline. She has had to take a number of days off due to surgery, high blood pressure, back problems and other similar issues. The lack of paid time off means that she doesn't take the necessary time to get better and instead, works sick and injured, all year round. How is it possible that we can live in one of the richest countries in the world, but treat our own citizens so badly? No one should have to work sick or injured, it's just not right."
—Kirsten, DC



"Yes Paid Sick Days are a must! In the past when I was without paid sick days the best we could do for each other (meaning me and my co-workers) was to pass the collection hat around and hope that the dollars collected were enough to keep me/them sustained for at least one more day. Therefore, yes to having at least 7 paid sick leave days but often times more days are needed to fully recoup but 7 days is a start.”
—Emm Dee, AL



"I am a professional public health care professional, now retired, who has worked ""in the trenches"" doing hands on dental care for adults and children for 34 years. I have treated thousands of low income citizens who, because of no sick leave, and lack of access to basic dental care, waited until they could no longer tolerated loss of sleep while their child cried all night with a tooth ache. We treated the acute episode of pain, but rarely saw these children return for the routine preventive care every child needs."
—James, NC



"I work for a company that does provide 4 paid sick days a year(we can accumulate 8 days before they stop accumulating). Not bad, sure not great. I am going through a year of follow-up treatment after my 2nd corneal transplant. Our new version of FMLA states that I have to use my sick time, then vacation time before I can ask for unpaid or make-up time. Often I only need to leave work for an hour or 2, but I've had to use up all my sick time for these appointments. Now, if I really do get sick, I will get points (which could cause me to be fired). For the remainder of '08 I don't dare really get sick!"
—Audrey, MI



"Paid sick days are crucial for people who have their own health problems or have children who get sick. I went through a 3 week period where I could neither stand nor walk due to severe back pain from a bulging disk. I had to either lie down on the floor (at work or at home) and work on my lap top, or not work at all.

With kids, the fevers make you stay home or the surgery to insert ear tubes due to ear infections and fluid and resulting hearing loss and potential language delay as a result."
—Christine , VA



"I work for a private telecommunications company. Our total time off for the year is 15 days which includes sick and personal and vacation time. This country should be ashamed of itself by not enforcing mandated time off by employers. In Europe they start out with a MONTH OFF! It should be perhaps time acrued. Sadly, where I am the 15 days is all you get no matter how long you are there!"
—Jacquelyn, NY



"I don't think that sick days should have to cut into vacation time. My husband works long hours and there are times when we get sick and then he feels like he can't afford to take a vacation with us because his vacation time is all used up. I think that is unfair. I think that sick time should not be part of vacation time. It is not a break to be laying around with the flu and taking care of your family that has it. A vacation is time to spend unwinding and destressing. Getting sick is very stressful especially when you know that it is going to cut into quality time with the family on a vacation. We are losing sight of the important things in life. Time with family is so important because the kids will be grown soon enough. Isn't it about time we get our priorities straight!! Family FIRST!"
—Joyce, CA



"My employer…docked me a sick day when I worked from home, and since he does not pay sick days, when there is a flu epidemic people show up at work sick when they can't afford to take a day off without pay."
—Kathy,AZ



"I cannot count the number of times that I have worked jobs that had no benefits and no sick leave. Today, too many of those jobs still exist and unfortunately too many people who need the job desperately take the job and then have to struggle when they or someone in their family becomes ill because they have to miss a day or more of unpaid work days. It's time to put end to this struggle and protect the health hard working U.S. citizens.”
—Jolene, CO



"My domestic partner had an illness last summer. She was working at our apt complex for a rent credit, very little pay, and received no benefits. To compound the lack of insurance, vacation, and sick days, she was also expected to come to work so that she would meet the # of hours for her rent credit. She would have had a much quicker and safer recovery if she had been allowed to take some time off. As it was, she went to work drugged up on painkillers and it took her most of the summer to recover. I feel that this was a dangerous situation for her. I am truly happy that she has a better job now, but this whole experience showed us first hand the importance of this issue."
—Lisa, OR



"In 2001, my mother committed suicide two weeks after 911 attacks on World Trade Centers. I was devastated for my mentor, mother, best friend, resource, and daily contact to be gone. I took time off from work and my employer kept phoning me to get me to come back to work. I did not to return till I was able to control my emotions and focus completely on my work. They fired me after 3 months, still refusing to return to work of still trying to adapt to the emotional loss."
—Sandra, IL



"With all the turmoil and lack of ANY support families suffer.The least paid ,least benefits, fired at will ,NO RAISE, downsized, outsourced Globalization and Oh yeh that was at the GOOD JOBS. Train your Boss WHAT IS THAT ABOUT Mobbed bullied THIS IS A CALL FOR SOMEONE TO START LISTENING------Americia needs a raise /health care and Close Shop on Sunday. The really lousy jobs work Saturday and Sunday Holidays Early hours late hours Little Pay How much more can workers take????? And some consumer protection laws /labor laws NO MORE PAY DAY LOANS/sub prime credit charges
—Patricia, IL



"My husband is a security officer working for a nonunionized company (as are most security firms). He has never had paid sick leave until this year when, with the threat of unionization, his company instituted ONE day of paid sick leave per year. When he was seriously ill and hospitalized with influenza two years ago, we had no income for two months. Paid sick leave would have helped greatly to reduce the financial stress."
—Sara, WA



"One night I awoke in an ambulance. I had no idea why I was there and I did not know where my husband was. I had been at home in bed. After 12 years of sharing the same bed my husband turned to me and I was breathing strangely. He tried to wake me and I was not responding. He rolled me over and stuff came out of my mouth; he was terrified. What was happening?

It turns out at the age of 34 I started having nocturnal seizures. It is speculated that they came about as a result of an injury from surfing when I had a herniated cervical discs. This was not an easy assessment to make. It was for this reason I needed sick days at work; I needed the opportunity to figure out what was happening and why."
—Heidi, CA



"When I had an emergency appendectomy in the fall of 2006, I was off work for 13 days. Of those 13 days, I was not paid for 5 of them, which created a hardship for me. I had only been employed by the Commonwealth of PA for 3 months, and had not accrued enough sick and vacation time to cover all 13 days. We also do not have short-term disability insurance.

I am fearful of a serious illness that would require me to be off work for longer than I am covered by sick and vacation time. I am a single woman, so this could present huge financial problems for me."
—Jaynie, PA



"I have Lupus (SLE) ya know the nasty kind that can take your life, but I'm young only 31 and I want to work. I don't want to spend my life on disability, costing our government more money. I want to work! If we don't have the basic human rights to have paid sick days when we are ill, I will never make it in the workforce. Asking for only seven days of sick leave is asking for very little. Everyone gets sick but some of us really have a battle on our hands dealing with illnesses that never go away. I have every right to work and every right to stay home and get well without penalty. What we are asking for are BASIC human rights, in a nation so educated you would think we wouldn't have to fight for those rights. Do the right thing, the humane thing and give our citizens the sick leave they need to get better and stay healthy. Because I know what illness and stress can do to a person's health!"
—Jodie, CA



"I have always had the privilege of paid sick leave, but after working for Social Security Disability for several years, I can tell you that the stories being shared here are far from uncommon. Money that goes to insurance companies and government programs would be better spent on real health care."
—Marina, WI



"In Canada, particularly when British Columbia had an New Democratic Party government, government workers got paid days off to care for their sick family! I met the IWW member at the old lead and zinc smelter in Trail, BC, for whom unused sick days some companies some companies even in the U.S. gave you pay for were called ""Murphy Days"". The Pre-School Teachers' Association got to go to the Steelworkers' union picnics and rallys and sing the old union songs I learned from ""Uncle"" Pete Seeger. Of course I didn't get any in Michigan or Texas or California, and they're mostly anti-union here in South Carolina."
—Rosamond, SC



"I was working a seasonal cashier job at Macy's, so I didn't get any benefits, except for the discount. I'm not sure if I would have received any sick days as a full time seasonal either, but I doubt it. Only permanent employees seem to maybe get benefits like this. I just quit a sales job in a small shop, and they didn't offer me any benefits at all, even though I was hired as a full time associate, and this was in an elite part of New York City, no less!

I was diagnosed with colon cancer while working that job at Macy's, and I was only 38 then. If it was a permanent position, without sick days, I would not have been compensated for the time I needed to go to many medical testing appts. and for a week in the hospital for major surgery, which in turn, created other billing issues for me for the next 3 years. I feel more strongly than ever, that all workers deserve to be paid for sick days, whether it's for their own use, or to take care of an ill/injured child or family member. I also feel that all full time employees should get health benefits and personal days, as well as possible paid vacation weeks. If I had a child, and they were ill, I could not afford to take off work for a day or two, nor could I afford a nanny to take care of them. I can see how this is a serious issue for lower income families and single mothers, as well as anyone else who is denied fair benefits on the job.

