The states are moving ahead, so just in time to be behind President Obama announced in his State of the Union address and then proposed the Healthy Families Act which would allow working Americans to earn up to seven days per year of paid sick time. Key elements:
1) Applies to groups of 15 or more employees
2) Provides accrual of one hour of sick time for every 30 hours worked – up to 56 hours
3) Provide employees with the ability to use leave after 60 days of employment
4) Carry over leave from year to year
5) Allow the use of sick leave for employee illness as well as sick family member
6) Allow use to deal with domestic violence (e.g. medical treatment or going to court)
7) Require reinstatement of unused sick leave if the employee is rehired within a year
Unfortunately, the final law will not pre empt state or local laws, so administration will be tricky.
