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Others have argued that the impact of paid sick leave extends well beyond the direct beneficiaries by limiting the spread of disease. There is evidence, for example, that a substantial number of the private-sector workers who became ill during the H1N1 pandemic in 2009 were infected by co-workers.
Opponents of the new rule say that paid sick leave is often a desirable policy in principle, but that the cost of the mandate will be a hardship for many employers, particularly smaller businesses. Among those who will be affected by the rule are franchisees and concessionaires selling food on federal property.
“There are franchise operations in a wide array of locations,” said Marc D. Freedman, executive director of labor law policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “If someone isn’t providing this benefit, there’s a reason. It isn’t because they’re bad people, evil employers.”