Study: Sick Leave Measure Would Benefit Public Health (audio)
KPBS News, May 12, 2008
By Kenny Goldberg
A new study says a measure in the Assembly that would require California employers to provide sick leave would be beneficial for public health. The report comes from UC Berkeley's Center for Labor Research and Education. KPBS Reporter Kenny Goldberg has more.
Under the Assembly bill, California would become the first state to mandate employers to provide paid sick leave. Workers could earn up to nine sick days a year. UC Berkeley researcher Korey Capozza says the measure would be good for public health. For example, she says nursing homes in New York that offered sick leave tended to have a much lower risk of a respiratory illness outbreak.
Capozza: So there's some indication that with paid sick leave, workers are less likely to come to work and to bring those bugs into the workplace and infect patients and clients and other workers.
Even so, major business groups in the state like the Chamber of Commerce are opposed to making paid sick leave a mandatory benefit.
Poll Shows California Voters Support Paid Sick Days Law
Three in four (73 percent) California voters are in favor of a law allowing all workers to earn paid sick days, according to a statewide survey released on August 5, 2008. The poll was conducted by the Field Research Corporation for the California Center for Research on Women and Families (CCRWF), a program of the nonprofit Public Health Institute. Support for such a law crosses party lines and includes 85 percent of Democrats, 75 percent of non-partisans and 56 percent of Republicans.
CA Paid Sick Days Bill Will Boost Public Health: New Report
A research report released on July 30, 2008 shows that the proposed California paid sick days legislation will have significant positive public health impacts. The report entitled A Health Impact Assessment of the California Healthy Families, Healthy Workplaces Act of 2008 was produced by Human Impact Partners and researchers at the San Francisco Department of Health.
» Report Summary 
» Full Report
Valuing Good Health in California: The Costs and Benefits of the Healthy Families, Healthy Workplaces Act of 2008
Executive Summary
Full Report
Testimony on the Healthy Families, Healthy Workplaces Act
Rajiv Bhatia, MD, MPH
Online Rally for Healthy Families
Call on Congress to support paid sick days! Share your own story about why paid sick days are important to you and your family!
August 5, 2008
POLL SHOWS CALIFORNIA VOTERS SUPPORT PAID SICK DAYS LAW
Findings follow new research showing positive public health benefits of AB 2716