Assembly Democrats introduced a bill Wednesday designed to help one million employees in Wisconsin who do not have paid sick days.
State Rep. Cory Mason, D-Racine, introduced legislation that would mandate a minimum number of sick days for Wisconsin workers.
The “Earned Sick Days Act” would give employees a minimum of nine paid sick days, but would allow businesses that have less than 10 employees to grant employees only five sick days.
Mason said the bill is extremely important because it would prevent employees from having to choose between going to work or taking a child to a doctor’s appointment.
Additionally, Mason said employers would save money through higher employee retention rates and reduced health care costs.
“For families that are trying to make it in this economy, giving them economic security that they are not one illness away from being financially destitute is a really important thing to give workers in the state,” Mason said.