Employers must stop taking advantage of employees’ rights, and give us what we are entitled too. If they treat us with respect, we will give back more through good work, and business will prosper because workers will be happier and not feel resentful.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and to care about worker's rights."
—Debbie, NY



"In 1997, due to a stressful and extreme work schedule and long drives to and from work, I had a rupture of 2 disks in my back. It was intensely painful and I could not sit up at all or lay in my own bed, so lay on the floor in my living room for three months. A good friend cared for me, feeding me, taking me to doctor's appointments, cleaning, etc., but I had sick days and ultimately disability insurance, and was able to heal enough to have surgery, and then had good physical therapy. I am healthy today with daily exercise and work from my home. Without that financial help and the freedom to stay home without losing my job, (and the help of my friends) I would probably have become homeless."
—Sue, CA



"Its in every one's interest to have healthy people in the workplace. If people do not have paid sick days they are likely to be at work spreading more sickness or they are likely to be less productive and creative. Finally, we must be the only developed country in the world that has 50% of our working population without sick days....who are we?

Have we become so greedy and scared that we can't even allow employees a few days to get better when they are ill? In most states where this is a law the employers have found that it really doesn't cost nearly as much as expected...its the right thing to do!"
—Marilyn, AL



"I'm lucky because as a state government employee I do accrue sick days, as well as generous annual leave, and for the last four and a half years have been blessed with a boss who has granted myself and other employees additional leave whenever necessary in the form of administrative leave in lieu of sick leave when children or other family members have been very ill.

I contrast that experience with a boss from a few years back who had me too nervous to ask for special accommodations during a problem pregnancy in which I continuously had spotting and was advised to go home and rest. That pregnancy came on the heels of another that ended in a miscarriage, the first sign of which was unusual spotting. This country needs to be shaken up and shaken upside down in terms of how it treats its labor force, especially as regards sick leave, especially as increasing numbers of us face the crunch of young children at home and elderly parents becoming physically or mentally incapacitated."
—Stacey, NM



"I coordinate a program assisting low income people working towards economic self-sufficiency. One of the biggest barriers to low wage workers reaching some economic security is maintaining a job where they are granted no sick time or job flexibility to respond to their children's or their own inevitable health issues and the need to take off time or days to respond to such health care needs. I urge you to support legislation mandating paid sick leave for all part-time and full-time workers so that they have a right to protect their health and that of their children while retaining gainful employment necessary to the well being of their family."
—Craig, PA



"My husband does not get sick days. He had a severe case of bronchitis and did stay home with no pay because the doctor threated him with hospitalization. Normally, he just tosses the sick note and works anyway, but at 61 and being diabetic he was scared of getting worse and dying."
—Kathy, NC



"I JUST got out of the er today after a 3 day stay. i called out today but i have to go intomorrow even though its aginst my wishes because i can not afford to lose the money and i can not afford to risk losing my job. so i have to go in tomorrow even though it could be putting a risk on my health."
—Remme, CT



"I work hard, both because I love my job and have a responsibility to support my family. Without paid sick days, I would lose needed income for my family. Everyone gets sick- sometimes I do and sometimes my daughter does. Everyone deserves the time to get better and take care of their families. Plus, my coworkers don't need to be exposed to my sick germs! Would you? Members of Congress get paid sick days- all of us should!"
—Becky, DC



"My daughter is currently pregnant with her first child - she works for a group MR/DD home - Northeast Care Centers - this place has threatened to not only cut her hours but her benefits because she has to miss time to go to prenatal visits. On her first prenata visit they actually told her not to come in after her doctors appointment - they had filled her shift. They also demand that any time missed from work for these visits has to be made up. And that she isn't eligible for FMLA because she hasn't been with the company for a year. They have also stated that they don't have to hold her job after she goes on maternity leave. Something needs to be done about companies with this type of manerizism towards their employees."
—Pam, OH



"As a Buddhist, I am very aware that sickness is one of the universal forms of suffering, and that compassionate recognition of this suffering is the way to enlightenment. We could use an enlightened society when it comes to compassion for universal suffering."
—Vanessa, TX



"When I had emergency surgery - the company I worked for did not offer paid sick days. We were a two income family and without my full pay check - we would fall behind in our bills. I had to take vacation time in order to insure that our bills would be paid. It was actually a battle to get my vacation days and had to ""petition"" my director to get it approved."
—Lura, FL



"I have been ill for almost 20 years with chronic fibromyalgia from ruptured silicone implants..the silicone is on my stomach lining, kidneys, heart, and spread throughout my body. I deal with chronic pain 24/7, rashes, low grade fevers every day, swollen fingers, feet and so on. My health has declined so much that i cannot do the things i used to do and i am only 46 years old and my body feels like it is 80 plus. I am a survivor and will not let this illness beat me as I have God on my side and the support of my family. Somedays when I cannot get out of bed, I need my husband to be at home with me and he does not have the sick days to take off to care for me.

We cannot afford to have someone come to the house, so we both just suffer. He gets depressed because he cannot be there with me. We pay for health insurance which costs us an arm and a leg each month, and can barely afford to buy groceries to keep us healthy...what is wrong with our healthcare system..our government is robbing us the american people each and every day...this has got to stop...please help us we need your support in this matter, as I will continue the fight for as long as my body and mind is willing."
—Debbie, FL



"I am a middle-aged woman and was going through a divorce three years ago. I lived in a small town at the time - enough said. Anyway, I was coming out of an abusive relationship with a violent ex-husband at the time - luckily he never hit me, but he never respected me or my privacy. I was just trying to get out and have some fun - I had just been fired from two jobs because of untrue gossip - economy-related, but no one thinks of that. I had no health insurance at the time. I was trying to upgrade a small business to run it full-time and do some healthy sports activities at the same time - my ex was an alcoholic. I was sick for three weeks with blood pressure problems - I have always had slow circulation. My doctor thought I was depressed - he gave me antidepressants, which I didn't take. It took me three weeks to rest up and recover. I now have my own health insurance - lots of folks don't!"
—Karen, WA



"The time is right NOW to start taking care of our own people! We live in the strongest nation on the planet and we need to start treating the peolpe that make it strong by giving back to them when needed! It's the right thing to do. Help protect Americans now and always!"
—Sandra, CA



"I am currently at work with a bacterial blood infection from a root canal a dentist messed up (had to sacrifice pay for that procedure also). I have joint and muscle pain with bouts of dizziness topped off with profuse sweating which transitions into cold chills. My company does not allow any sick days and I have not earned enough hours off. So if I want to pay the mortgage and feed my two children I have to suffer here at work. I don't know how I will do seeing that the boss is giving me the evil eye because he thinks I am not being productive enough. I need help."
—Arthur, OH



"I was a sole employee for my company. Came down with Cancer. The Company had to close since I faced months of treatment. No sick leave & unemploynment would not pay. Since I could not look for work."
—Bob, FL



"I don't get paid for sick days, regardless of the fact that I'm a well-educated professional employee of a Fortune 500 company. I have lupus and also don't have insurance, so seeing a doctor puts my family in double-jeopardy: I lose hours at work and have to pay for all office visits out-of-pocket. But not seeing a doctor makes it worse. Many Americans face such choices as mine and it's time that everyone have access to sick time as well as insurance."
—Lee, CA



"Throughout my career I have always worked for employers who did not separate sick days from vacation days; instead, dumping it all into a bucket called ""Paid Time Off"" or something similar. Therefore, even though it might sound great that you are afforded 1 week of PTO per year (some of my positions accrued hours on a weekly or bi-weekly basis; some did not provide time until after you had completed a full year with the company), you must take into consideration that that 1 week has to account for all of your vacation days (getting away, relaxing, traveling, etc.) as well as any days you might happen to become unexpectedly ill (coming down with the flu can knock 3 days off in one shot). When you view it that way, one week is not very much time.

I have had some unfortunate healthcare issues over the past 2 years which have forced me to use up all of my PTO time in order to care for myself and to recover from various bouts of illness. Unfortunately, this leaves me no time to take vacations or ""me time."" Having additional sick days, whether designated as such, or added to the PTO bucket would be very beneficial and help me to gain more peace of mind. There have been many times when I've come into work while sick in order to avoid taking time off, and this is really not healthy. I'd prefer having extra time to get healthy, and to stay healthy; making me a happier and more productive employee to boot."
—Amy, CO



"I don't really have a story yet, I'm in college. But I fully support the thought that all people deserve some stability in life, and that would be provided by paid sick days."
—Jan, OK



"When i used to live in California, they do have a Healthy Family in Social welfare almost every child have a health insurance in California. When i moved here somehow i'm having a hard time to have help for my son to have a health insurance, who's only 11 years old and i am a full-time student of NECC. The health insurance here are not good even for just the kids and i surveyed that many children here in Nebraska doesn't have a health insurance. I'm only talking about kids not a majority. Some county's here said that employment first your won't get any help from the human services if you choose to go back to school full time you have to at least work for 25 to 35 hours a week. So if i'm going to work almost full time why should i get help from the human services, if that's the case before they'll give me some help. For instance, health insurance for my son. They took my son's medicaid because i chose to go back to school and went for part-time job only, not enough hours for them to help me. And i'm not even talking about the paid sick days. Of course it is very important, it is not healthy to go to work when you're sick. But we are all force to go to work sick 'cause we don't get paid when we miss days work sick or not. Maojority of business employer doesn't care whether you're sick or not its only what can they gain."
—Leah, NE



"Growing up in a strong close-knit community, I grew up believing if you go to work, work hard, and do your best, things will work out for you. When I turned 18 I was dropped from my parent's insurance and have been uninsured for the past 11 years. I'm a 6th generation U.S. citizen who has worked full time since 18 years old, yet I cannot afford health care and make a little ""too much"" to qualify for any government assistance.

