Working The Third Shift

The US restaurant industry employs 10 million workers, including 2 million mothers. It is one of the largest segments of the US economy, and it is an area of consistent growth, even in the recession.

But industry growth does not bring wage or benefit growth to restaurant workers. 60% of all US workers earning below the minimum wage work in food preparation or service occupations; 25% of all US workers earning the minimum wage also work in the industry. And, as we have written about many times, restaurant workers rarely have access to health insurance or paid sick days.

So why are we writing about this today? A new report from the Restaurant Opportunities Center looks at the child care needs of restaurant and food preparation industry workers, and comes up with the following findings:

• Child care is not affordable for mothers working in restaurants.
• Lack of control over work schedules and distance from child care facilities makes access to care difficult.
• These and other barriers to childcare have led to unemployment and underemployment for mothers in the industry.

You can read the whole report at http://rocunited.org/the-third-shift/.

NutterWatch: One Day to Ensure Safety for Philadelphians Who Survive Domestic Violence

On March 14, 2013, Philadelphia City Council passed a bill providing the opportunity for most workers in the city of Philadelphia to earn paid sick days. Mayor Michael Nutter has until April 4, 2013, to sign the bill into law or to let it leave his desk unsigned.

Either choice will pave the way for nearly 200,000 workers in Philadelphia to have access to earned sick days for the first time.

Until April 4, or until the Mayor signs the bill, NutterWatch will be here to give you the latest updates and to share the latest stories. To ask the Mayor to sign the bill, you can tweet him at @Michael_Nutter.

Mayor Nutter has just one day left to make a decision on earned sick days in Philadelphia. Over the past week, we've looked at many reasons why earned sick days are important to Philadelphians: to ensure restaurant workers and childcare workers can earn sick days; to promote equality for workers who need sick days to care for their partners; to meet the needs of Philadelphians with autism; to affirm the worth and dignity of Philadelphians; to transcend party lines; and, perhaps most importantly, to continue our rivalry with New York City.

Now, with one day to go, we have a final, and very important reason why Philadelphians need earned sick days: to protect survivors of domestic violence and their families. The Women's Law Project, one of the 110 members of the Coalition for Healthy Families and Workplaces, explains why:

We know firsthand how important adoption of this bill is to victims of abuse. Through both our telephone counseling service and policy initiatives, we hear from women who are unable to obtain protection orders or seek the assistance of other social services to help them address the abuse to which they are subjected because their jobs do not give them time off for such activities. Unable to risk losing their ability to support their families, these individuals continue to live in fear and suffer abuse without legal protection or other support. Those who take time off from work to address the domestic violence even though they lack leave time, risk loss of employment, destitution, and homelessness.

Except for the domestic abuse hotline and emergency services in Philadelphia, the courts and most social services operate on a 9 to 5, Monday through Friday schedule. While someone faced with imminent danger may call 911 or file a petition for an Emergency Protection From Abuse order at any time, anyone seeking a final order of protection or relief from the criminal justice system must ultimately appear in court during the work week, typically for many hours, and often on a repeated basis. Women seeking such orders have told us they simply could not take more time off from work to return to court again. If the plaintiff does not appear for a hearing, the court dismisses the petition and no relief is granted. This bill, if adopted, will enable victims of abuse to seek legal and other protection....

In conversations with state insurance departments around the country, we have been assured that the number of individuals seeking relief under statutes prohibiting insurance discrimination against battered individuals has been extremely low. In our work in Pennsylvania on implementation of the Family Violence Option, which allows domestic violence victims to be excused from work requirements if domestic violence impedes their ability to comply, we have also seen no abuse. Despite estimates that domestic violence victims make up 40-60% of the TANF population, the number of TANF recipients in Pennsylvania seeking to be excused from work requirements is very small, only approximately 2 % or less of the TANF adult population statewide. Philadelphia’s numbers are even lower, with the percentage of the city’s welfare population seeking work waivers consistently below 1% (Department of Public Welfare, unpublished data April -August, 2007). Just as fears of false allegations of domestic violence have not been realized in these situations, we do not anticipate false claims in this one.

The reasons are the same: battered women want to work and need to work to support themselves and their families. In addition, victims of domestic violence do not easily disclose domestic violence to anyone, let alone their employer: shame and fear of loss of benefits and employment are a strong deterrent to disclosure of domestic violence. Because requesting domestic violence leave requires such a disclosure, we do not expect domestic violence victims to request leave unless it is absolutely necessary for them to be excused from work.

If you think that Mayor Nutter needs to support earned sick days on behalf of families who have survived domestic violence, please let him know by calling his office today at 215-686-2181.


