Benefits July 1, 2011

No Paid Sick Leave Mandate in Philadelphia

July 1, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter vetoed a bill that would have required many businesses to allow their employees to accrue paid sick time.
Reported by

“The paid-sick-leave bill . . . would put thousands of jobs at risk and discourage businesses from coming to the city of Philadelphia,” Nutter said, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I do not believe this is the time or place for this legislation.”  

According to the news report, paid sick leave was backed by a broad coalition of advocacy groups as a public-health issue and a matter of basic fairness. But, the business community was nearly universal in opposition, saying employees would abuse sick time as “unscheduled, paid vacation.”  

A handful of business owners testified at Council that they would leave the city if the bill passed.  

Connecticut recently became the first state in the U.S. to mandate paid sick leave for service workers (see CT Mandates Paid Sick Leave for Service Workers). 

«