Because of this, even if I am sick, I have to work anyway. If there were paid sick days, one days pay would help me pay the ""uninsured doctor visit"" which is about $150 plus prescriptions.

Since there are currently no paid sick days, when I get sick I have to choose between paying my bills or recovering...Most often I choose paying my bills over my health."
—Jennifer, NY



"I was trimming the palms in my yard and received blood poisoning from one of the sticklers on the base of one of the large fronds. I spent 3 days in the hospital and another 3 or so at home with home care visitation. This occurred at my former home in Norco, Ca. I had almost zero time left on vacation. I simply received almost no pay for the week.

If it wasn't for my wifes medical insurance that she receives at work..I would have been stuck with well over $10,000 in medical bills.

Of course I got a weak welcome back from my employer? Welcome to the middle ages."
—Daryl, KY



"I have a progresive neuromuscular disorder, Friedriech's Ataxia, requiring to use an increasing amount of medical care and services (healthcare visits, pharmaceuticals. medical supplies, durable medical equipment, etc.). I do have 2 healthcare insurances, BCBS and Medicare,however over the last 7 years less and less is covered and I find myself paying more and more out of pocket medical expenses. My situation becoming more difficult, not to mention extremely costly."
—Patty, PA



"My husband dosn't get paid sick days. Lucky for us he is rarely sick, but if he is, he has to use his vacation days."
—Rene, MT



"I have a two year old and for the first year and a half of his life he was constantly sick. He would run fevers and catch everything that was going around. He'd been on antibiotics from the time he was 6 weeks old to about 20 months. I missed so many days of work, I think my boss and I figured that missed about 2 1/2 months because he was sick. I'm a single mother and have no one else to turn to when my child does get sick. I worked at the hospital and you have to work so many hours to get even 1 hour of sick leave. I feel that is very important that people get so many days of sick leave paid because you never know when you're going to sick let alone your children. I lost a lot of wages staying home with a sick kid. I wish there was way we could change this because it's unfair!"
—Amber, NE



"Here I sit at home, missing two days of work from a flu, knowing that now I will run short in getting every bill paid this month. I feel under appreciated and under valued. I am trying so hard to find the kind of job I had in the 70's and 80's, but since all the union busting during the Reagan years, those jobs are very few. We are the only industrialized nation which gives it's workers with very little if no benefits and no affordable health care. If I here one more person claim ""America is the greatest nation!"" I am going to shout, ""NO WE AREN'T!!!!! We have many reasons we should be ashamed of the way we have let our ""leaders"" lead. It is time we unite for the common man."
—Peggy, SD



"I work as a temporary employee and I don't get paid for vacation or sick days...I have to work steadily with x number of hours to qualify for time off with pay. I guess I will go to work sick and make everyone in the office sick and then no work will get done because everyone is sick...it goes on."
—Dee Dee, CA



"I was persecuted at my receptionist job whenever I was not feeling well. This is more stress than anybody needs. Upper management can "flex" their appts. anytime, but a receptionist is never allowed to be ill. Imagine the threat of losing your (low paying) job ... and then not being permitted to take care of yourself when you need to go to the doctor, or to stay home to recuperate."
—S.V., CT



"I've worked many days so sick I could hardly stand to be there because I was out of sick time, and would be written up AND docked pay. If people wouldn't be forced to work when ill, less people would pass germs around. Our policy needs to change, and change NOW."
—Sarah, FL



"For 2 weeks I was out of work with a serious viral infection. Even though I was out of work under a doctor's care, I received absolutely no compensation from my company. In other words, during the time I was sick I had no money coming in even though my bills continued. Get with the program and give the working people of the USA paid sick days!!!!!"
—Jan, GA



"I've worked both as a cashier and a home health aide. At both jobs I never had sick days. I had to go to work sick more than once. Guess what happened when i went to work sick (especially while doing home care)--- I got a lot of other people sick. WE NEED SICK DAYS!!"
—Rebecca, ID



"I've worked in jobs where I did not have sick days. 10 years later, I have sick days but I also have thyroid disease and adrenal fatigue, partially caused by stress due to not having sick days in the past (it causes a lot of worrying) . It's in EVERYONE'S best interests to provide them."
—Pamela, CA



"As a part-time instructor (M.Ed.) I also have no paid sick days. I'm lucky enough to have a husband who earns money. Anyone who works is bound to get sick and need to go to the doctor. To penalize workers for needing health care is unacceptable. No one should have to choose between keeping their job or maintaining their health."
—Margo, UT

Stories from Caregiver/Family Perspective

"I am diabetic, hypertensive, hypothyroid, and have already had a heart attack. I need to see my doctors regularly, and in order to do this, I need to take time off work. My husband has been unemployed for almost two years, and we have two children still at home. I have to have paid sick days to be able to pay the bills!"
—Therese, CO



"I have four children, ages 16 months, 3 years, 15 years and 17 years old and a husband who has a chronic medical condition that has recently taken a turn for the worse. Up until recently my husband was the primary care giver for our two younger children and I work full time at a major hospital. Since his condition has taken a turn I have had to use up almost all my PTO time and recently I was told that if the pattern of “unexcused absence” did not stop that my job might be in jeopardy!

This is not right! What is a working spouse supposed to do? I can't leave my two younger ones alone, I can't ask my two older children to stay out of school to watch them, we can't afford day care, and I can only occasionally ask my mother to come out and help. We are barely making it as it is, one missed paycheck and we would be sunk, we have tons of medical bills from before we had insurance, and I feel like every day I am forced to choose between my spouse and children and my job.

Workers need the security that no matter what the circumstance that they can take PAID time off without having to worry about whether or not they might lose their jobs.

We constantly hear this is the land by the people for the people, but what they forgot to add was it really is for the rich by the rich. Our government needs to wake up and help the poor and the middle class, not just the rich!"
—Debra, OH



"A lot of people just don't make enough money to be able to afford a day off when they are feeling under the weather or worse. After my parents' divorce, times were rough for my mom and I, and money was always an issue. I used to watch her stocking up on cough drops and Advil, we bought nightquil and dayquil in bulk just so she could make it through a workday when she got sick. My mom and I are more often sick then healthy. Our immune systems don't work as they are supposed to and sometimes the body is just worked too hard and tells you in it's own way that it doesn't want to go to work today; from hernias to herniated disks, sometimes you just can't go to work, but you can't afford not to either. Paid Sick days are so important, because being healthy is, and it's not always only one person's health that is being sacrificed because who is going to make the money to feed your family when you can't get out of bed."
—Anna, PA



"I do feel that sick days are very important to families. My son was diagnosed in 2006 with Chronic Countious Migraines. If it was not for having sick days, I would have lost my job. It is much easier and makes me a better employee because I know I have the company behind me. Good Luck to every one!!!"
—Laura, IN



"I have paid sick leave and am very thankful for it as I have two children with asthma. You cannot leave children having an asthma attack at home alone. You have to be able to take them to treatment without worrying about your job."
—Karen, WI



"I believe paid sick days are a necessity for single working people. I have lost jobs in the past caring for sick children because the daycare won't let you bring a sick child of course. So here is the dilemma. You have a sick child, you stay home with no pay and you still have to pay the daycare center because they are a business. Some people talk about "family values" well Washington here is your chance to prove it."
—Shirlee, NY



"I don't work, but when i do get sick, it's hard to take care of my grandson. i have asthma so being sick, is an understatement, i can't function at all and it would be nice if my husband could stay home and take care of me and tend to the grandson. making surei take my medicine and keep me full of fluids that i need to get better. the past two years i have been sick in march, last year getting the side effects from the medicine i was taking i couldn't drive or leave home. it sure would have been nice to have had him home. he couldn't do it because he wouldn't have gotten paid for it.i had to drive myself back to the doctors and the grandson to school, even tho i shouldn't have. there has got to be a change made about sick days and getting paid, it's not just about the workers being sick and missing days, it's all about the families as a whole."
—Donna, VA



"When my oldest son was a toddler, he had a head injury that ended up a concussion. I had to stay home with him for his safety...but I was told that I would lose my job if I did. Ultimately I had to make that choice. My son's safety was MORE important...but it definitely made it much more difficult to care for him without having a job and the financial means to do so. Just recently one of my co-workers (and a single mom of three) was forced to bring her ill child to work (at the daycare) because she was unable to miss work due to financial obligations. Now half the nursery is out do to the same illness that her daughter had. Not only are OUR children sick now, but we are forced to either infect other children or stay home and have a smaller paycheck ourselves. It's just not a choice that some of us can make. Because of finances, the choice is made for us. It saddens me that our children...and many children of others are affected by our choices...or lack of. Please help us to provide for our families without having to put them at risk...or to have to put our co-workers and their families at risk. We can't be good workers if we can't afford to take the time off that we need torecooperate when we are ill...or when our family members NEED us to care for them when they are ill. Thank you for all your help!!"
—Michele, CA



"Children heal quicker when they have the love & support of a parent. A parent is a better employee when they do not have to worry about a sick child left at home. I believe this should include our elderly parents as well. It is equally important to care for their needs as well."
—Krissy, CA