In the News

Yesterday, Yvonne Thomas, who owns a child care center in Philadelphia, published her opinion on earned sick days in The Philadelphia Daily News. She says:

Last week, a new parent from North Philadelphia dropped off her daughter at my day-care. I could see that the child wasn't feeling well and when I asked her mom about it, I could see the sadness and the fear emerge. "I will lose my job if I stay home with her," she told me as tears welled up in her eyes....

I speak not only as a Philadelphian concerned about our families, but also as a business owner concerned about keeping the doors open. I know there has been a lot of talk about sick days and small businesses, and I can say from my own experience that it not only works, but it helps my business thrive. The Institute for Women's Policy Research reports that earned sick days will save Philadelphia employers more than half a million dollars a year. For me, it is central part of my business plan. By offering my staff paid sick days, they know that I value and appreciate them, and it has helped me attract and retain a talented and dedicated staff....

A few paid sick days are not going to make or break any business in this or any other economic climate. City Council has done the right thing, and parents, kids, teachers, workers and business owners need Mayor Nutter to stand up on the right side of this issue. Mayor Nutter, please don't be swayed by the scare tactics of the business lobbyists. Sign the earned sick days bill for Philadelphia families, communities and businesses.

Where in the World is Mayor Nutter?

Mayor Nutter has nothing on his public calendar today (so far).

You can find Mayor Nutter's daily schedule at http://www.phila.gov/mayor/itinerary.html.

NutterWatch: 3 Days To Protect Philadelphia's Children and Caretakers

On March 14, 2013, Philadelphia City Council passed a bill providing the opportunity for most workers in the city of Philadelphia to earn paid sick days. Mayor Michael Nutter has until April 4, 2013, to sign the bill into law or to let it leave his desk unsigned.

Either choice will pave the way for nearly 200,000 workers in Philadelphia to have access to earned sick days for the first time.

Until April 4, or until the Mayor signs the bill, NutterWatch will be here to give you the latest updates and to share the latest stories. To add your name to a petition asking Mayor Nutter to sign the bill, please click here.

When we think about the need for earned sick days, most people point to the restaurant industry as the place most in need of a minimum standard. Restaurant workers come into contact with our food at all points of the process, and in Philadelphia, 92% (more than the industry standard) have no access to earned sick days.

However, restaurant workers are not the only ones we should worry about. Among the nearly 200,000 workers without earned sick days, many, in fact, are child care workers. Many families trust their children to child care centers each day without thinking about the benefits that those workers do (or do not) earn. But workers are at risk of giving and receiving illnesses in addition to education and care in many facilities.

One worker, Karen, testified at the March 5 Philadelphia hearing on earned sick days that she contracted impetigo from a child in her classroom. Karen was hospitalized for three days and missed two weeks of work (and pay) while recovering. While this incident happened in early November 2012, Karen and her family are still trying to recover from the financial impact of the lost income.

Dewetta Logan, a child care owner in West Philadelphia, sees the need to offer earned sick days from a practical and a compassionate side. She says:

The children in our care are the top priority for my business, so it doesn't make sense to have one of our employees working while sick. When members of my staff aren't feeling well, they can't give the children their full attention. Furthermore, coughs and colds can spread quickly among children, and I don't want to be responsible for sickening a child who started the day healthy.

Shouldn't the health of our children (and those who care for them) be everyone's top priority? If you agree, please tell Mayor Nutter by signing our petition today.


In The News

Today in The Huffington Post, Ellen Bravo of Family Values at Work looks at what is driving the momentum behind earned sick days. She says:

Key to success has been engaging workers who know all too well what it means to lack paid sick days -- people like Shayna, a therapeutic activities worker at a nursing home in Philadelphia who had to go work with an injured hip, or Tamara in New York, who after caring for her sick daughter had to decide whether the lost pay meant going without a metro card or without a phone.

Local business partners are also important, because they help shatter the identity theft of corporate lobbyists who claim to speak for all employers. Small business owners like Leni Juca, owner of Oxium Print and Copy in Queens, N.Y., say their employees already earn paid sick days because it's the smart as well as the right thing to do. "With a small business like this one," Juca said, "we can't afford to get each other sick."

Where in the World is Mayor Nutter?

Mayor Nutter is scheduled to be at the 2PM Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival Kickoff Event. You can find his daily schedule at http://www.phila.gov/mayor/itinerary.html.

University of Michigan Poll Shows Need for Paid Sick Days

Read the Full Report

The University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health recently asked parents who have children younger than six years old in child care about the impact of child care illness on their families.

In the poll, almost one-half of parents with young children in child care indicated that they've missed work in the last year to care for sick kids, and one-quarter missed work three or more times. 33 percent of parents were concerned about losing pay or jobs because of missing work for sick kids, 31 percent said they don't have enough paid leave to cover the days they need for sick children.

