HARTFORD -- Led by Senator Edith Prague and Representative Peter Tercyak, a group of doctors, nurses and public health experts held a press conference in the Legislative Office Building in support of legislation to establish a basic workplace standard for paid sick days.
"When people lack paid sick days, they often skip making the kind of regular doctor's appointments that keep people healthy over the long term. Without the flexibility that paid sick leave gives workers, too often people postpone small problems until they become big ones, and we all pay a price for that." said Dr. Steve Smith, treasurer of the National Physicians Alliance.
Research has found that employees without paid sick days are more likely to delay or forgo the kind of preventive care that experts agree improves health outcomes and lowers costs. Surveys have found that workers without paid sick days are roughly twice as likely to use emergency room services because they couldn't get time off work.
"When you delay a doctor's appointment, your problems get worse. A melanoma can turn into full blown skin cancer, or a bad cough into bronchitis," said Representative Peter Tercyak, who is also a Registered Nurse. "When a school bus driver or a fast food employee on HUSKY ends up in the emergency room instead of in the doctor's office, that's a cost we all bear."
Since many low-wage workers lacking paid sick days use HUSKY for their health insurance, their increased healthcare costs are born directly by taxpayers.
"When parents lack paid sick days, their children suffer too," said Sandi Delack, President of the National Association of School Nurses. "Every day, there are sick students who should be at home resting or seeing their doctor. Instead, they are at school because their parents can't afford to miss a day of work. Those kids are spreading illness around the classroom"
One study found that five times as many parents without paid sick days report taking their child or a family member to the emergency room because they were unable to take time off work.
"During the H1N1 outbreak, 8 million Americans came to work while infected with the swine flu virus, and they infected another 7 million people," said Barbara Simonetta, a nurse who is President of Connecticut Health Care Associates. "Any policy that discourages people from seeking timely medical care and encourages ill, contagious workers to come to work must change."
Workers without paid sick days are heavily concentrated in service sector jobs that require a high level of public interaction, like waiters, home healthcare providers and school bus drivers, creating a significant public health risk when those employees come to work sick. One recent study published by the Journal of Food Protection found that one in eight food service workers reported coming to work sick twice in the last year, with symptoms including vomiting and diarrhea. The study also found that workers with paid sick days came to work sick much less often.
A new study by the Economic Policy Institute found that the cost to businesses of a paid sick leave policy is minimal -- far smaller than some opponents of the legislation have claimed. The study's key finding is that the cost to an employer of providing paid sick days amounts to just 0.19% (less than two tenths of one percent) of sales, on average.
"This is our year," said Senator Edith Prague. "With the support of our Governor, this is the year to win for paid sick days for hard working families across Connecticut."
Legislation to create a basic workplace standard for paid sick days has passed out of the Connecticut General Assembly's Labor Committee. The legislation would require large businesses with 50 or more employees to allow employees to earn up to 5 paid sick days per year. This year, advocates say they are cautiously optimistic because of the support of Governor Dan Malloy.
Editor's Note: This press release is posted only as a public service.
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