Media Advisory: City Council to Hear From Thomas Jefferson University's James Plumb MD, MPH On Why Paid Sick Days are Good for Public Health

Dr Plumb will be joined by Tiffany Lomax and Dina Yarmus who value their employers' earned sick day policies

WHAT: Public Health and Earned Sick Days Press Conference preceding Council Testimony

WHO:

• James Plumb MD, MPH is Professor with the Department of Family and Community Medicine and Director of the Center for Urban Health at Thomas Jefferson University and Hospital.
• Tiffany Lomax and Dina Yarmus will attest to why earned sick days contribute to their health and quality of life.

WHEN: 9:30 am TOMORROW/Thursday, March 31, 2011

WHERE: City Hall, 4th Floor, Outside Council Chambers

Background:

Promoting Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (Bill 080474) is a bill that would allow workers the opportunity to earn up to nine days of sick time per year, was voted out of the Public Health and Human Services Committee on March 1. The bill could affect up to 200,000 workers in Philadelphia who do not have access to paid sick days.

With over 40 percent of Philadelphians lacking earned sick days, a large portion of the population cannot take the time off work to go see a doctor or obtain medical treatment - regardless of the medical coverage they have.

Employees with earned sick days are more likely to stay home when they are sick, limiting the spread of the illness and protecting co-workers, customers, or anyone else they meet during the work day. During the height of the H1N1 pandemic, people were urged to stay home if they had any signs of the flu, however, those without earned sick days were less likely to stay home because they could not afford to. As a result, nearly 8 million H1N1 cases were traced back to employees going to work while sick.