Tell Philadelphia City Council support Paid Sick Days!

Denver Paid Sick Days Would Promote Children’s School Success

From our friends at IWPR:

Paid sick days for working parents can enhance children’s school success. Parents face a difficult choice if their children get sick when they lack paid sick days: staying home with the child and missing pay (and possibly facing discipline at work); sending the child to school sick, which compromises their school performance and spreads illness to others; leaving the child at home alone, putting the child at risk; leaving the child with an older sibling who in turn must stay home from school; or trusting the child to a temporary caregiver. Each of these scenarios has potential costs for schools or for child well-being. The negative effects of inadequate sick days coverage disproportionately affect people of color and low-income adults in Denver, because they are less likely than other Denver residents to be able to earn paid sick days. This paper by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) addresses how children's school success can be improved when working parents have access to paid sick days by reviewing published research, Denver Public Schools data, and information provided in interviews and surveys of Denver Public Schools personnel.

Economic Security and Paid Sick Days

From EPI's "The Need for Paid Sick Days"

If you read this blog often, you know the basics on the need for paid sick days:

• 40 million private sector workers nationally have no access to paid sick days (and over 200,000 here in Philadelphia are in the same boat)
• Employees without paid sick days are more likely to work sick, reducing their productivity at a cost to their employers and themselves
• Parents without paid sick days are more likely to send children to school while ill, which not only hurts the child in the short-term but also poses risks to long-term health and development

However, a new report from the Economic Policy Institute points out some additional items about economic security and paid sick days that you might not have known.  This report uses a common approach to determining what a family needs to make ends meet: 200% of the Federal Poverty Level, or almost $45,000 for a family of four (although research shows families may need even more).

A two-parent, two child household, with both parents working and earning $10/hour, already earns below 200% of the FPL.  This household needs to earn $3,639 to make ends meet, but only earns $3,470, even without taking an unpaid sick day. One parent using 3.5 days of unpaid sick time in a month (which could happen easily if just one child got sick) would lose the income equivalent to the family's grocery budget for the entire month.

Single parent households earning $10/hour and caring for two children also earn well below what they need to be economically secure: just $1,735 per month, compared to the $2,891 per month economic security threshold.  Missing more than three days of work in a month for this family would put it below the Federal Poverty Level.

As cities, states, and the Federal Government continue to look at the issue of paid sick days, these numbers should be taken into account.  Until we have developed a foolproof way to avoid getting sick, we need to make sure that all families can afford getting sick.

MomsRising Paid Sick Days Blog Carnival

Thank you to MomsRising who put together a Blog Carnival focusing on the need for paid sick days in Philadelphia. Some of the authors include Coalition partners, national experts, and moms. See a list of the blog posts below.

An Apple A Day Isn’t Enough: Blog-A-Thon For Philadelphia’s Earned Sick Days Law, by Ruth Martin, MomsRising. “Planning, preparation, prevention – it all comes with the territory of being a mom. We try to head off as many accidents and illnesses as we can; we child-proof, we carry hand sanitizer, and we teach our kids to wash their hands. But there is a big hole in our safety net: Two out of five – that’s 41% – of Philadelphia employees are not allowed by their employers to earn even a single paid sick day to care for their own health and thousands more are unable to take a paid day to care for a sick child or parent.”

In the City of Brotherly and Sisterly Love, A Chance to Stand Up For Working Families, by Vicki Shabo, National Partnership for Women and Families. “With more than 210,000 working people in Philadelphia lacking access to paid sick days, approving a law to establish a standard should be common sense for the City Council.”

Bad Economics Meet Paid Sick Days in Philadelphia, by Robert Drago, Institute for Women’s Policy Research. “A new study for the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) estimates that Philadelphia’s proposed paid sick days legislation would cost employers between $350 million and $752 million annually. Both the factual basis and the assumptions underlying this study are seriously flawed.”

Support Paid Sick Days In Philadelphia! by Angie Norris, Studio 34 Yoga. A Philadelphia nurse who’s also a small business owner shares her perspective on providing paid sick days. Thank you to Angie for providing earned sick time!

In Philadelphia, A Healthy Workforce and a Healthy Business Environment Go Together, by Amy Traub, Demos. “In an era of high unemployment, good policymaking also requires that we answer another question: how would guaranteeing all working people in Philadelphia the right to earn paid sick leave impact the city’s economy?”

Philadelphians deserve right to time off when sick, by Kathy Black, president of the Coalition of Labor Union Women, Philadelphia chapter. “Paid sick days is a policy that’s good for workers, good for families and good for our community. And businesses in other cities that have a paid sick day law say the law has no negative impact on profitability – by a measure of 6 to 1!”