"I could tell you about when my son, who has Trisomy-21, was two weeks in the hospital with pneumonia. He was 20 months old at the time. I was working two jobs. With the day job, I had a few sick days, and even after those ran out, they supported me in being with my son. There was no doubt that my job would be waiting for me when I came back. (I think they even found a way to let me have an extra paid day!.) In contrast, I still had to go the evening job if I hoped to keep it. The employer had no compassion and no interest in my situation. I did have one co-worker who did help me leave early, so that I might return to the hospital before the doors closed. I lost more money that way, but my son need me there at night. It took a couple of months to catch up on the bills. Or I can tell you of last week, when that same son got bronchitis. Now both I and my husband have a couple of sick days a year, so we had no trouble staying home in turns or worries outside of those for his health. What a difference! I can also think of my years as a substitute teacher, in which my whole livelihood depended on other people being free to be sick or to care for their families or to further their education."
—Valerie, OR



"Our son had leukemia and we had to travel to Ann Arbor Michigan every week. We were both employed and were very fortunate to be able to take our son and not have our wages taken away. My husband even got tohave his shift changed on the days we had to go."
—Patricia, MI



"Hello, I work in a stainless steel mill that does not offer any sick days at all. The Vacation time I have must be scheduled 2 weeks in advance. I'm the father of a 7 year old child with Spina Bifida, who has had over 30 surgeries. He goes to therapy twice a week and has doctor appointments several times a month. My wife also works full time. We haven't had a vacation for years. Sick days would help us drastically."
—Darren E, KY



"Paid sick days are important to myself and my family, as I am a primary caregiver for my elderly mother, and in times past, for our children. I need the income to stay steady to pay our bills."
—Sandi A, CO



"This past fall, my toddler was seriously ill and hospitalized for 5 weeks. Luckily, my husband and I both work for a university where we have generous paid sick leave and the two of us were able to switch off being with our daughter and working. During our time in the pediatric intensive care unit, I saw many children who didn't have a single adult by their side. Why? Because their parents had no paid sick leave. It is incredibly unfair that the children of parents with fair employers are taken care of in their hour of need while the children people who aren't lucky enough to work at a place with paid sick leave have to spend frightening days alone. It's just plain wrong and it needs to be addressed."
—Sheri S, NE



"As a home care worker for elderly and disabled, there is no such thing as benefits. At all. Even having paid time off would be a tremendous help, as I am also a homeschool parent, wife, mom, daughter, granddaughter, etc, there isn't enough time in a day to get everything done, and getting sick is not an option when I lose money or to have to work sick anyway."
—Lika S, WI



"I work at a small school and receive only 3 paid sick days a year. While that's more than many people get it's simply not enough to cover me and my 2 year old, who sometimes gets sick and has to stay home from daycare. I just had a terrible flu and was home in bed for 2 days. That means I only have 1 more day to get me and my son through the next 9 months. This just isn't enough. I am a good worker -- often juggling my responsibilities to work nights and weekends at school functions. Why shoudn't I get time off to take care of myself and my family when we are sick? It's just not fair so I hope the Healthy Family Act passes and will help me out."
—David, DC



"My husband has Parkinson's, which causes tremors and stiffness, among other problems. He recently had 2 surgeries for installing ""deep brain stimulation"" equipment, which just today got turned on and is slowing the tremors significantly. My efforts to arrange things with all the doctors and my insurance company and others during my 40 work hours a week were bothering my co-workers, even though I would use my sick time to take my husband to doctor appointments, etc. So my supervisor has allowed me to take sick time on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons for a while to deal with everything for him. That's so helpful! I hadn't been sick much at all and had over 700 hours of sick time to draw from. Sick time has allowed me to keep working through all this. What would I have done without it? Good jobs include sick time."
—Patricia, NM



"I became disabled at the age of 20, while in college. I needed my mother to help me with the effects of a debilitating illness. She used her sick days for my care. Eventually, she took Family Medical Leave - WITHOUT the guarantee that she would keep her position as a R.N. in an Emergency Department. This is outrageous! Help our families so family can aid their own family. Thank you."
—Amanda, WV



"My nephew was recently diagnosed with epilepsy. he suffers from seizures and needs to be taken for many tests and doctors appointments. the last thing that should be on my sisters mind is how to get time off work to take him. but it is and she worries she puts her job in jeapordy because she doesn't have enough sick days to take him."
—Kiku, CA



"My husband has had a serious hernia for the last four years. It interferes with his ability to work (physical) and must be taken care of...but we can't afford to get him help!"
—Alison, NY



"My son sustained a traumatic brain injury as the result of taking ibuprofen, which caused him to have 4 bleeding stomach ulcers at he age of 17.I missed work for months and was held back from a job that would have helped me cope with his resulting issues, by a manager .I worked in labor and delivery at a catholic hospital. Because I did not have benefits, since I worked per diem, I had no sick days. NO personal leave or family leave. I almost lost my house to foreclosure, because he required 24 hr supervision ,so I could not work. I had to refinance my home at a higher rate and pay 15,000 in closing costs to keep the roof over my 4 sons heads."
—Lisa, MD



"If I were to ever need to take my sick dad to the hospital I would risk losing my job. My company has no such thing as 'paid sick days', They simply do not exist for the benefit of the company. My company even makes us work, work, work until we are absolutely exhausted, then questions when we are REALLY sick and have to call off work for a week. Even if we're not physically sick, it doesn't mean we don't need a paid personal day to get things done that matter most. How about supporting something that will possibly increase productivity (because healthy minds and bodies have lots of energy to make up for their missed days)..? Do the right thing in supporting the workers who are contributing to our communities."
—Denise, IL



"Having paid sick days is very important especially to families that have children or elderly people living with them. I remember having to take off school to take care of my younger brothers and sisters because my mom didn't get paid sick days where she works. And now that I am older and have my own job I am realizing that it hurts me too; because like many other Americans if I get sick I don't have paid sick days. This just isn't right everyone deserves paid sick days; you have to keep your employees healthy and comfortable financially so that they will continue to do a well done job."
—Tameria, IN



"My husband has been fighting cancer for five years. I have been fortunate to have 1.5 paid sick days per month. I have used all of my paid sick leave, my vacation days and used family medical leave and paid family leave to take time off to take my husband to appointments including chemotherapy and hospitalizations for surgery. Without paid sick days and an understanding employer I would not have been able to keep my job and keep up with my husbands' medical needs."

October 2007 my 55 year old husband, Steve, had a massive heart attack followed by quad-bypass surgery. He was off work for 3 1/2 months. We are one of the extremely fortunate families because my husband has a very good sick time program at his job with a county road department. If he had not had sick pay we would be homeless, My job would have never covered our living expenses in addition to medical and travel. It would have been devastating for our family. With the sick time he had, he could relax and recover without the worry of money. He is now back to work and doing very well, thanks in part to his sick time. My heart goes out to the families faced with situations like ours but with no sick time to rely on. Every working American should be entitled to paid sick time through their job. Thank you."
—Coraline, NV



"I recently had to take off several days cause my significant other had a life threatening infection which put him in the hospital for a week.

Two months later now, he is still being treated at home for the infection. I only took off 1 week while he was in the hospital but feel terrible because I can't afford to take time off to care for him or myself since I only have 2 paid sick days per year. Ray, my significant other, gets disability payments each month and I, a receptionist, don't make a lot of money. Due to this, I am still trying to keep my utilities and other things on due to loss of pay during this stressful time in my life. American's need to be able to take care of themselves and their families without worrying about how they are going to make it or if they are going to lose their jobs due to missing days of work. Paid sick days are very important and deserved by all of us."
—Debbie, OH



"Our family consists of a mom, dad, and two young boys (ages 4 yrs. and 11 months). My husband does not have any paid sick time and I stay at home with the children.

My older son has been sick for three days now with a high fever cold or flu and I am suffering from moderate to severe abdominal pain which the doctor assures me is probably a combination of constipation and painful ovulation. Taking care of my older son whose energy is on the rise and my younger son who is healthy and wants to crawl everywhere is very taxing when movement of any sort hurts. Having my husband home on a day like this would be a huge help. At a minimum it would allow me to share in parenting tasks that do not include the kids jumping on my body. We'd let my husband cover that. The best case would be a day of real rest for me, off my feet.

This is my story, my perspective. On the days that my husband is sick he still goes to work, increasing his exhaustion. Paid sick days would allow my husband to stay home for his own health or to help out when the boys or I am truly down."
—Amy, CA



"My partner has choose her job over me if i'm sick, if she out to many days boss on her case. She a nurse, wounderful nurse to.I'm disable, i get Medcare part A FREE, psy for part B, My incurance on medince to one cost $. 75.00. I don't think its right why anybody has to choose paycheck, job over a loved one."
—Claudia, MA



"In October of 2006 my wife was diagnosed with Non Hodgkins Lymphoma. She immediatley started an agressive chemotherapy treatment that carried on for 6 months. We both always worked full time. We have to do this just to pay the bills. When she became sick there was no such thing as paid sick days. Sure there was FMLA but you dont get paid for that. I fortunatley had vacation time I could use but my wife was working 2 part time jobs and had none to use. She was working over 40 hrs. a week but still no vacation time. We both always worked full time. We have to do this just to pay the bills. When she became sick there was no such thing as paid sick days. Sure there was FMLA but you dont get paid for that. I fortunatley had vacation time I could use but my wife was working 2 part time jobs and had none to use. She was working over 40 hrs. a week but still no vacation time. While she was off the days that she missed greatly affected the ability to pay our bills. So much so in fact that I had to cash in half of my 401K this past summer to pay Medical bills that were not covered as well as an assortment of other payments that were behind. So much for retirement funds!!

