Valuing Good Health in California: The Costs and Benefits of the Healthy Families, Healthy Workplaces Act of 2008

Policy makers across the country are increasingly concerned about the adequacy of existing paid sick leave policies. In addition to concerns about workers’ own health, there is growing recognition that, with so many dual-earner and single-parent families, families’ health needs can only be addressed by workers taking a break from their scheduled time on the job. Allowing workers with contagious diseases to avoid unnecessary contact with co-workers and customers is a fundamental public health measure. Paid sick days protect workers from being fired when they are too sick to work. And paid sick days policies offer substantial savings to employers by reducing turnover and minimizing absenteeism.