News release
MONTGOMERY COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND COUNCIL SIGN NEW PAID SICK LEAVE BILL INTO LAW
July 2, 2015
Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996
More than 100,000 workers in Montgomery County will benefit from earned sick leave law; US Secretary of Labor, advocates and state lawmakers pledge to push for state and national legislation
ROCKVILLE, MD –On Thursday, Working Matters joined Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett, County Council members and state lawmakers, as well as US Labor Secretary Thomas E. Perez, at a ceremony to sign the Earned Sick and Safe Leave bill into law. The measure, which will go into effect on October 1, 2016, provides workers in the county with up to seven paid sick days per year and will benefit more than 100,000 workers. It is one of the country’s most progressive earned sick leave laws because it applies to all workers and contains no exceptions based on the size of the employer or the type of work or industry.
“With this legislation, we are joining a host of states and local jurisdictions who, like us, are adopting their own paid leave requirements. From San Francisco to Connecticut, the sick leave bills have been a benefit, not a hindrance,” said Montgomery County Executive Isiah “Ike” Leggett. “As with our minimum wage law, the sick and safe leave bill will contribute to a more robust, healthier economy.”
Introduced by Montgomery County Council President George Leventhal (At-Large) along with Councilmembers Nancy Navarro (District 4) and Marc Elrich (At-Large), the Earned Sick and Safe Leave bill was passed unanimously by the council on June 23.
Expressing support from President Barack Obama, U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez said, “Today’s moment will be a continuation of a movement. Creating paid leave on the federal level is a ‘when,’ not an ‘if.’”
The effort was also supported by the Working Matters coalition, comprised of 140 labor, community, faith, and immigrant rights groups. The coalition, along with affected workers, helped defeat numerous amendments aimed at weakening the law by meeting with councilmembers, as well as by directing thousands of letters, phone calls and petition signatures to elected officials.
“Thanks to the Council, we can take a day off if we need to see a doctor or if we have a family emergency,” said Hilaria Bonilla, a fast food worker in Gaithersburg and member of CASA. “I am energized and committed to help make paid sick leave a reality for other workers in Maryland, so they too can take better care of themselves and their families.”
Some highlights of the new law:
- Workers at Montgomery County businesses with five or more employees will earn one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up to 56 hours (seven days) annually.
- Workers in businesses with less than five employees will also earn seven days of sick time (four paid days plus three unpaid days).
- The bill applies to part-time workers who regularly work at least eight hours per week.
- Workers can use their paid sick time to care for themselves or a member of their family.
- The safe time provision ensures that victims of domestic violence or sexual assault can use paid leave to obtain medical attention and victims services.
- Employees who are laid off will have their previously accumulated time reinstated if they are rehired within nine months.
The paid sick days victory in Montgomery County sets the stage for statewide action when the Maryland General Assembly reconvenes in January. The Working Matters coalition has worked with legislators to introduce paid sick days legislation during the previous three sessions. Nearly 100 state senators and delegates have sponsored the Maryland Healthy Working Families Act.
“Montgomery County has set a strong example for leaders in Annapolis to follow,” said Jaime Contreras, 32BJ SEIU Vice President and a member of the Working Matters coalition. “We must now work to ensure that no one in Maryland has to choose between seeking medical attention and losing a day’s pay or worse, losing their jobs.”
“Today’s victory in Montgomery County represents a huge step forward for the Maryland Campaign for Paid Sick Days,” said Melissa Broome, deputy director of the Job Opportunities Task Force, convener of the Working Matters coalition. “Statewide, 40 percent of workers – more than 700,000 – lack access to this most basic, commonsense workplace protection. Working Matters looks forward to continuing this conversation in Annapolis in 2016.”
For a typical family, missing just 3.5 days of pay due to illness is equivalent to losing an entire month’s grocery budget. When families lose the income needed to purchase the essentials, our state economy and local businesses suffer.
Studies also show that earned sick days have a vast impact on workplace productivity. According to the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, workers who underperform because of illness cost employers an estimated $160 billion each year. Job retention policies like paid sick days also reduce turnover and drive down unemployment.
In this year’s State of the Union address, President Obama said workers deserve paid sick leave and that leaders have a moral duty to make it a reality for all workers. Access to sick days is also vastly unequal as higher-earning workers are nearly four times more likely to have sick days than the lowest paid workers. According to the Economic Policy Institute, “only one-in-five low-wage workers have paid sick days, compared with 87 percent of high-wage workers.”
Momentum for earned sick time continues to grow with workers in four states and now 20 jurisdictions able to earn paid sick days. Legislators and policymakers understand that paid sick leave keeps families financially secure, workplaces and communities healthier, businesses more productive and the economy stronger. Studies show that workers earning paid sick days have little or no impact on cost.
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Backed by Working Matters, a coalition of 140 organizations working to advance the Maryland Campaign for Paid Sick Days, the measure is supported by a broad group of local organizations including 32BJ SEIU, Advocates for Children and Youth, CASA, Jewish Community Relations Council, Jews United for Justice, Job Opportunities Task Force, LiUNA! Mid-Atlantic, Maryland Working Families, the Metro Washington Council AFL-CIO, MomsRising, the Montgomery County Education Association, Progressive Maryland, Public Justice Center, SEIU Local 500, UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO, and UFCW Local 400.
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