While my wife is in remission now (Thanks God!!) we still are catching up on a visa card that at times had to be used to just get groceries. We are making it but it was a real hard climb back up the mountain so to speak. I feel that workers should have paid sick days to help with situations like ours or even when your kids are sick. We are the greatest country in the world and we cannot even take care of our own workers!! Wake up Washington!! Its starting to feel like taxation without representation again!!!"
—Jerry, OH



"After taking a year off to welcome a foster child into our lives I started a new job. We really needed the income as my being home meant putting education loans on deferrement - really big educational loans. My second week at work, my daughter had 103 fever and I had to rush to her to get her to the Dr. I then stayed home with her the next two days.

My husband was out of town. Since she is our foster daughter I cannot leave her with anyone except licensed care, since you have to have met all the requirements of being a foster parent.

I missed work and my sick time had not starting accrueing yet, So I am not being paid for those days off. I have been here over a month and still havent ""earned"" sick time!

I think everyone should have paid sick time. I strongly believe there should be shortened waiting periods to earn it and it should not have to be accrued so slowly. My illnesses or my kids dont happen at times that are convenient."
—Sharon, CA



"I first entered the work force in 1969 at the age of 14,to help my family financially. My family was in a very serious auto accident; in the days before seat belts, which left us with huge medical bills and my mother disabled. My father had to miss work quite often for my mother's doctor appts. so his pay was short most weeks. When I had a family of my own, with 3 children to support it broke my heart to leave my kids with high fevers, runny noses, ...just needing their mom ...with whichever of my family members or friends was free to keep them. I have sat at my desk on days when my eyes would barely focus due to running fever myself - hardly productive - but necessary since if I wasn't there, I wasn't paid. All of these are reasons to change the status quo.

Hard working honest American citizens should get a break when it's needed. We deserve it - WE keep this country going."
—Dorothy, TN



"Ever since I enrolled my five year old in kindergarten in Sept. 2007 he has been sick on and off. Whenever he gets sick, we keep him home to get better. He ends up giving it to my baby who gets sick and then gets better. The sickness just keeps circulating back and forth. This has happened for the entire school year, (5 months).

Then, one day I was at his school getting all his make-up homework and was talking with his teacher who informed me that she has had bronchitis and walking pnemonia the entire school year. My son keeps getting sick from his own teacher! Why, because she can't afford to take enough sick days off to make her better. I just can't believe that a teacher is forced to teach with walking pnemonia. I know this would never happen in Scandinavia or Europe. It is unfair and dangerous to the health of our children. It ends up costing everyone more money and a lot of lost time. Please allow us to get better!"
—Atheena, CA



"Between being a single mother of two and a caretaker for a Mother with Alzheimer's, I was very torn and exasperated at times as to how to take care of everyone, with only three sick days and then if you took any further days you not only were not paid, but evaluated as taking too much time off."
—Victory, NY



"When my husband had major surgery last year, I had no choice but to let him go it alone. There were complications, he had to get back to the hospital 80 miles away again without my help. Two or three days would have been all we needed, maybe we would have caught the infection sooner so he wouldn't have had to go back, at the very least I could have been there to drive him to the hospital."
—Judith, OR



"When my husband had five week's recuperation after being hospitalized with a life-threatening infection, it was only his accrued sick time that kept us from bankruptcy. It is a health hazard for others when sick employees report to work, and unfair for them to be punished for missing work when ill. Please support this bill!"
—Lynn, PA



"As a woman who has had to care for her parents I see the need for paid sick days. It's difficult w/o them; having to hurry home at lunch hoping traffic will be light. The same returning. I've also been there to help other women family members care for ill children because they could not survive if they lost their jobs to nurse them."
—Linda, AZ



"I had to take time off work to care for my husband who had sudden open-heart surgery and then not too long after that, take care of my aged mother. Not every employer is sympathetic in giving sick time for chronic or aging family members."
—Patricia, CA

Stories from Working Mother Perspective

"We recently moved to a new city with new jobs and a new daycare. Our son had never been in daycare and was suddenly contracting every sickness. Within 3 days he had pink eye and the beginnings of pneumonia which was treated right away. One of the three of us have been sick for the past three months. Luckily our employers have been understanding, but we have no more sick time available. We use it as soon as we earn it. We have thousands of dollars medical bills that insurance or flex will not cover, as we were too new on our jobs. My husband has now contracted full pneumonia and had to take a week off of work. Luckily he has short-term disability insurance. I am currently writing this at work while sick. I don't know if perhaps I have developed pneumonia, also, but don't have time to even go to Urgent Care, as the wait there is too long. I'm hoping I can ""plow through it"". There has got to be a better way than this."
—Kathy R, WA



"I raised my son as a single mother who worked full-time. I was given 5 paid sick days that were used with CAUTION. It was company policy that any additional sick time after the use of the five could result in termination. Those five days were golden, it was five days that I did not have to worry about losing pay. It is inhumane for companies to have the power to not have paid sick time for their employees and it is sad that we live in the richest country in the world and we still are battling with this human right."
—Susan, OH



"When my teenage daughter was sick for a week and losing weight I went to work. I worried about her from my office. I'm a single mom. I didn't have a choice as to whether I could stay home with her and take her to a doctor. Paid sick days are so important to the many, many single parents who are the SOLE financial providers for their families. Single parents need to be able to be HOME to nurture and care for family members when necessary."
—Ann, WI



"I am a working mother of three. I work with several people that do not have children. These people come to work sick so they don't get behind on their paperwork. I think they believe they are great employees because they will work when they are sick. They are able to go home at night and rest or take the weekend to rest so that they can get over their illness. But what they do is infect everyone else in the office including me. I can not go home when I am sick and rest, I have three children to take care of! So it takes me longer, sometimes up to six weeks to get over a common cold that was spread by a co-worker, not to mention giving it to my husband and three children. Lots of dollars spent at the doctor office too! When companies do not offer sick days and enforce a healthy work environment by insisting workers stay home when they are ill, it puts so many people at risk. I got Pneumonia last year for the first time in my life because I got a cold from a co-worker that I could not shake. I became so run-down being sick, taking care of three children, and continuing to go to work everyday (because everyone else did), that I almost put myself in the hospital. I also had already used up my vacation days because I do stay home when my children are sick. Sick days for all employees needs to be mandatory. Just think of how much more productive we would be if everyone was healthy. Just think of the millions of dollars that would be saved in medical expenses. Just think of the millions of little people that will be saved from illnesses!"
—Tami, IA



"I am a 36 year old female professional and value having paid sick days. I have a beautiful 4 year old daughter who was born three months premature and has had to visit the hospital on many occasions. In the last two years I have been a single mom due to a pending divorce and appreciate my sick days even more. If it weren't for my paid sick days I would be struggling even more than I am today. It is a relief not to have to worry about paid sick days, or losing my job with everything else single moms have to juggle and worry about on a daily basis!"
—Amy, IN



"I do have paid sick days, but my husband doesn't. If our daughter is ill it is me who always takes time off from my job, and I am the primary bread winner in the family. I am able to work from home, and have a very understanding office.If he takes any time off he doesn't get paid, and that harms our family budget greatly. It's crucial that every worker have paid time off for illness and rejuvenation. It's important for overall health and balance and equity in the workplace!"
—Nicole, IL



"I made the choice to be self-employed in order to avoid the problems of employment. I make less money, but can work when I am sick, or if my son is sick. I chose to be near poverty level so I could take care of my chronically ill son. If I had a job I would have lost it. So I have never been able to make much money and live hand to mouth. I know that any other way isimpossible, and I can barely pay my bills. THere has got to be a better way!"
—Christine, NY



"I worked for Rockwell International in the early 80's. We werent allowed any sick days even though it was a huge company. Between staying home to take care of sick children and catching the flu myself I realized itdidnt even pay me TO work. We were lucky that my husband made a good enough salary that I could stay home. But a lot of women arent that lucky. No one should have to do without just because they're sick."
—Iva, TX



"As a single Mother of two young girls, it was already impossible to pay all my bills but, when I OR one of my girls got sick, I was the one who had to stay home and lose even more money. All of this because I did not have sick days. I actually believe it took me longer torecooperate because the whole time I was missing work, I was under twice the stress because I knew I would not make the bills that much."
—Katina, OH



"I am a single-parent mother. Unfortunately today, the family unit is not what it used to be..so many children are being raised by single-parents. Having paid sick days allows us to be able to be home with a sick child or if we come down sick without the additional financial worry of receiving a short pay check that week. It is extremely difficult to raise children alone and particularly those of us who do not receive any child support because of dead-beat dads who are too lazy to work and pay their support or won't work because they don't want to pay support. Paid sick days help a lot in these situations because you simply cannot make it on less money or a smaller pay check!"
—Mamie, OH



