All workers should have access to paid sick days

Last month, I traveled through Washington state and listened to stories from workers and their families who told me how important access to paid sick days would be for them. Sandra’s story is a great example — she provides child care from her home in Pasco, Washington. She’s worked in child care for nearly a decade, loves kids, and knows it’s important work. But without access to paid sick days — when she or one of her kids gets sick — she has to make the hard choice between losing a full day of pay and taking care of a loved one in need. It shouldn’t have to be this way, but it’s a reality for nearly one million Washington state workers — and over 41 million of our workers across the country who don’t have access to paid sick days.

Today, is Working Parents day — a day to appreciate, but more importantly it’s a day to recognize that the constant balance between work and home is a struggle for many people in the workforce, especially for working parents like Sandra, who need time off from work to take care of sick kid or sick relative.

That’s why I’ve made it one of my top priorities in the U.S. Senate — and I renew my commitment today on Working Parents Day — to expanding access to paid sick days, giving more families some much-needed economic stability. I’ve introduced a bill called the Healthy Families Act to allow workers to earn up to seven days of paid sick leave a year, to name just one example. This bill would not only help families — it’s also good for business. In fact, in cities — including Seattle in my home state of Washington — and states that already have paid sick day laws, many employers say the policy hasn’t affected their revenue but has actually improved productivity.

I believe that in Congress, we need to work on ways to grow our economy from the middle out, not the top down. And I can’t think of a more fundamental way to help millions of working parents and families across the country than by expanding access to paid sick days.

So on Working Parents Day — and every day — I’ll keep fighting to expand this critical worker protection. It would be an important step in the right direction for our country.