Please write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper outlining the need for paid earned sick time legislation in Westchester County.

Today over 36% of New York State’s Westchester County workers don’t have paid sick time. Most of these workers are low wage earners in the service industry. In other words, the folks we come into close contact with every day as we exchange money, products and food. Without paid sick time, when they are ill, they marshal into work and spread their illness to co-workers and customers alike. Likewise when these worker’s children are sick many times they are forced to send them off to school hoping they can make it through the day. We can reduce the spread of illness and promote a safe and healthy work, school and consumer environment by enacting a new law in Westchester that provides for Employee Paid Sick Time.

Here are some talking points you may wish to include:

• Workers of color are less likely to have paid sick time.
• 36% of workers in Westchester County lack paid sick time and are mostly low wage earners in private sector.
• Parents without paid sick time are twice as likely to send a sick child to school or daycare.
• NYC has an Employee Paid Sick Time law on the books, no other location in NYS has one.
• Since 2006, seven states have enacted laws requiring employers to provide paid sick time.
• The new law would allow employees to accrue a minimum of one hour of earned paid sick time for every 30 hours worked.
• Only businesses with 5 or more employees would be required to provide paid sick leave.
• If unused, the paid sick hours accrued over the year may be transferred over into the following year.
• The Westchester bill has been introduced by Democratic Majority Leader Catherine Borgia.
• The Westchester bill has the support of the 12 member Democratic Caucus.