Apocalypse Never: Earned Sick Days Provide Benefit, Not Doom, by Jake Blumgart. “Rather than just making fretful predictions, we should look at empirical evidence gathered from successfully implemented paid sick leave bills.”

This boss doesn’t mind paid sick days, by Dewetta Logan. The owner of a small childcare center in West Philly shares her experience in providing earned sick time. And– BIG thank you to Dewetta for protecting your employees and the kids you all care for by providing earned sick time!

Economists say paid sick days will help Philadelphia make progress toward economic recovery, by Marianne Bellesorte

Letter to the Editor: Workers Need the Opportunity to Earn Sick Days, by Diane Mohney. Certified school nurse offers her 29 years of wisdom and experience in explaining the need for sick days. Scroll all the way to the end to check it out.

Faith leaders sign letter in support of earned sick days in Philadelphia, by Kate Scully. Faith leaders sign a letter to Mayor Nutter in support of providing all workers in Philadelphia with the opportunity to earn paid sick days.

Philadelphia Business Journal: Sick Days for Healthy Recovery, by Eileen Appelbaum and Lonnie Golden. “Mandating paid sick days is one policy that will help employers keep workers in jobs.” Subscribers can read the entire article.

Every Parent wants to protect their children, by Barbara Lovelace of north Philadelphia. Barbara shares the agonizing decision her daughter had to make: Stay by Barbara’s side as she lay in the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit, or return to her job as a cashier worrying about whether her mother would pass away while she was on the job.

Status Update: I support paid sick days!, by Marianne Bellesorte. If you can’t make it to City Hall, join our virtual Facebook rally to support earned sick time in Philly!

Support Paid Sick Days For Philadelphia Families, by Jennifer at PhillyFun4Kids.We take a moment out of bringing you Philly’s best family friendly free or mostly free fun to think about this…In Philadelphia over 40% of workers do not have the ability to earn any paid sick days.

Mothers Gather at Childspace to Support Earned Sick Days, by Zach Subar. Power of one(sies) decorated with messages like “Moms rock!” also tell the story of why paid sick days are a family friendly policy.

Using NFIB Economist’s Estimates on Paid Sick Days: It’s Not Cricket, by Steve Herzenberg.  Herzenberg shows that even if readers oppose paid sick days, they shouldn’t use the Dunkelberg estimates because, well, “It’s not cricket.” The estimates are so transparently inflated that folks who live in a fact-based world shouldn’t use them.

Philadelphia Paid Sick Days Law Would Allow Workers to Take Care of Their Chronic Conditions, by Andrea Lindemann.  In Philadelphia, there’s a disconnect between public health initiatives and access to care. The reason? Lack of paid time off to get to the doctor to care for chronic conditions. 

It’s time now for workers to be able to earn paid sick days in Philly and across the country, by Linda Meric.   Millions of Americans working without paid sick days face the impossible choice between caring for their health and that of their family, and keeping their paycheck or job. At a time when many families are worried about their financial security, the threat of losing a job or needed wages forces many workers to go to work even though they are ill.

Rooting for Passage of Paid Sick Days in Philadelphia, by Ellen Bravo.  Every night a second grade teacher washes the top cover of her reading couch because some child has had to come to class with the flu rather than staying home alone.

Read Stories from "Moms Know Best: Even an Apple a Day Can't Keep the Doctor Away"

When we delivered apple baskets to City Council members last week, we also delivered an important story book put together by MomsRising with the help of Coalition members.  Now you can read "Moms Know Best: Even an Apple a Day Can't Keep the Doctor Away" and learn the stories of Philadelphians who are working without sick days.

Here are a few examples:

I’ve got the flu right now. I missed work on Friday and my boss made it very clear that this put me on shaky ground. I’ve had a fever of around 102 for days now, and I’m missing work today as well. I fully expect to be fired as a result of this.

Paid sick days would make a huge difference – but also simply not getting fired because I *do* get sick would be great. Not like I decided to get sick on purpose –
what exactly am I supposed to do about this?

Intolerance for health problems in the work place is absurd. I’m glad there’s a handful of people that never seem to get sick - but the rest of us do, and this shouldn’t be grounds for dismissal. - Akire

***

It is not fair to work without sick days. I got sick badly with a doctors note for a week and did not get paid. I was backed up on bills. - Carmen

***

I am a mother with two sickly children and my last employer didn’t have paid sick leave, so now I am home taking care of my children and having the system take care of us. - Thelma

Please read the stories and let others know about the need for paid sick days.

