Bring paid sick days to Vermont!
Great news...Vermont could be the first state to ensure a minimum standard of paid sick days for its residents! While we're working hard to pass a federal paid sick days bill, we're also working on establishing a statewide paid sick days law in Vermont. Read on to find out more about the campaign:
Why bring sick days to Vermont?- • In Vermont, 57 percent of private-sector employers do not offer any paid sick days to their employees. That means 118,000 working Vermonters must go without paid sick time to deal with their own or their family's health needs or to address domestic violence issues.
- • Nearly 80% of Vermonters are in support of enacting legislation that would guarantee a minimum standard of paid sick days for all state residents.
- • Vermont is one of the states in which flu is considered "widespread" according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Mom voices matter. Take action today!- The Vermont House of Representatives needs to hear from you. Send a letter to your state representatives in the House.
Related links - • Click here to access an article from the Burlington Free Press about a delay in flu vaccinations at Vermont flu clinics.
- • Click here to access information about H1N1 from the Vermont Department of Health.
About the bill: - The paid sick time bill makes it possible for virtually every worker in Vermont to take time off from work when they or a family member are ill without being penalized. By establishing minimum requirements that employers have the option of exceeding, it ensures that everyone can earn paid sick time - an employee would earn one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked, up to a maximum of 56 hours each year. It also ensures that everyone can use paid sick time to care for themselves and their families, whether that means taking time off to recover from or received treatment for an illness of injury; care for a family member; obtain diagnostic, routine, preventive, or therapeutic health care; take necessary steps for their safety as a result of sexual abuse, domestic violence, or stalking. All employers already offering equal or more generous paid sick time would be unaffected.
Want more facts about paid sick days? Click here to access to our "Learn More" page.Check out the great work that is being done by our partners in Vermont! We're working with these awesome organizations as part of a Paid Sick Days Coalition:
