Paid Sick Leave-An issue of public health

Did you know that some businesses are not actually required to provide paid sick leave to all their employees? I was raised up in an entrepreneurial home. My dad opened his own general store at fifteen and a half with only a formal fifth grade education. When he retired he had been in business for himself for fifty five years and went from owning one general store to having multiple convenience stations, a restaurant and a real estate company.

My dad was the epitome of the American dream rising up from an underprivileged family and was one of the hardest workers I’ve known. He taught me that running a profitable business doesn’t mean making a tradeoff with practices that promote public health. I’ve seen first hand that taking care of one’s workers is a key factor to a business’s success and growth.

Being in business now myself, I believe no one knows this better than the businesses that work to keep their workers and consumers safe and healthy. I’m very discouraged that some special interests are arguing that pro-health policies get in the way of profit, but in reality, working to meet the modest needs of employees is a key component to long term business success.

While where I live (Virginia) doesn’t currently mandate paid sick days for all workers, many of my states most successful business owners accommodate an adequate amount of sick leave for their workforce. Right now, Virginian businesses are not required to provide paid sick leave to all employees, and the state legislature continues to debate the need for an earned sick day policy.

With the pandemic, an earned sick day policy is even more essential. Public health and business owners would benefit from it. In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, “There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.” I urge you no matter your political affiliation to please educate yourself on policies that can affect everyone’s health and safety.