"Workers Need Opportunity to Earn Sick Days" - Letter to the Editor

To the editor:

As any parent, teacher, school nurse or daycare provider knows, children frequently get sick. And when they do, sitting in school doesn’t help them get better, they need to be home with a parent.

Also, when children with communicable diseases stay home, it can break the chain of contagion. No parent wants their child to be in a classroom where there is a child with pink eye, a fever, or nausea and vomiting.

Having been a school nurse for 29 years in the Philadelphia Public School System, I witnessed time and time again children who came to school sick because their parents had to work and couldn’t afford to take the day off to spend time helping their children get better. Asthmatic children who came to school wheezing sometimes had to be sent to the emergency room by ambulance. Children with red, watery eyes frequently turned out to have pink eye. A student who just “looked tired” at home turned out to have a high fever with a strep throat. And a child who had a stomachache and vomited the night before turned out to have pneumonia. All of these children should have been taken to the doctor but their working parents would have lost a day’s pay.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children have 17 well-child visits between ages 2 and 21. However, fewer than half of U.S. children are receiving adequate care.

Preventive care visits are tough enough to make happen. The Drum Major Institute for Public Policy’s Amy Traub estimates that more than two in five Philadelphia workers are not able to earn paid sick time to care for their own illness – and many more can’t take sick time to care for a child.

Furthermore, children with chronic conditions such as asthma, or diabetes need follow-up appointments to adjust medications and evaluate treatments, especially when first diagnosed. Once the adjustments to their medications, blood tests, etc. are made, their care can become routine, they miss less time from school, and their parents miss less time from work. Children whose parents don’t have paid time often have to obtain care for their children on a catch-as-catch-can basis. This can result in frequent exacerbations of a chronic condition, that include prescriptions that aren’t refilled, and risks to life and health.

Making the decision to stay home with a sick child when it means losing a day’s pay or possibly losing one’s job is an impossible choice.

This can change in Philadelphia. Philadelphia City Council can pass Promoting Healthy Families and Workplaces (Bill No 080474) before they leave for the summer. Introduced by Councilman William Greenlee and Councilman Darrell Clarke, this bill guarantees workers the ability to earn paid sick days.

Depending on the size of the business, workers will be allowed to earn 4-9 sick days one-hour-at-a-time for every 30 hours worked.

An hour of earned sick time for every thirty hours worked will help keep our children healthy, and keep our workers focused on work when they are working, and caring for their children when they need to be with their children.

Earned sick days for Philadelphia workers is common sense.

Diane Mohney

Editor’s note: Germantown resident Diane Mohney is a Certified School Nurse.

This letter was published in the Germantown Chronicle/ Mt. Airy Independent.

For Mother's Day, Moms want Philadelphia City Council to give them Earned Sick Days

For Immediate Release:
May 9, 2011

Contact:
Lauren Townsend 215-939-7621
Earned Sick Time Campaign
Coalition for Healthy Families and Workplaces

For Mother's Day, Moms want Philadelphia City Council to give them Earned Sick Days

Mothers to Speak TODAY, May 9th at 3 pm about Importance of Sick Days

to Take Care of Children and Elderly Parents

“My husband’s family lives in Puerto Rico while mine lives in Germany, leaving us without the kinship-care support we would need in emergency situations. The school’s policy requires a sick child be picked up within an hour of calling the parents. Since we both have paid sick days, my husband and I are able to leave work and pick him up. We can be responsible and caring parents without having the fear that we could lose our jobs or critical pay just because our child needs us.“ - Philadelphia mother, Katja Pigur (son is 6 years old)

WHAT:
Today at 3 pm, Philadelphia mothers will talk about good parenting and why earned sick days are critical in the lives of working parents who sometimes need to be home with sick children to help them get well. The participating moms support the Promoting Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (Bill 080474), a bill that would allow Philadelphia workers the opportunity to earn up to seven days of sick time per year.

WHO:
Philadelphia Mothers scheduled to speak on Monday include:

• Aislyn Washington, mother of 5 from Germantown who recently lost her job because she didn't have paid sick days
• Sarah Friedman, expectant mother from Mt Airy
• Kenyette Barnes-Higgs, mother of a 5 year-old and a 2 ½ year old
• Katja Pigur, mother of a 6 year old boy who is thankful for her paid sick days
• Rebecca Lovelace, resident of Tioga who does not have sick days and has a mother who needs care

WHEN:
TODAY, Monday, May 9, 2011 at 3:00 PM

WHERE:
Childspace Day Care Center - 13 E. Mount Pleasant Ave. Philadelphia 19119 (corner of Germantown Ave. and Mt. Pleasant Ave)

Background:
Promoting Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (Bill 080474) is a bill that would allow Philadelphia workers the opportunity to earn up to seven days of sick time per year. It was voted out of the Public Health and Human Services Committee on March 1, 2011. 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.

