Don’t forget, the Coalition for a Healthy Tacoma will be hosting a community forum this Thursday, April 8th.
It will take place at King’s Books, located at 218 St. Helens Avenue in Tacoma. Click for map
If you are in the Tacoma area, please attend! A strong turnout will show the City Council and media that a paid sick days policy is right for Tacoma workers and businesses.
Event program:
In February 2007, San Francisco implemented the nation’s first paid sick days law, allowing all workers within the city to earn a minimum amount of paid sick leave.
Restaurants are among the employers least likely to provide sick leave benefits, absent such a requirement. Therefore, if minimum paid leave standards effect the number of jobs available, we would expect to see that impact most clearly in the food service industry.
The data show that the job market in restaurants and bars has been stronger in San Francisco than in the state of California as a whole in every year since the sick days law passed.
Restaurants operate on small profit margins, leading some to believe they would be unable to absorb the costs of paid sick days. But restaurants compete primarily with other establishments within the jurisdiction that must meet the same standards – ensuring a level playing field. Additionally, restaurants are especially likely to profit from a healthier workplace, happier employees, and customers who want to return.
The evidence from San Francisco suggests that, on balance, restaurant employment remains strong when employers are required to make the shift to paid sick days.
Read more | Paid Sick Days and Restaurant Jobs: The Evidence from San Francisco
The Forum on Workplace Flexibility, held by President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, highlighted the importance of workplace practices that allow working people to meet the demands of their jobs — without sacrificing their family responsibilities.
“Flexible policies actually make employees more – not less – productive,” said Mrs. Obama. “Instead of spending time worrying about what’s happening at home, employees have the support and the peace of mind they need to concentrate at work which is good for their families – and the bottom line.”
The Forum was accompanied by the release of a new report from the President’s Council of Economic Advisers, titled Work-Life Balance and the Economics of Workplace Flexibility. The report notes that workplace dynamics have changed with society, and workplace policies like paid leave are especially important for workers who lack financial resources. It also examined the effect of workplace flexibility on businesses, finding the benefits of adopting family-friendly practices can outweigh the costs by reducing absenteeism, lowering turnover, improving the health of workers, and increasing productivity.
Read some of the real-world stories of people that could have been helped by workplace flexibility laws and a minimum standards of paid sick days.
 |
 |
 |
| Maria | Megan | Sharon |
Washington Work and Family Coalition