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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (June 3, 2015)
CAREERS EDITION 2015 For low-Income workers, calling in sick is a luxury NEW YORK (AP) — For Shannon Henderson, get- ting a cold or flu could be the difference between put- ting food on the table and going hungry. As a part-time customer service representative at a Wal-Mart in Sacramento, ing companies for wage hikes are steering the con- versation toward paid sick leave. The debate has caught the attention of gov- ernments and companies alike. President Barack Obama is calling for federal legisla- tion that would require companies to guarantee workers paid sick days. And for Family Values @ Work, a network of coalitions fighting to pass paid sick days and family leave poli- cies. “When you don’t have sick pay, you get docked.” The new focus comes amid wide disparities between the benefits received by the top and bot- tom rungs of the corporate ladder. Sixty-one percent of Some of the same workers’ rights groups that grabbed headlines recently by pushing companies for wage hikes are steering the conversation toward paid sick leave California, Henderson is one of an estimated 40 mil- lion American workers for who calling in sick is a lux- ury. If they don’t work, they don’t get paid. “I’m super afraid of get- ting sick,” said Henderson, 29, who slathers on hand sanitizer at work in hopes of fending off illness. Paid sick leave is the next frontier in the fight for the country’s lowest earners. Some of the same workers’ rights groups that grabbed headlines recently by push- since San Francisco started requiring that in 2007, near- ly 20 cities and three states — Connecticut, Massachu- setts and California — have passed similar measures. New York, Maryland and other states are considering laws too. And McDonald’s Corp. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc., which have announced wage hikes recently, are making changes to their paid sick leave policies. “Paid sick days are a job issue,” said Ellen Bravo, executive director U.S. workers get at least one paid sick day, according to a national compensation survey of employee benefits conducted last year by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But only 20 percent of workers whose wages are at the bottom 10 percent get paid sick leave, compared with 87 percent in the top 10 percent. There’s also a dif- ference when comparing part-time and full-time employees: Seventy-four percent of full-time workers get paid sick leave, while 24 AP PHOTO/RICH PEDRONCELLI Anne D’innocenzio AP Retail Writer In this Friday, may 15, 2015 photo, shannon henderson poses outside the wal- mart store where she works as a part-time customer service representative, in sacramento, calif. henderson is one of an estimated 40 million american workers for who calling in sick is a luxury. If they don’t work, they don’t get paid. percent of part-time work- ers do, according to BLS. Despite the disparities, some industry groups are fighting against laws requir- ing sick leave pay. Lisa Horn, director of congres- sional affairs at Society for Human Resource Manage- ment, a human resource management trade group, says many companies are leaning toward policies that lump sick, personal and vacation days together. But she says laws force compa- nies to scale back on those benefits to keep down the costs associated with people taking sick days off. “These mandates have a chilling effect on employ- See SICK on page 8 The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is at the forefront of lowering and containing health care costs, improving health care quality and increasing access to health care in order to improve the lifelong health of Oregonians. Employment with the Oregon Health Authority represents more than just a job. It is an opportunity to serve fellow citi- zens across our beautiful state. OHA seeks to attract and retain a high performing and diverse workforce in which employees’ differences are respected and valued to better meet the varying needs of the diverse customers we serve. OHA fosters a diverse and inclusive work environment that promotes collaboration, flexibility and fairness so that all individuals are able to par- ticipate and contribute to their full potential. We invite you to visit us online to learn more about OHA and the career paths available (www.oregonjobs.org). You might just find that Oregon Health Authority, and the State of Ore- gon itself, is the right place for you and your career to call home. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT WWW.OREGON.GOV/OHA We are an Equal Opportunity Employer who actively supports Equal Access for all people regardless of Race, Color, Religion, Gender, Age, National Origin, Sexual Orientation or Disability. 6-3-14 June 3, 2015 The Portland and Seattle Skanner Careers Edition Page 5
