Identification

• Though many efforts to grant American employees paid sick leave have been attempted, the Healthy Families Act gained traction in 2009. This legislation guarantees that all American workers could have paid sick days. The Healthy Families Act was introduced by Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts. Currently, the bill is in the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
  
  

Benefits

• According to "The New York Times," the Healthy Families Act applies to all businesses with 15 or more employees. Employees are eligible for one paid hour of sick leave per 30 hours worked, with a maximum of seven paid days per year. Employees can use these sick days when they, their children, their spouse or someone else close to them is sick.
  
  

Effects

• According to "The Times," the legislation claims that three-fourths of low-wage earners and one-half of private-sector workers don't have paid sick days. In addition, it claims that the United States is the only industrialized nation that doesn't guarantee a short- or long-term sick leave for its workers.
  
  A survey by the Community Service Society states that half of employed New York City residents don't have paid sick leave and 1.3 million workers don't have any paid time off at all.
  
  

Opposition

• Not all groups approve of the Healthy Families Act, however. The National Federation of Independent Business, a lobby group that represents small businesses, says that the legislation comes at a time when many business owners are struggling to keep their businesses open in a time of economic turmoil.
  
  

Considerations

• Though the federal legislation has yet to become law, separate states and cities are working to implement similar legislation on the local level. According to the Working Families Party, the New York City Council is considering a similar measure. In August 2009, a bill was presented to the City Council that would allow for up to nine paid sick days for workers in New York City. Small businesses, though, would only have to provide five sick days a year.