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Tell your Congressperson and Senators to support paid sick days!

Right now there is no law that guarantees people the right to earn paid sick days to take care of themselves or their children. In fact, the very industries where you would expect paid sick days to be required (to protect public health), like home health care providers, child care workers, and folks who work in restaurants and hotels, are the LEAST likely to have them!

Tell Congress today: The Healthy Families Act is a common sense solution that is long overdue!

February 09, 2010

Subject:

Dear Legislator,

I am writing to ask you to support the recently introduced Healthy Families Act, and to work to pass it this year.  The Healthy Families Act is a common sense solution to a problem we all face:  illnesses and the need to miss work because of them.

Today, nearly half of private-sector workers do not have a single paid sick day to care for themselves or a family member when they are ill. When workers get sick--or need to take care of ill children, or take elderly parents to medical appointments--millions lose pay or even risk losing their jobs.  Without paid sick days, working people are have no choice but to go to work sick, risking the spread of illness.

The recent swine flu outbreak is a perfect example of why we need Paid Sick Days.  The CDC recommended that anyone with flu-like symptoms, and their families, stay home from work and school to prevent spread of the virus.  But in today's economy, without Paid sick days, folks just can't afford to miss work--and that's bad for everyone's health.

Paid sick days are important to me, and the health and well-being of my workplace, my family--and my community.  Currently, there are no state or federal laws that require workplaces to provide paid sick days.  I support updating our labor laws so that they reflect the realities of today's working families.

Please support the Healthy Families Act.

Thank you.  Sincerely,

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