Mandated sick leave likely to cost state more jobs

With the state facing a nearly $9 billion budget deficit, the Democratic majority has worked hard at addressing every other issue they can think of.  We’ve debated the death penalty and healthcare.  We’ve also debated frog dissection, paint ball safety, and water lettuce. 

The Democrats have now passed another measure that not only does nothing to assist with the deficit, but would make the economic climate in this state far worse; a bill that mandates employers provide paid sick leave to employees.

Substitute House Bill 6187 requires all businesses employing 50 or more people to provide paid sick leave to all of their employees.  It also allows those employees to accrue sick leave at the rate of one hour for every 40 hours worked, accrue up to 52 hours of paid leave per year, and carry it all over year to year building up a large bank of paid sick leave.

The bill’s advocates claim that the measure is needed and working families shouldn’t lose money just because either they or their child is sick. That is a noble goal that would be wonderful to achieve.

I agree that no one should have to work when ill, nor should they expose others to their illness; however, I did not support the sick pay bill because the current economic climate has created a situation in which employers are fighting to survive. Employees are sometimes voluntarily taking a pay cut or agreeing to work one or more days without pay. The sick pay bill prohibits employees from giving up sick days in order to help reduce costs for their employers. I worry that this law, along with other proposed legislation, will cost jobs in Connecticut.

Connecticut already has a terrible record in retaining jobs and businesses, and as a result, we have lost enough population to lose a Congressional seat following the last Census.  People move where the jobs go, and they have gone away from Connecticut quickly.  This bill does the unimaginable; it makes this state even more unfriendly to businesses and creates an even more toxic atmosphere for job creation and retention.