"I have a generous fund of sick days, which I often spend on my infant daughter when the inevitable virus or ear infection means she is too sick to go to day care. Yet I know many families whose children attend our child care center do not have sick days. They are more likely to send their sick children to child care because they can't afford the time off, which then puts all the other kids at risk of infection. This creates a wave of hardship for other families and economic costs to many workplaces. This is a public health issue. Please work to secure a minimum offering of sick leave so that parents can be good parents AND good employees, not forced to choose one or the other."
—Andi E, MN



"I am a single mother working to support myself and my 2 children. They both have asthma and one month they both came down very sick and I missed 5 days of work in 4 weeks time and lost a weeks pay because I don't have sick time. I fell behind on my bills and it was a struggle. Please support paid sick days for employees who work so hard to make it in a tough economical world we live in today. Thank you."
—Stacey T, ME



"10 years ago, my son almost died with pneumonia at the age of 1, and my employer would not allow me a flexible schedule. Ultimately I had to quit my job. I didn't want to give up my job, but I couldn't leave my son. I was single with two children and was forced to collect TANF, and enroll in Mainecare. Because I couldn't pay my rent I had to leave my apartment and live with my father for a year. Lack of paid sick days forced me out of the workforce and onto assistance. I was a productive employee in need of flexibility in my job. But instead I was faced with a horrible choice: my job or my child. I ask you to support Maine's families and Maine's workers by supporting this legislation aimed at helping workers meet family needs in times of illness. Simple flexibility as part of an existing benefit is a small change that can make a tremendous difference. No one should have to between their child and their job."
—Lisa W, ME



"When my girls were little, they got chicken pox, so naturally, the pre-school they were registered in wouldn't take then until they were no longer contageous. I couldn't stay home and care for them because my boss told me if I took any time off work to care for my kids, I would be fired! I was able to take one vacation day to arrange for care for my two sick young girls."
—Karen G, NV



"I do have paid sick leave. I have to miss 3 days of work before being paid. By that time I am well enough to go back to work. Essentially, it's like having no sick pay. I can't afford to be sick since I have to work 80 hours a month for medical benefits for my family. Being a mother of a 6 month old, I have to work the 80+ hours to make sure she has medical insurance.We need to have 1st day paid sick leave. I work in a major grocery store and if I get sick I have to pass it along to the customer because I can't afford to take a day off. It's just a vicious cycle that needs to stop.When my baby gets sick I can't afford to take time off because I will lose my insurance benefits too.It's just a shame companies have to be so greedy."
—TREA S, CA



"I go to work sick all the time because if i dont then my bills dont get paid! i feel gulty putting other people at risk but also have to support my family i cant even stay home to care for my children when theey are sick either! what has this world come to?
—CINDY T, IN



"Like many young children, my son, Jacob, suffered from numerous ear infections when he was young. One day, while working at a local furniture store, I got a call from his daycare. Jacob, who was two at the time, was running a fever and needed to be picked up. I couldn't leave. I called my husband, Shawn, in need of help

Shawn did not have any paid sick days. As a family, we could not afford for him to take the day off from work. There was no choice but to take Jacob to work with him. At the time, Shawn worked in a restaurant. He tried to make Jacob as comfortable as possible until I could get there to pick him up. Jacob slept in one of the restaurants' back booths. By the time I got there, he was running a fever of 102 and needed to be taken to the emergency room.

Because Shawn didn't have any paid sick days, my son paid the price--he got much sicker. No one should have to put their job at risk to care for their child. When workers have access to paid sick days everyone benefits: business owners, employees, mothers, fathers, and especially children."
—Christina, ME



"My daughter became ill with the flu. I had no choice but to take off of work to care for her. I am a single Mom so finding help is difficult. My employer scolded me and told me that I had responsibilities to this company as well. She suggested that I go and pick my daughter up, bring her back to work with me and make a pallet on the floor for her so I could get my work done. I think that paid sick days should be enforced so that parents won't have to be forced to make a choice betweeen their child's needs and their employer. (I chose my child by the way, and was written up for it)"
—Christina, TX



"A couple of years ago I got very sick when the flu I had turned into pneumonia. I ended up out of work for over a week and it helped a lot knowing I had sick time to cover me. However, when I was a single mom raising two small children on my own I had no health insurance and no sick time. I was always afraid that something large would happen and one day it did. I had to have emergency surgery and I was in a county hospital for nine days. It was extremely hard on me and my family. I was supposed to go home and recuperate for at least 6 weeks and I went back to work after one week of being home. I have paid for that over the years in many ways, but I had no choice at the time."
—Pamela, TX



"I currently reside in bend oregon where im raising my family and work an 8-5 job, My 2 year old daughter has been sick off and on with the flu and common colds to the point where we are thinking she may have a serious allergy problem and are seeking help from a medical specialist, However when my daughters daycare called me today to come and pick her up because her fever had spiked again, My supervisor approached me and told me "" You sure are taking a lot of time off "" Now I don't know if me caring for my sick child falls under the fmla or what steps I can take to protect myself, But I felt like I was being threatened in a way, and this is not the first comment that has been made to me regarding my child being sick ( Some comments have been more abrasive ), I do not have paid time off and I don't have family that can fill in for me when my daughter becomes ill. I don't know what to do, I feel threatened and afraid of loosing my job. I'm just plain scared and I don't know where to turn for help. On the other hand my children's health is the most important..........honestly I don't feel what my manager is doing to me should be legal, I feel like Im being bullied so to speak. Something needs to be done about this."
—Rebekah, OR



"Yes I have benefited when my children were sick I was able to take the time off from work and still get paid for it. This really helped due to the fact I am a single parent!"
—Tina, GA



"Each year in January it is guaranteed that my son will be out of school sick; at least for a few days. He was born with a breathing disorder and due to the winter climate we live in he cannot breathe in the coldest months and is out sick. This means I need to take sick days from work in order to stay home with him. I save my sick days so I can be home with him. Then it is almost a guarantee that I will get sick and need a few days to recover myself. Now my employer is looking at taking away my sick days (to save themselves money). In life it is a given people and children will get sick we should not be penalized for this."
—Tricia, MA



"I am a single mother. When my child is sick, I have to take vacation time in order to stay home and care for my son. If I don't have any vacation time remaining, my son stays home alone or I don't get paid if I have to stay home with him. A mother's place is caring for her children when they're too sick to go to school."
—Sara, GA



"I was a single Mother of 2 young children for 10 years! I was LUCKY to have 6 paid sick days a year, however, when those 6 days were used up during a bout with the flu,which lasted 7 days, I was forced to miss work many more times to take care of my children when they were sick! Many, Many months, I went without enough food to eat in order for my children to have food. I made ""TOO MUCH MONEY"" to qualify for food stamps so I went hungry! This is an ATTROCITY in America when we are spending money to police the world by making war with other countries instead of taking care of it's own people. WE ""THE PEOPLE"" need to TAKE OUR GOVERNMENT BACK!By the people....FOR the people! Help us do our jobs....give us all paid sick leave for ourselves and our children!"
—Tina, OH



"I worked for years haveing to use my vacation days when i was sick, because my company did not have sick days.I was a single mom and days without pay were really hard, when trying to pay bills.”
—Ruth, NC



"I worked in civil service. We were allowed to accrue sick days and as a result I was able to take at least 8 weeks off after the birth of both of my children. Having this privelege is a necessity for every working family. However, limits should not be allowed. We were only allowed 3 sick call offs in 6 months. Those with children know how ludicris this is! More changes need to be made."
—Ruth, OH



"My kids are ages 2 and 3 and the child care center doesn't take them when they are sick. Neither my husband nor I have paid sick days. Please pass the Healthy Families Act!"
—Kari,MN



"I am a single mother of two my youngest is three and gets sick occasionally. Sick days are very important because every penny is accounted for in my monthly budget. If I do not have sick days to cover the time I am out of work I am forced to used vacation time or receive no pay at all either way I lose and my family does also. We have not had a vacation in over three years. Sick and tired of being sick and tired in Pennsylvania."
—Navita, PA



"I was a single mom for 17 yeaars, divorced from a stalking, battering man...who did not pay child support... When I was ill, my boss insisted I come to work and so I went to work often with a fever and because we were a family, sometimes I had to leave my kids when they were the ages of 10-16 home alone. The worst time was my son had pnuemonia and was burning up. All I could do was leave him a bowl to spit in, piles of food around him - he preferred to sleep on the floor in the living room in a sleeping bag, liquids and rented movies and call him whenever I could. What a horrible position to be in - I was so scared - years later it is still a souce of heartsick pain"
—Susan, MI



"I was a single mom struggling to work more than full time while also attending work full time. When I finally completed college I was able to get a job that provided me sick leave for myself and my daughter. Most people who don't have sick leave also are poorly paid. They are the ones who can least afford to be without sick leave!"
—L., OR



"As a single mother that has four children, I fast learned that I needed employment with benefits including a reasonable amount of sick days. I used all my sick days for taking my children to the doctor and caring for them. There was never enough for all of us, I have always worked when I was sick to make it through. To this day I have trouble taking my sick time due to having to make ends meet. I would not have been able to keep a stable home for my children with out this benefit and I am proud to say my youngest is about to become 21 years old. All four of my children have gone to school to better themselves."
—Betty, MN



