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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Marc Gergely |
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Gergely introduces bill creating paid sick leave
HARRISBURG, July 15 – To improve the quality of life of many Pennsylvania families and make work places healthier, state Rep. Marc Gergely has introduced legislation that would allow workers to accumulate paid sick leave.
Gergely is vice chairman of the House Labor Relations Committee.
Under Gergely's plan, H.B.1830, employees could accrue one hour of sick leave for every 40 hours worked, with a maximum of 52 hours per year. Small-business employers with fewer than 10 employees would only be required to provide one hour of sick leave per 80 hours worked. This would create a maximum of 26 hours of sick leave per year for those small businesses.
"This is a quality-of-life and family-values issue," Gergely said. "Many hardworking Pennsylvanians receive no paid sick leave. If an employee or their loved one gets sick then they're left with few options. The worker can either take time off without pay or go to work sick.
"There has been widespread attention in recent months on swine flu and other potential pandemics," he said. "Giving employees greater flexibility when they are sick would reduce the spread of illnesses and make workplaces more efficient."
Under Gergely’s proposal, an employee could use paid sick leave for illness or injury, to seek medical diagnosis, to receive care or treatment for an illness, and for preventive medical care for the employee or for a spouse, child, parent, grandparent or extended family member or other person related by blood.
Pennsylvania law does not require employers to offer paid or unpaid sick leave. The federal Family and Medical Leave Act requires employers to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave following the birth or adoption of a child, or if the employee or an immediate family member has a serious health condition. The law includes some exemptions. No federal law requires paid sick leave.
"This is the latest effort by the House Labor Relations Committee to improve the working conditions for thousands of Pennsylvanians," Gergely said. "We recently helped secure House passage of a bill to extend unemployment compensations to thousands who are at risk of losing their unemployment benefit during this economic downturn and the committee spearheaded a bill that is now law which bans the abuse of mandatory overtime forced on nurses and other health-care workers."
Gergely said his bill is in the House Labor Relations Committee.
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