Building an economy that works. For everyone.
Family security promotes economic prosperity
Whether caring for their children, an elderly parent, partner or themselves, all workers occasionally need access to paid time off to look after their own health and that of their loved ones.
Yet about 40% of American workers in private firms receive no paid sick days - over 1 million in Washington state. One-fourth of workers get no vacation, and 92% get no paid family leave.
In today’s economy, all workers need access to paid sick days for minor illnesses and routine health care needs, and family and medical leave insurance for the handful of times when they need extended time away from work to care for a new baby, a seriously ill family member, or their own critical illness.
We can modernize workplace policies. On September 23, 2011, thanks to the efforts of the EOI-led Seattle Coalition for a Healthy Workforce, the City of Seattle joined San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Connecticut in establishing minimum standards for paid sick leave. Active campaigns are underway in other cities and states as well.
Ensuring all workers have access to paid leave will pay dividends by giving children a healthy start in life, protecting family economic security, promoting individual health and business productivity, and improving public health and safety.
Learn more from the Washington Work and Family Coalition and Seattle Coalition for a Healthy
Workforce websites.
Featured Publications
Lessons from Winning Paid Sick Days in Seattle
02.21.2012
| EOI helped lead the Seattle
Coalition for a Healthy Workforce
in a successful campaign
to pass the Paid Sick and Safe
Days ordinance in Seattle –
and we learned a lot. This report
outlines some of the key ingredients,
from our experience, to winning
policy change for working
people and families.
Paid Sick Days: Healthy, Responsible Prevention for Washington
01.20.2012
| Paid time off from work to
recover from illness, care for a sick child, or see a doctor is
a prerequisite for healthy workers and businesses, public health,
family economic security, and even children’s success in school.
Yet four in ten workers get no paid sick leave – including many
restaurant, grocery, and health care workers who are on the front
lines of food safety and public health.
Evaluating Paid Sick Leave: Social, Economic and Health Implications for Seattle
05.09.2011
| Food safety and public health top the list of benefits of ensuring people working in Seattle have paid sick leave – but it would also improve children’s health and provide support for victims of domestic violence. There are economic benefits too: paid sick leave reduces business costs through reduced turnover and absences, and increases workplace productivity.
Choose a policy focus
Policy Success
Paid sick days
In
2010, EOI brought together a broad coalition
to form the Seattle Coalition for a Healthy
Workforce. Policy
success »
Family Leave
EOI
has worked to bring together diverse groups of organizations to update
workplace standards, and meet the needs of today’s families and businesses. Policy
success »
Policy Impact
Selena Allen's doctor said her son Connor was due in May, but he arrived unexpectedly in early April, and faced serious medical issues.Read Selena's story »
Work and Family: News and Opinion
More work and family news and opinion »
Staff Contact
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from the Economic Opportunity Institute. Liquid layout
thanks to Matthew James Taylor.