As an elected leader or candidate, I care about the welfare of my constituents and advocate for good policies for Virginia. All working Virginians deserve at least five paid sick days (40 hours). I support state legislation that would establish a paid sick days standard in Virginia, currently focused on providing full-time workers five paid sick days per year on an ongoing basis.
The COVID-19 virus has demonstrated to all of us how important it is for workers to have paid sick days and how quickly illnesses are spread when workers go to work when sick. The federal CARES act, which expires at the end of this year, requires many employers to provide 10 paid sick days to most workers for COVID-19 related illness. While that is a temporary fix for those suffering from COVID-19, it doesn’t provide a permanent solution for sick days outside of a pandemic. Workers in Virginia and their families need paid sick days every year, not just during a pandemic.