Maine news, sports, weather | Kennebec Journal, Augusta, Maine

Paid sick days make good business sense

I am writing in response to a July 10 letter, "A 'career politician,' Mitchell out of touch."

The author finds supporting a minimum number of paid sick days to be "out of touch." Yet, nearly 50 percent of Maine workers lack a single paid sick day and 85 percent of voters support legislation to provide paid sick days for all Maine workers. Paid sick days are necessary to ensure that the health of all employees is protected, which in turns leads to higher workplace productivity. With the advent of potential epidemics such as H1N1, a certain number of paid sick days is desirable as employees often go to work when they are sick rather than miss a day or even a week's pay.

Also, far from a "nail in the coffin" for small businesses, paid sick days make good business sense. According to recent research by the Institute for Women's Policy Research, benefits for Maine employers will total $37 million annually; with each employer saving an average of $4.18 per worker per week. These savings come from reduced workplace turnover as well as increased worker productivity. A policy that keeps people in their jobs, keeps us healthy and saves money for businesses seems to actually be quite reasonable.

Kathy Moore

Waterville