"It's so hard being a single mom trying to take off when my little girl is sick. I can't always depend on my Mom and everyone else works! My boss always says ""Get a backup plan!"". I which she was in the same situation sometimes!! School won't take her, daycare won't take her. The government needs to step in. If the doctor says she's sick, one parent should have paid days off to care for the child."
—Amy, AL



"As a single mom, if my child is sick--I stay home too. And I don't get paid, and I miss that in my paycheck. If he's sick for more than a day--I lose a significant part of a paycheck. That hurts us both, long term."
—Lily, AK



"As a single mother of three, two full grown children on their own, I remember days when I went to work aching with Kleenex stuffed up my nose so the drippage wasn't interfering with my work. I cannot for the life of me understand why we allow this! I know first hand the need for better working conditions in this country!"
—Victoria, AZ



"I am a working mother. I have at some point in my life been forced to go in to work because I couldn't afford to take the day off. I had to drag myself in and infect everyone I worked with...or take the day off and not be able to put food on the table that week. This should not be the choice that this country's mothers face."
—Leanna, AZ



"As a working mom, I know how critical this is. Kids aren't allowed to go to school or day care when they're sick, forcing mothers to stay home with them. To penalize them for caring for their children is contrary to the ideals of any enlightened society."
—Joanne, CA



"As a working single mom who is lucky enough to have paid sick days, I don't know what I would do without them. My son dislocated his wrist in a basketball game. Without paid sick [days], I would not have been able to get him to the doctor and not able to take him to the several doctor's visits required in the weeks afterward. I was able to be with him through two different casts and provide moral support at a scary time."
—Catherine, CA



"As a working mother of minor children, I was in a state of panic whenever a child became ill...torn between a workload and motherhood, workload won out because the job was essential...my kids suffered through emergency babysitters, lying on my office floor and at some point being latch key sick kids...A terrible situation that begs for rectification."
—Rebecca, CA



"As a mother of a disabled child, I do not know what I would have done if I had not had paid sick days that I could use when he was sick. But I have health issues of my own, which means that some years I end up using all of my sick time. Luckily I work for an employer that offers 1/2 day sick time when I have used my normal 10 days."
—Pamela, CA



"Had I not been employed by the State of California in its University system, my current health struggles would've surely landed me on the street with my two kids. It is so important to know that your job will be waiting for you when you or your child gets better. Please support the Healthy Families Act."
—Anna, CA



"I am a single mother and I lost 3 jobs when my daughter was young because she was sick and I had to stay home and take care of her. It is ridiculous that this is not a given in our society."
—Sarah, CO



"As a single mom for most of my children's lives, and having earned my Bachelor's, two Master's, and most of my PhD while raising these two, and having to use my sick and vacation time when they were ill while I went to work sick myself, I wholeheartedly support efforts to give working women paid sick days!"
—Colleen, FL



"I am a single parent with a teenage son who is active and healthy, but about three years ago he broke his leg. My manager at the time said he was old enough to stay home alone. Now he could not walk, did not know how to use crutches...My manager told me I could be out one day, and I told her I would be out all week and take care of my child. I worried about losing my job as I was the only income, but my child came first. Please, don't let this happen to anyone else."
—Rosalina, FL



"Being a single mother with a little girl in daycare, I need sick days. She gets sick from daycare and then I miss work for her. If I get sick then I miss work for me. If my babysitter gets sick then I miss work for that. If people could stay home to get better, germs would not spread like they do. I have gone to work sick many times because I can't afford to miss work and I don't have very many sick days at all."
—Jennefer, KS



"As a single mother of a 4 year old, I have experienced the hardships of deciding if I should stay at home to care for my child's illness or go to work and feel guilty knowing my baby was home ill from daycare that I still was paying for and in addition paying a baby sitter to watch over him....you shouldn't have to decide to neglect yourself of your parenting duties or risk being written up, warned, or your employment jeopardized..."
—Sharla, MA



"For many years I was a single-working mother and used my sick days to care for my children when they were sick. Everyone should have this opportunity. When I was teaching I saw many children sent to school sick because their families had no one to care for them. This is just not fair. Do the right thing for children."
—Karen, SC



"As a mother, I know just how often my children are sick and that it is often not by fault of mine or theirs. Why should we be further penalized for having to lose pay and cause hardships in the home with bills, etc.! Each parents goes through their own turmoil, but I deal with a child with a seizure disorder and ADHD, so I know what I go through. Some are less and some are more, but we deserve the same rights."
—Andrea, TN



"Having been raised by a single mother who worked 16 hour days without child support or govt assistance, I understand the financial burden many working mothers struggle against when they must leave work in order to take care of a sick child. It's unconscionable that in a society that supposedly places high regard on family values, that paying mothers for sick days is not considered a family value. Do the honorable and just thing: Give mothers paid sick days."
—Jackie, TX



"I am now a grandmother, but raised two daughters, and not being able to be home when my children were ill was devastating for all of us. When will this generation of people and politicians realize that this next generation will be the ones taking care of us, and administering all the businesses, governmental agencies, etc.?"
—Barbara, WA



"As a single parent for more than 17 years, if I had not had a good employer in the oil industry who gave a number of days of sick leave for either a family member or for myself, I could not have been able to keep my job, because the health and safety of my children has always been primary. It is difficult to understand why all employers don't have this [policy]. PLEASE pass this bill!"
—Helen, TX



"As a full-time working mother, I receive 6 sick days a year, and let me tell you, between the amount of diseases & illnesses that we come across on a daily basis & the amount that our children encounter in daycares & schools, I NEED every one of those days. To have those days, means I can receive pay & not have to worry about choosing between money for our family & our family's health."
—Nadia, WI



"By not giving women paid sick days women are sometimes forced to chose between taking care of their own health or their child's with their child's needs usually winning out. I have put off my own needs because I have a diabetic daughter who requires me to take off work frequently to care for her. A mass was just found in my breast. I have not had the regular checkups that I should because I use my sick time for my child."
—Jeanine, CA

Stories from Workers Disciplined for Taking a Sick Day

"Everybody needs paid sick days. When we are barely keeping our heads above water on low wages, fuel prices spiraling out of control and rampant inflation, a couple of days without pay can spell disaster! Of course, there are areas like Kalispell, Montana, where my employer gave sick days but then told us if we used them we would be fired. During one flu season, because we were told that the next person who called in sick would be fired, people came to work sick and the flu swept through the company like wildfire. I caught BOTH strains of the flu at once and had to go to the emergency room! Because the doctor demanded that I stay home until I was no longer contagious, I wasn't fired, but the 2 days of sick leave that I took were used against me in my next review!"
—Monica, MT



"I work in in an office of 25 people where every one including sales persons receive paid sick days except for three of us. I could not really understand the reason that we are not included. I'm constantly asking the company for small loans to be able to pay bills after I had to stay home sick one or two days (which is not very often) and when my child would be sick. Not only I don't get paid, I have to do double the work as there's nobody who is trained to do my whole day's work. I find that very unfair that I'm doing the work with no pay and still feeling lousy from not being unable to shake the flu in one or two days. I'mashamed to say that I've been with the company for 11 years."
—Betty, NH



"Here is my story...In oct.. I got very sick with diverticulitis...My doctor put me on bed rest for 2 weeks...While I was out of work my boss hounded me to come back, I was way to sick...I told him I would be back as soon as I could..I was not receiving sick pay at all...When I did go back to work early he fired me and told me he needed someone he could count on...I worked for this man for 2 yrs..I was shocked..He also denied me for unemployment...Sometimes things happen and you get sick... how are you to foresee these things...I didn't want to be sick...Its afinancial burden to miss work...DO WHATS RIGHT!!!!"
—Heather, NM



"I'm a retired single mother. When I worked for a health insurance company, my contact allowed 9 paid sick days a year. Once my school-aged children got sick & I had to use 5 sick days for them. The bosses called me into their offices to tell me I was jeopardizing my job by using my sick days, even though they were in my contract! I guess businesses in this country don't like motherhood, even though they pay lip service to family values!"
—Dorian, NJ



"This is a true story about my granddaughter, 30 years old single mom with one son. She was stricken with a heart attack a year ago and almost lost her job. In fact was unable to participate in her therapy after having a stint put in because her employer who does not have enough employees to come under the FMLA act. She had used all of her sick time plus and was told that if she missed any more time he would have to let her go for enablity to do her job. He then applied an unreasonable amount of job pressure on her raising her quota of sales higher then others in the office when she was already the most productive sales person he had. He not raised her quota he lowered her commisssion per sale. If ever there was a need for a paid time off sick play this guy needs to have to comply with one. He has three women working in his office full time and one part time. So when and if this policy every is made law it has to incorporate those small employers because they are the worse prepatrators of stress and unfair employment practices."
—Sally, MI



