Dodd, DeLauro to Introduce Emergency Paid Leave Legislation in Response to H1N1 Pandemic

Bill Will Guarantee Up to Seven Days of Paid Sick Leave for Workers Infected By the H1N1 Virus

Washington, DC – Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-3) today will introduce emergency legislation that will guarantee paid sick days for those who are infected by the H1N1 virus. Last week, Sen. Dodd chaired, and Congresswoman DeLauro testified at, a hearing of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Children and Families in response to the H1N1 pandemic.

"Families in Connecticut—and across the country—shouldn't have to choose between staying healthy and making ends meet," said Sen. Dodd. "H1N1 flu is a public health emergency—and slowing the spread of the disease must be one of our top priorities. This bill will allow individuals with the H1N1 flu to follow the recommendations of the CDC and stay home instead of coming to work while sick, and will also make it easier for parents to care for children who must stay home due to the flu or school and child care closings. This is not simply a matter of workers' rights—this is the right thing to do for families, and for the sake of everyone's health."

"This legislation is a strong response to a serious problem—the H1N1 virus, coupled with the seasonal flu, is taking a heavy toll on workers already dealing with difficult financial situations," said DeLauro. "They simply cannot afford to take a day off to care for themselves or loved ones, and by coming into work they endanger others at every turn; in the workplace, on their commute.

"The emergency legislation allows workers to decide when they are too sick to work—and are healthy enough to return to work. Our legislation will provide real worker protections and also ensures that working parents can take paid sick leave if their child is sick and needs care," DeLauro continued.

The emergency legislation is intended to slow the spread of the disease by encouraging those who have flu-like symptoms to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) recommendations to stay home instead of coming to work, while making it easier for parents to care for sick children or deal with school closures. Since April, Connecticut has had 17 H1N1 flu-related deaths. More than 250 individuals in the state have been hospitalized since that time, and at least 13 schools in the state have closed this school year due to H1N1. Almost half of private-sector workers do not have paid sick days, making following the CDC's recommendations nearly impossible for millions of Americans.

The legislation includes the following provisions:

· Workers will be able to earn up to seven job-protected paid sick days to use for leave due to their own flu-like symptoms, medical diagnosis or preventive care, to care for a sick child, or to care for a child whose school or child care facility has been closed due to the spread of contagious illnesses, including H1N1.

· Discretion on the need for sick leave would be left to the employee, although medical certification could be required through regulation by DOL.

· The bill would sunset after two years.

Sen. Dodd is the Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Children and Families and the lead sponsor of the Healthy Families Act. Senator Dodd joined Senator Kennedy in introducing the Healthy Families Act earlier this year, which allows workers to earn up to 7 paid sick days per year guaranteed.

Congresswoman DeLauro is the lead sponsor of the same legislation in the House of Representatives, and has worked for the last five years with Senator Kennedy and Chairman Dodd to write meaningful legislation to provide real worker protections.