The Working Families Story Bank – Ashley’s Story

The Working Families Story Bank is a collection of story portraits of workers and employers across America. Presented by the Family Values @ Work Consortium, a national network of 14 regional coalitions, the Story Bank focuses on narratives about paid sick days and affordable family leave. Many of the stories reveal the human consequences of current workplace policies. Other stories show the promising practices of employers who support the dignity of their workers and staff through their workplace policies.

Below is Ashley’s story.

Ashley is an outreach specialist at an employment training agency and a mom. She is happy that she now has paid sick days, but that was not always the case. Having paid sick days allows here to care for her son when he is ill especially since her child care provider will not accept him when he is ill. Having the flexibility of paid sick days also allows her to see her own doctor as she can take time off in increments of 15 minutes.

Prior to her current job, Ashley worked as a waitress and did not have any paid sick days. She would dread getting sick as missing a day meant missing her wages, making it impossible to make ends meet. Ashley sees paid sick days as a tool that people need in order to succeed and be self-sufficient.

Want to hear Ashley and others from Pennsylvania tell their stories in their own words? Please visit the Working Families Story Bank.