Dodd and DeLauro: JEC Report Shows Urgent Need for Paid Sick Leave

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-3) released the following statements today on the Joint Economic Committee's (JEC) report on paid sick leave. The JEC's report finds that enacting the Healthy Families Act—introduced in Senate by Senator Ted Kennedy and Dodd and introduced in the House by Congresswoman DeLauro—would provide paid sick leave to at least 30.3 million American workers, including 5.9 million workers in the food service and preparation industry.

"The JEC's report drives home what millions of Americans already know: that paid sick leave is not a luxury, but a necessity," said Dodd. "Unfortunately, our current system has it backwards, as nearly half of all American private-sector workers have no paid sick leave. Every day, thousands of employees have to decide between staying healthy and making ends meet—a choice that's not only unfair, but poses a risk to public health and safety. It's time to give hard-working Americans the paid sick leave they need and deserve."

"Right now 57 million Americans cannot take time off work when they are sick, or when they need to stay home to care for an ailing child or elderly relative. In fact, almost half of all private sector workers – and 79 percent of low-income workers – do not have a single paid day off," said Congresswoman DeLauro. "As this new JEC report indicates, the Healthy Families Act will give millions of Americans the freedom and flexibility to take care of their health, and the health of their loved ones, when the need arises. It will protect the public health by helping to stop the spread of dangerous viral infections like H1N1. And it will save employers money, encourage productivity, and help boost the economy."

The JEC's report, entitled "Expanding Access to Paid Sick Leave: The Impact of the Healthy Families Act on America's Workers," analyzes the impact of the Healthy Families Act, S. 1152 in the Senate and H.R. 2460 in the House.

Senator Dodd is a senior member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee and chair of its Subcommittee on Children and Families. Congresswoman DeLauro is a senior member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor-Health and Human Services-Education, and Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration.

The JEC's full report can be found here.