As employers struggle to keep up with the multitude of paid sick leave laws that were passed in the last several years, President Obama has asked Congress to pass the "Healthy Families Act." The proposed “Healthy Families Act,” which states it is “in the national interest to ensure all Americans can care for their own health and the health of their families while prospering at work,” is the lengthiest and most comprehensive of all bills introduced. It applies to all employers with 15 or more employees.
So, what does this mean for employers?
It would require all employers to:
- Grant one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked
- Allow the paid sick time to be used beginning on the 60th calendar day of employment
- Allow the paid sick time to carry over from one calendar year to the next
- Reinstate an employee’s previously earned sick time if an employee is terminated or quits and is rehired within 12 months
- Post the notice regarding the paid sick time available to employees under the Act in conspicuous locations on-site and in the employee handbook
- Report all findings to the Government Accountability Office each year, including the number of employees who used paid sick time, the number of hours each employee used, the demographic characteristics of employees who used paid sick time (separated by gender, race, disability, earnings level, age, marital status, family type, parental status, and industry), and the number of employees who used paid sick time for absences due to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking