California Voters Say ‘YES’ to Paid Sick Days
Featured Guest Blogger August 11th, 2008
Fiona Ma, San Francisco Assemblywoman and author of AB 2716, has reason to celebrate, and she may be joined at her celebration by the 5.4 million workers in California who don’t currently have paid sick days. Ma’s bill, which would make California the first state in the nation to allow for paid sick days, passed the Assembly and has moved on to the Senate. A recent poll, administered by the California Center for Research on Women and Families (CCRWF) shows that 73% of California voters are in favor of the bill.
The CCRWF commissioned the Field Research Corporation to conduct the survey, and here are just a few of the compelling findings:
- 85% of Democrats, 74% of non-partisans, and 56% of Republicans support the bill
- 81% of respondents agree that paid sick days would keep sick restaurant workers at home and keep the public from being infected
- 82% agree that paid sick days are a good idea because sick people may spread their illnesses to their coworkers and customers
Opponents also chimed in:
- 74% agree that paid sick days would increase the cost of doing business
- 52% say that paid sick days will hurt some workers because businesses will be forced to reduce hours or lay off some employees
It seems that the voters of California wholeheartedly see the need for paid sick days, but also acknowledge that there may be some drawbacks. We will keep you posted on what happens in the Senate.