-30-

Pop quiz: What's better than an apple a day?

Answer: Earned sick days! Moms know: Even an apple a day won't keep the doctor away. That's why Philadelphians need earned sick days.

Next Thursday, May 12, the Coalition for Healthy Families and Workplaces and MomsRising will deliver "apple-o-grams" to every member of the Philadelphia City Council along with personal stories and notes from people like you about the importance of earned sick days.

Can you add your short note now that we'll deliver on an apple-o-gram on Thursday? http://action.momsrising.org/sign/psd_philly_apple/

Not sure what to write? Short notes from you like the following would be very helpful right now: "I don't know what I'd do without earned sick days," "If I had earned sick days, then it would make a big difference because I could stay home when I (or my child) was sick," or "Please pass earned sick days so people don't send their kids to school sick."

Add your quick note now to our apple-o-grams and we'll make sure it gets hand delivered next week! http://action.momsrising.org/sign/psd_philly_apple/

Earned sick days are good for working families, for public health, and for business. Earned sick days would help contain health care costs through prevention, early detection, and treatment of illness. With earned sick days, families will not be forced to send sick children to school where they will likely infect classmates and teachers; workers with earned sick days would not spread illness to their coworkers and customers.

Providing earned sick days turns out to be smart business too because it increases employee morale, productivity at work, and reduces costly turnover.

Everyone gets sick. When we're worried about our kids' health or our own health, we shouldn't also have to worry if we'll still have a job when we get better.

*Add your personal note to our apple-o-gram and we'll hand deliver it next Thursday, May 12. http://action.momsrising.org/sign/psd_philly_apple/

And please forward this email to your friends and family so they can share their experiences too!

Together, we are a powerful force for women and families!

P.S. Want to join us for the apple-o-gram delivery on Thursday, May 12? Email me at Ruth@MomsRising.org to RSVP!

Join Us at a Mother's Speakout on May 9!

Philadelphia Public School Nurses Lament Children Coming to School Sick When They Should Be At Home Getting Well

For Immediate Release:
April 28, 2011

Contact:
Lauren Townsend 215-939-7621
Earned Sick Time Campaign
Coalition for Healthy Families and Workplaces

Philadelphia Public School Nurses Lament Children Coming to School Sick When They Should Be At Home Getting Well

As any parent, teacher, school nurse or daycare provider knows, children frequently get sick. And when they do, sitting in school doesn’t help them get better, they need to be home with a parent. When children with communicable diseases stay home, it can break the chain of contagion.

“No parent wants their child to be in a classroom where there is a child with pink eye, a fever, or nausea and vomiting,” said Diane Mohney, RN. “Having been a school nurse for 29 years in the Philadelphia Public School System, I witnessed time and time again children who came to school sick because their parents had to work and couldn’t afford to take the day off to spend time helping their kids get better.”

Diane Mohney was one of several public school nurses who met this afternoon at a South Philadelphia diner to talk about children coming to school sick when they should be home getting well. The meeting between nurses and the media was convened by the Philadelphia Campaign for Earned Sick Days, a project of the Coalition for Healthy Families and Workplaces.

Mohney continued, "Asthmatic children who came to school wheezing sometimes had to be sent to the emergency room by ambulance. Children with red, watery eyes frequently turned out to have pink eye. A student who just “looked tired” at home turned out to have a high fever with a strep throat. And a child who had a stomachache and vomited the night before turned out to have pneumonia. All of these children should have been taken to the doctor, but their working parents would have lost a day’s pay. 



Mohney was joined by Lorraine Durkin, Francesca Hoeffel, Gwen Robbins and Lynnette Lazerus who are each RNs working as Philadelphia Public School nurses.

Lorraine Durkin, RN, said, "I'm the school nurse at the Franklin Learning Center. I've been there for 19 years. It's a special admission high school accepting students throughout the City, and they often come in sick, or with pink eye, or some other contagious illness. When questioned, it's because the parent cannot stay home with them, or cannot leave work without fear of being fired. The school is often very far from the home increasing the amount of time necessary to pick up the student.

"Almost every day," continued Durkin, "I speak to a parent begging me to send a student home alone, because they cannot leave work -- its heartbreaking. Of course we're not allowed to let them leave alone, especially when sick. The result is too many students in school and classes with a contagious condition. When the parents come in, I'm often asked to write a note saying that it was necessary for the parent to leave their job. Parents should have a right to care for their children when sick!"