"Late last year, my daughter's boyfriend had been working many extra hours at a retail store for the Christmas rush. He had a bad cold that turned into bronchitis and although he was really ill, the employer told him he could not call in sick. He is an hourly worker with no paid sick time. He was still very sick after Christmas, and was given a new employee to train as he often had. It turned out that new employee had mononeucliosis, and knew but was still coming to work. As a result of being so run down from not having time off to recover from the bronchitis, he contracted mono, had to be hospitalized for two weeks, had a tonsilectomy with complications, and almost died. On top of that, his manager told him he would be fired for being out so long. He had been working at that store for a year and a half, and in that time had gone from stocking shelves, to a customer service manager. It is vital that such employees as him get paid sick leave. I can see them not allowing it until after six months or so, but to not allow it at all seems uncivilized. We are the only western country with such horrible treatment of employees, all so the corporations can keep their 'bottom line' a little bigger. "
—Lynn, OR



"MY COMPANY, WHOE BY THE WAY ISNT EVEN AN AMERICAN OWNED COMPANY, PUNISHES US FOR BEING SICK!!! ALL OF US DRIVERS DRIVE THE ELDERLY, HANDICAPPED, AND EMOTIONALLY CHALLENGED. WE DO WHEEL CHAIRS DOOR TO DOOR SERVICE, AND ARE CONSTANTLY EXSPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS, AND EVERYONES GERMS!!! YET WHEN WE GET SICK THEY USE THEIR POINT SYSTEM AGAIST US, TO MANY POINT IN A 90 DAY FLOATING PERIOD RESULTS IN SUSPENSION, AND EVENTUALLY TERMINATION!!!! THIS COMPANY IS IN GREAT BRITAIN, ITS FIRST TRANSIET, WHOE BOUGHT OUT LAIDLAW, THEY HAVE A MONOPOLEY ON TRANSPORTATION IN THIS COUNTRY!!! ALL OF US ARE TREATED LIKE CATTLE WHOE ARE NEVER SUPPOSE TO BE SICK OR INJURED!!!!ALL OF WE THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY HAVE BECOME NOTHING BUT SLAVES TO CORPORATE INDUSTRIE!!! THEY RAKE IN THE BIG BUCKS, BIG BENIFITS, WHILE ALL US LITTLE PEOPLE DO ALL THE WORK!!!GET NO RESPECT, NO BENIFITS, OR ANYTHING ELSE A WORKINK HUMAN BEING DESERVES!!!! SICK DAYS SHOULD BE MANDATORY THUOUT OUR GREAT NATION!!!! IF ONE OF THE BIG WIGS GETS SICK THEY DONT LOOSE A DIME, THEY ARE NOT PUNISHED FIRED OR ANYTHING ELSE!!!ITS TIME THIS COUNTRY BEGAN TO TAKE CARE OF WE THE PEOPLE, THE WORKING CLASS, WHOE MALE THIS NATION WHAT IT IS!!!LAWS NEED TO BE IMPOSED TO PROTECT ALL OF US!!! MY INSURACE ALONE COSTS ME ALMOST 50.00 A WEEK THATS A BIG CHUNK FOR A SINGLE, CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT A FAMILYS COST, NOONE I KNOW CAN AFFORD IT!!!! "
—Mary, CT



"My youngest son is a single father of three girls. A number of times he has been written up for a reprimand because he has stayed home when one of the girls is sick or even once in the hospital. Fathers get sick and fathers care for their children. I think a single father should have paid sick days and should be allowed to care for sick minor children without this stopping them from getting a promotion or raise and it certainly should not be a reason for reprimand. "
—Mary, TX



"I have lost money, trying to make money-I have learned that me and work work well together as long as I don't tell others how a job should be done, even if I know I am right- having money is not safe for me, not large amounts, anyway- I work hard, and I can barely break even- I am greatful for what I get and my appreciation level is high, because I don't get much- I think God might see fit to approve of my life, at last!"
—Josie, ME



"I had to work while having bouts of awful bronchitis, bouts of walking pneumonia, and excruciating, debilitating migraine headaches. I got no time off at all even when I was in severe headache pain, nauseous, dizzy, coughing up phlegm, or vomiting. Instead, I had to act like I wasn't sick, and keep up the same standards and smiling face as one who was perfectly healthy. I couldn't take unpaid days off from work because I couldn't afford to do that. I needed the money to pay for things like rent and food. When my quality of work suffered substantially from having to go to work while so sick, I was fired from my job because, according to my then-supervisor, I did not create a happy environment for the customers. Enough is enough! Something has got to change!"
—Noel, WA



"I have lost more than 1 job as a single mom in nh. many years ago without paid sick days."
—Cindy, FL



"Sick days are very important to our family. My mother has lost numerous jobs because she had to miss days to take care of my grandmother. I myself have also lost many jobs because of the same situations with my twin boys being sick and not being able to go to work until they were better. We need something that covers this type of unforseen events in our lives."
—Bianca, TX



"No sick days so for 29 years I have had to work sick or rish reprisals or the threat of losing my job. And anyone who misses over 3 day in a year is threaten. This has forced my wife to miss work and put herself at risk because my job is the higher paying job."
—Don, MO



"I am the sole provider for my family, without sick pay there would be no pay when I finally admit that I am too sick to work. Even with sick leave we are punished for using too much of it. In a six month period, if we use more than 2 % or our working time being sick, the next 6 mos we go with out pay the first sick day and 80 % pay after that. Only if we can stay below 2 % in a six month period can we get full sick pay for the next six months. What a scam, but I am grateful for anything."
—Trisha, TX



"My employer gives me 40 hours of sick pay in my benefit package. But the policy is you either use vacation or apply for FMLA. FMLA you have to be sick a minium pf 3 days to qualify and is not a benefit for your children. I had kidney stones and I was out for 4 days, FMLA did not consider that a good enough reason. New employee I only occur 3.3 hours of vac. a month. So now, I go into the occurance program. This program allows only 3 a year and then your job is terminated. I got 2 occurances for my kidney infection. One night a work I got a call from the hospital my daughter had a kidney infection and they needed me to come and talk to the Dr.'s and bring her home. I could not go, because I would gotton an occurance and been fired. How can sick pay be a part of my benefit package if useing I can loose my job,"
—Lori, WI



"I work 5 hours a day, 7 days a week. It's not full time but if I call in sick it is [counted as] refusal to work and grounds for being fired. Hopefully someday jobs like mine will allow sick leave. Maybe even paid."
—Susan, AL



"They are still penalized on their annual review if they take more than two days off twice a year. Not only must the Healthy Families Act be enacted, but attitudes towards the use of sick days need to change."
—Karen, NY



"At my company we are paid for sick days but they are counted against us and we are given occurrences. I think they need to stop. We need to make companies give us the paid sick days but not hold it against us when we take them off."
—Darla, AZ



"I broke my leg from a fall at home, and may not be able to do my job for another two months. Fortunately I am in a union, and work for the Maryland Transit Administration. I have accumulated enough sick time that I have been receiving a pay check up till just last week. Because of paid sick time, I will be able to survive financially. Someone else would probably have lost everything including their home."
—Anton, MD



"I'm out of sick days and I just missed 2 1/2 days because my 3 year old has strep throat & an upper respiratory infection and my supervisor is giving me grief about it. Please help."
—Debbie, IL



"As a working mom I was up all night with a very sick child and called in to take the day off. I worked in an office at a manufacturing company not an hourly employee. I was told, "If I didn't report for work, then I really didn't need my job!"
—Marilyn, IL



"After five and a half years of dedicated service at a human rights organization, I was told that I could not take my daughter to her appointment with an orthopedic surgeon. She had twisted her ankle badly on the playground. The morning of the appointment I was laid off and she was fitted with a cam walker that afternoon. No concern or remorse was expressed for my small child."
—Carla, NY

Stories from Business Owners

"As an employer I am all for paid sick days for our employees. I have found that employees work better, are under less stress, they get the rest they need in order to recover completely and it keeps our other employees healthy. In the long run we save money and maintain good employees."
—Luis L, CA



"My dad is the owner of a self-employed business. he owns carrick hardware, after my dad came back from being DRAFTED and couldn't go to college because his own dad died in the war before, he HAD to own his father's business. Now, he is suffering from esophagus cancer, the second time around. he is not getting any payed sick days, so he was forced to retire. he still works three times a week with my uncle/his brother because he still has to help him out. HE DESERVES SICK DAYS!!! SO DOES EVERYONE ELSE!"
—Melissa, PA



"I run a small business and I encourage people to stay home when they are sick. Otherwise, the bug goes from person to person and more people end up being out for more days. I have found that providing paid sick days is a good business practice. I also let my staff stay home with sick children -- it's the right thing to do, and they are appreciative and work even harder when they are here."
—Lisa, DC



"I have owned a very small business for 22 yrs. I have thrown one of our "working moms" out of the office when she had a sick kid on her hands (with pay of course). How could you not? These women have made some tough and necessary choices and we should support them as much as we should also support those who have sick parents they are taking care of!"
—Mary, NJ



"I'm the manager of a small retail shop in rural southern Utah. We provide paid sick leave for our three full-time staff. If we can do it, anyone can."
—Susan, UT



"Productivity is higher for women in the marketplace when the mothers of sick children are not distracted by their children's health issues. The extra care for children ensures future citizens, and future workers, a healthier adulthood, which makes are more energetic and competitive workforce."
—Mark, CA