Let’s Show City Council We Still Need Paid Sick Days!

It has been a long and somewhat crazy ride for the Coalition for Healthy Families and Workplaces but we have a great success – Philadelphia’s City Council passed the Earned Sick Days Bill! Our amazing and hard fought victory was unfortunately dashed by the Mayor’s veto of the bill- but that does not mean the fight is over.

Join us to welcome City Council back after their summer recess and show them that we are still fighting for paid sick days for Philadelphia’s workers.

WHAT: Welcome Back City Council

WHEN: September 8th at 9:00

WHERE: Philadelphia City Hall’s 4th Floor Hallway

Register to Attend

We will be welcoming City Council back by reminding them that Philadelphia is not only returning to work and school, but, without sick days, they are returning to environments where germs can spread quickly.

Please bring signs and write letters to your members of City Council urging them to remember that Philadelphians need and deserve paid sick days.

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!

America’s Budget Matters: So Does Yours

Our friends at Wider Opportunities for Women are hosting a "Budget Matters" Blogging Day today. They challenged people to blog about two questions: "What can President Obama and Congress do to help Americans be economically secure while balancing the budget? And what do President Obama and Congress need to know about your budget – or that of those you represent?" You can go to their site and blog your own answers to these questions, and see what other people have to say.

In every budget, families try to make contingency plans – to save money for unforeseen circumstances. But in this time of recession, when families are unemployed, underemployed, or facing wage freezes, making ends meet becomes more difficult every day. When something unpredicted happens – say, a family member who comes down with the flu or something worse – the effects are felt emotionally, physically, and monetarily.

In the United States, almost 2 in 5 private sector workers lack any access to paid sick time. When they, or their family members, are sick, these households must look for ways to stretch their incomes to cover unpaid time off, even though their budget may be past the breaking point. For some workers, taking sick time may mean they lose more than pay – it may mean the loss of a job. Only one in three low-wage workers has earned sick time, meaning they are particularly vulnerable to economic problems when they are unable to work due to an illness.

By 2012, one-half of all workers in the United States are expected to be a caregiver for an ill and aging family member. Already 64 percent of caregivers report the need to leave work early, come to work late, or take time off to care for an aging relative.

What does this have to do with Congress and your budget? Well, Congress can take action to ensure that workers have the opportunity to earn sick time and paid family leave. According to IWPR, passage of the Healthy Families Act would result in workers saving over $100 million per year in out-of-pocket expenses for the seasonal flu alone; paid family leave to care for elderly parents or other relatives could save over $700 million annually by avoiding temporary placement in care facilities.

Please ask Congress to take action on earned sick time and paid family leave today so that all families can have a balanced budget tomorrow.

"Sick And Tired Of No Sick Leave"

Last week, NPR and The Nation published a story on the need for earned sick days that came out of the "Making it Work: Advancing Workplace Policies for Today's Families Conference" we were attending.

Here are some of the highlights:

• Fifty million workers in America — including 40 percent of the private workforce — lack paid sick days.
• The average cost for sick leave per employer-hour worked in the private sector was just 23 cents.
• According to IWPR, passage of the Healthy Families Act would result in workers saving over $100 million per year in out-of-pocket expenses for the seasonal flu alone; paid family leave to care for elderly parents or other relatives could save over $700 million annually by avoiding temporary placement in care facilities. 

What can you do to help all workers earn a minimal amount of time to use when they or their families are sick?

• Contact your Congressperson right now to ask him or her to cosponsor the Healthy Families Act.
• Tell us your story! Email us at policy@pathwayspa.org to tell us about your experience with earned sick time.
• Sign our petition, which we will take to the Pennsylvania Legislature and to Philadelphia's City Council.
• Please call your state representative and ask him or her to ensure all workers have access to earned sick time by cosponsoring and supporting HB 1830, The Healthy Families, Healthy Workplaces Act.
• If you live in Philadelphia, please call your City Councilperson and ask him or her to ensure all workers have access to earned sick time by cosponsoring and supporting Bill No. 080474, Promoting Healthy Families and Workplaces

image courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/fsse-info/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Caregiving in the United States Today

cross-posted from the PathWays PA Policy Blog

A new report from the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP reveals the demographics and characteristics of adults providing care for other adults over 50 in the United States. This report, Caregiving in the U.S.: A Focused Look at Those Caring for Someone Age 50 or Older, examines the changes in caregivers and care recipients since 2004.

Among the numbers, one set that stands out shows the number of caregivers who needed work accommodations to provide care. 68 percent of caregivers reported needing some accommodation, an increase of 5 percentage points from 2004. Most caregivers (64 percent) reported a need to go to work late, leave early, or take time off to provide care, an increase of 6 percentage points since 2004. Almost 75 percent of caregivers work.

The need for caregiving is only going to grow as the US population continues to age. In the next 25 years, the number of Americans over age 65 is expected to double. In 2012, little more than two years away, half of the labor force is expected to be a caregiver.

We need to take steps now to ensure that caregivers have the support they need in the workplace. Legislation such as the Healthy Families Act, which gives workers the opportunity to earn up to seven days of paid leave per year to care for themselves or their family, can mean the difference to caregivers who struggle to keep their jobs and provide the services their recipient needs. The CLASS Act, meanwhile, would give workers the opportunity to begin setting aside money now that could be used in retirement to pay for long-term care in the home. It is currently part of the healthcare reform package.

Please take action on these important bills, and continue reading to learn more from the new report on caregiving. A few other findings:

• In 2009, there are 43.5 million caregivers (about 19 percent of all adults) providing unpaid care for someone over 50. Most care for family members, often their mother. On average, caregivers are 50 years old, while care recipients are 75. In contrast, caregivers and care recipients in 2004 were on average two years younger than those surveyed this year.
• Old age and Alzheimer's/confusion were tied as the main illness identified by the caregiver, with each receiving 15 percent of the results. Interestingly, those reporting Alzheimer's increased significantly, from 8 percent in 2004 to 15 percent in 2009. The study's authors attribute increased reports of Alzheimer's to the aging of the population in care. Most other illnesses remained unchanged, although there were significantly decreased reports of diabetes as the main factor.