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children have 17 well-child visits between ages 2 and 21. However, fewer than half of US children are receiving adequate care (Chung P., et al. (2006, April). Preventive Care For Children In The United States: Quality and Barriers. Annual Review of Public Health).

Preventive care visits are tough enough to make happen. The Drum Major Institute for Public Policy’s Amy Traub estimates that more than two in five Philadelphia workers are not able to earn paid sick time to care for their own illness – and many more can’t take sick time to care for a child.

Furthermore, children with chronic conditions such as asthma, or diabetes need follow-up appointments to adjust medications and evaluate treatments, especially when first diagnosed. Once the adjustments to their medications, blood tests, etc. are made, their care can become routine, they miss less time from school, and their parents miss less time from work. Children whose parents don’t have paid time often have to obtain care for their children on a catch-as-catch-can basis. This can result in frequent exacerbations of a chronic condition, that include prescriptions that aren’t refilled, and risks to life and health. 



Making the decision to stay home with a sick child when it means losing a day’s pay or possibly losing one’s job is an impossible choice. 



This can change in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia City Council can pass Promoting Healthy Families and Workplaces (Bill No 080474) before they leave for the summer. Introduced by Councilman William Greenlee and Councilman Darrell Clarke, this bill guarantees workers the ability to earn paid sick days. Depending on the size of the business, workers will be allowed to earn 4-9 sick days one-hour-at-a-time for every 30 hours worked.



An hour of earned sick time for every thirty hours worked will keep our children healthy and keep our workers focused on work when they are working, and caring for their children when they need to be with their children.

For more information about the Philadelphia Campaign for Earned Sick Days: www.EarnedSickDaysPhilly.com.

Advisory: A Conversation with Philadelphia Public School Nurses TODAY 4/28

Contact: Lauren Townsend 215-939-7621
Coalition for Healthy Families and Workplaces

A Conversation with Philadelphia Public School Nurses
TODAY 4/28

Nurses will share their experiences and talk about sick children coming to school when they should really be home getting well.

"Having been a school nurse for 29 years in the Philadelphia Public School System, I witnessed time and time again children who came to school sick because their parents had to work and couldn’t afford to take the day off to spend time helping their kids get better. Asthmatic children who came to school wheezing sometimes had to be sent to the emergency room by ambulance. Children with red, watery eyes frequently turned out to have pink eye. A student who just “looked tired” at home turned out to have a high fever with a strep throat. And a child who had a stomachache and vomited the night before turned out to have pneumonia. All of these children should have been taken to the doctor, but their working parents would have lost a day’s pay." Diane Mohney, RN.

WHAT:
Philadelphia Public School nurses (RNs) will talk about their experiences and talk about sick children coming to school when they should really be home getting well. The nurses support the Promoting Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (Bill 080474) is a bill that would allow Philadelphia workers the opportunity to earn up to seven days of sick time per year.

WHO:
Registered Nurses (RNs) working in the Public Schools will include: Diane Mohney, Francesca Hoeffel, Gwen Robbins and Lynette Lazarus.

WHEN:
4:30 PM - Thursday, April 28, 2011

WHERE:
Melrose Diner 1501 Snyder Ave, Philadelphia, 19145
* (we will be sitting at a table and will be on the look-out for members of the press)

RSVP:
Because we are meeting at the Melrose Diner, we would like RSVPs from the press. Please email/call Lauren Townsend at ltownsend4@gmail.com or 215-939-7621 and let Lauren know that you would like to join this important conversation with school nurses. Put "School Nurses" in the subject line.

Background:
Promoting Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (Bill 080474) is a bill that would allow Philadelphia workers the opportunity to earn up to nine days of sick time per year. It was voted out of the Public Health and Human Services Committee on March 1, 2011. 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.

From October: Philadelphia councilmen want to mandate sick leave

Not sure how we missed this back in October, but wanted to bring it to your attention now!

A bill, proposed by City Councilmen Darrell Clark and William Greenlee, would guarantee paid sick time for private-sector workers in the city. Dr. James Plumb says people who don't have sick time avoid treatment until symptoms become serious.

"I have patients who have experienced chest pain and or severe headaches who put off treatment for a few weeks for fear of taking off work only to find out they have severe hypertension," said Plumb. "I have mothers whose child is sent to day care with diarrhea only to infect other children and day-care workers."

To read the full article by Tom MacDonald, visit WHYY's website!

Op-Ed in Patriot News on the Need for Earned Sick Time

"Paid sick days legislation makes sense for all businesses"

by Carol Goertzel, President/CEO of PathWays PA

When Tiffany Lomax hears her son’s breath get shorter, she knows what is coming next.

