Clark & Lewis: Massachusetts Workers Deserve Earned Paid Sick Time

BOSTON, MA—Senator Katherine Clark (D-Melrose) and Representative Jason Lewis (D-Winchester) today called on the legislature to stand up for Massachusetts workers.  In testimony before the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development, Senator Clark and Representative Lewis voiced their support for An Act establishing earned paid sick time to establish provisions for all employees to earn up to 7 paid sick days per year, at the rate of 1 hour for every 30 hours worked. 

“We should not be forcing employees to come to work sick or make parents choose between the health of a child and a steady job,” said Senator Clark, who has cosponsored the bill. “Together our efforts to raise the minimum wage, establish earned sick time, and achieve pay equity will not only benefit our families and our communities, but our economy as well.”

“Most of us take for granted that we can take a sick day from work when we are ill or need to care for a sick child, but many workers in Massachusetts do not have even a single paid sick day,” said Representative Lewis, who is the lead sponsor of the legislation in the House of Representatives.  “These workers, many of whom work in restaurants and the hospitality industry, show up for work when they are sick – which further spreads disease – because they cannot afford to lose a day’s wages or the risk of being fired.”

Almost 1 million Massachusetts workers do not have access to paid sick days, leaving them prone to emergency room visits, sacrificing care-giving to elderly or sick family members, and exposing the public to greater health risks.  Studies have shown that allowing employees to earn paid sick days would save millions of dollars in medical costs. 

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