The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown introduces new legislation
The bill would require employers to provide paid sick days during public health emergencies
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, has introduced a bill that he says will require employers to provide 14 paid sick days to be used during a public health crisis, like the novel coronavirus, known as COVID-19.
Brown said the legislation requires all employers to all workers to gradually accrue seven paid sick days and provide an additional 14 days available immediately in the event of any public health emergency, including the current COVID-19 situation.
“(COVID-19) is revealing the strengths in our public health system, like our scientific experts at the (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and the Department of Health in Ohio, and it’s revealing the gaps in our system,” Brown said during a March 11 phone conference with reporters.
One of the ways Brown said the system is falling short is that 1 in 4 Americans do not have paid sick days.
“Our office gets calls from workers all the time now saying, ‘what do I do if I come down with something, I’m making $12 an hour, I can’t afford to stay home and lose $100 when my rent is $700 a month. I have to choose between going to work or losing a paycheck or even losing my job. What do I do?’ “
Brown said it’s unacceptable that millions of people are faced with that “impossible choice.”
“It’s a dignity of work issue and it’s a public health and public safety issue,” he said.
Brown said the seven paid sick days would be covered by employers, the 14 days could be covered by an $8.3 billion emergency spending package signed by President Donald Trump earlier this month.
Additionally, Brown’s bill would ensure paid sick leave covers days when a child’s school is closed due to a public health emergency, when an employer is closed due to a public health emergency, or if an individual or family member is quarantined or isolated due to a public health emergency.”
“The CDC advises everyone to stay home when they’re sick, whether it’s the coronavirus or the flu,” Brown said. “...but for restaurant workers, truck drivers, home health aides, so many Ohioans, that means going without pay, potentially even losing their jobs. Those lucky enough to have paid time off, even they are put at risk when people are out and about when they’re sick.”
The Ohio Department of Health has opened a call center to answer questions about COVID-19. The call center is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and can be reached at 833427-5634.
More information regarding COVID-19 can be found at https://coronavirus.ohio.gov and https://www.cdc.gov/ coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.