Her chest constricts in sympathy with him as he begins to cough and wheeze, and together they fight for control over his asthma. But Tiffany can now care for her son with a little more peace of mind. She knows that, if needed, she can get him to the doctor or hospital without risking her job — all because she earns paid sick days. 

To read the whole story, please visit the Patriot-News website, and be sure to add your comments to the discussion!

PA parents need earned sick time!

Thanks to our friends at MomsRising for sending this e-alert to their 9300 Pennsylvania subscribers! MomsRising works to bring together millions of people who share a common concern about the need to build a more family-friendly America. You can learn more and sign up for their e-alerts at http://www.momsrising.org.

It's beginning to look a lot like back-to-school time! As parents across Pennsylvania are getting ready to send their kids back to school, they're double checking their school supplies list. New crayons, backpack, up-to-date vaccinations? Check. Earned sick days? Nope. Not yet. But that could change with your help.

TODAY the Pennsylvania State House is holding a hearing on earned sick days. Click here to tell your representatives that paid sick days are a necessity for PA families! http://action.momsrising.org/go/PA_8_17_10_PSD/322?ak_proof=1&akid=.1615744.3mbTu1&t=4

What's the scoop?

The earned sick time bill was introduced in 2009 but hasn't had much success advancing until now. The lead sponsor of the bill is holding a hearing *today* featuring public health and policy experts detailing how important earned sick days are to our families health and economic security.

A strong grassroots showing is critical to ensuring that this hearing is a success--and that the bill makes it out of committee and to the House floor for a vote. Your voice is needed! And, fortunately since summer is a busy time, you can make your voice heard in Harrisburg without having to drive there.

How? With one-click you can back up our partners in Harrisburg and send a message to your PA Representative to support earned sick days! http://action.momsrising.org/go/PA_8_17_10_PSD/322?ak_proof=1&akid=.1615744.3mbTu1&t=6

Why is earned paid sick time so critical?

We all know how fast the flu can travel through a workplace, school, or child care center, yet 46% of PA employees are not allowed by their employers to earn sick time. That means they have an impossible choice between going to work sick, and losing a day's pay (and possibly their jobs) if they stay home sick or with sick kids. This is a big problem - when sick folks aren't able to stay home, it puts everyone's health at risk - coworkers, restaurant patrons, school kids, and, well, everyone.

Earned sick time is good for working families, the public health and business. Earned sick time would help contain health care costs through prevention, early detection, and treatment of illness. With earned sick days, families will not be forced to send sick children to school and likely infect classmates and teachers; workers with paid sick days would not spread illness to their coworkers and customers; and businesses would benefit from more productive employees, higher employee morale and reduced turnover costs.

Don't forget to send a message to your PA Representatives today! http://action.momsrising.org/go/PA_8_17_10_PSD/322?ak_proof=1&akid=.1615744.3mbTu1&t=8

**And forward this to your friends and family so they can take action too!

Together we are a powerful force for women and families!

--Ruth, Donna, Julia, Anita, Mary, Kristin and the whole MomsRising.org team

P.S. Thanks to our partners at PathWays PA for their work on this important issue! You can learn more about them and the Pennsylvania earned sick days coalition at earnedsicktime.blogspot.com.

P.P.S. Want to share your story about paid sick days? Click here: http://action.momsrising.org/go/184?ak_proof=1&akid=.1615744.3mbTu1&t=13

When Parents Don’t Have Earned Sick Time, Kids Go to School Sick

When parents do not have any earned sick days, many times it the children who suffer. Without the flexibility to be able to take time off to care for a sick child, many parents have no choice but to sometimes send their kids to school sick.

Two-thirds of children live in a home where their parent (in a single parent household) or parents work. If a child is sick, it is unlikely a parent could care for the child without missing work. Yet 53 percent of working mothers and 48 percent of working fathers do not have any paid sick time to care for an ill child. The choice is made more difficult when 1 in 6 workers have reported that they have either lost a job or been threatened with job loss for using time off for personal or family illness.

Parental fears of losing their pay or their job affects their children in many ways. Not only are parents unable to care for their children when they are sick, but many children do not tell their parents they are ill or hurt as they know their parents cannot miss work.

Robbie Bickerstaff described how her son Eric, then age 7, got hit by a car on the way home from school but chose not to tell her for fear she’d lose her second-shift job if she didn’t go in to work. Later an older sibling called her to say that Eric was crying because his arm hurt from being hit by the car and she had to take him to the hospital. When Robbie informed her boss, he was adamant: “Leave and you’re fired.” her pleas didn’t move him. She did leave; she was fired. Eric turned out to have a broken arm.

No parent should have to make the choice between caring for an ill or hurt child and receiving their pay or keeping their job.