Published: August 22, 2008

The Accrued Safe and Sick Day Act of 2008 will provide much-needed relief for D.C.’s working families, even after corporate interests slashed the number of workers it would help. Those same corporate interests are now complaining about a provision that they pushed for — one that changed the definition of employee to someone with one-year on the job, rather than 90 days (Guest Comment, Aug. 15-21 edition). That amendment, and their complaints now, are merely different attempts to kill the legislation.

Despite the confusion their amendment created, it can be addressed through a simple technical fix to the bill. Whether or not we agree with it, when the Council voted 7-6 to change the definition of employee, they registered their intention that workers need to be on the job for one year before being considered employees. This intention can be clarified through regulations without turning it into a raid on the bill by corporate lobbyists bent on killing it altogether.

A sick leave policy for all workers is good for business and good for our community. Workers who can take a day off for sick and other family reasons can better focus on their job rather than worrying about how they’re going to pay the rent or their child’s trip to the doctor. And the rest of the workforce can rest assured that people who are ill are not being forced to the job site.