What Is Mandatory Paid Sick Leave?
• The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) currently requires companies with more than 50 workers to provide eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave a year when they or an immediate family member have a serious health condition or after the birth or adoption of a child. • Employers must reinstate the worker at the end of the leave and may not discipline or fire employees taking FMLA leave. • The Healthy Families Act (HFA) and similar legislation before Congress would require employers to provide employees with paid sick leave benefits. The HFA would require employers to provide at least seven days of paid sick leave. Policy Concerns • The vast majority (86 percent) of full-time workers are already provided paid leave, which they can use if they fall ill.[1] • The Healthy Families Act would not increase workers’ total compensation. Companies respond to mandated benefits by reducing cash wages. Mandatory sick leave requires workers to take less of their compensation as cash
