Healthy Families

[featherynscale]

In the interest of being able to do my job, I get information feeds on employment law and related topics. Today, I got a heads-up on something that sounds pretty good. The Healthy Families Act (proposed in the House and in the Senate) would require any company employing more than 15 people to provide a small amount of paid sick time a year, which could be used either as straight sick time for the employee or as time to care for a sick family member. It's only requiring 7 days of paid time for full-time employees, but that's better than some folks get now.

Here's the kicker: if the act were to become law, it would permit an employee to take sick leave to care for a family member, and the definition built in is this: "...a child, parent, spouse, or any other individual related by blood or affinity who is the equivalent of a family relationship." (Italics mine.) So I'm down with that.

Also, the article says that "Sick leave may be used for a physical or mental absence", which sort of makes me snicker -- if I'm not going to be mentally here, I get paid for the day now, you know?

Also, triadruid made me a new icon. It's gonna go over on thejobfairy too if I ever get around to updating that. Lately it's all been too awful to post. :(