Letter to the Editor: Paid sick days are good for workers, employers

As a small-business owner and the board chairman of Women's Way, one of the leading organizations pushing for earned sick days in Philadelphia, I am deeply disappointed at Mayor Nutter's decision to veto the earned-sick-days bill. Contrary to the mayor's assertion that the bill "would put thousands of jobs at risk," paid sick days would, in fact, benefit employers' bottom lines.

Research shows that employers who offer paid sick days have higher productivity, employee loyalty, and decreased turnover. Studies further show that presenteeism - when an employee comes to work sick - costs employers an average of $255 per employee each year in lost productivity. Moreover, almost 20 business-friendly amendments were added to this legislation as a result of conversations with the business community.

The mayor should have considered the 210,000 mainly low-income workers in Philadelphia who deserve the right to take care of themselves and their loved ones when faced with an unexpected illness without losing a day's pay or their jobs.

Elayne Howard

Board Chair, Women's Way

St. David's

You can also view the letter online by clicking here.