Watch CBS News

Sen. Bennet Plans To Change Non-Paid Sick Days For Workers

DENVER (CBS4)- There is a new push to get paid sick leave for workers in Colorado. Sen. Micheal Bennet has a plan to change the current system which leaves about 40 percent of workers in the state without paid leave for sick days.

"Even when I'm not feeling well I have to decide should I go to work? If I don't work, my pay is not going to be enough for me to maybe buy food," said healthcare worker Brenda Lozada. "If I'm going half sick to work i'm not good for anyone."

Lozada is a home healthcare worker who has trouble taking care of her own health when she gets sick. Like many part-time workers, Lozada has no paid sick leave. A new bill before congress would change that. It's called the Healthy Families Act that would allow workers to earn up to seven days of paid leave a year.

PAID SICK LEAVE
CBS4's Shaun Boyd talks to Brenda Lozada (credit: CBS)

"What we know is when people don't have sick leave – and 40 percent or so of the people who work in Colorado, 800,000 people or more - tend to get sicker, tend to miss more days and can't have kids stay home from school and none of that is good from the productivity point of view," said Bennet, a Democrat representing Colorado.

The working women's group 9to5 says many of those workers are women.

"Two-thirds of minimum wage workers are women and those lower wage jobs are often the ones that don't have access to basic things like paid sick days," said 9to5 Colorado spokeswoman Maggie Gomez.

"This is a federal mandate on Colorado employers, this is a one-size-fits-all mandate and it's a solution in search of a problem," said Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry spokeswoman Loren Furman.

Michael Bennet
Sen. Michael Bennet (credit: CBS)

Furman says in a survey of 500 businesses of various sizes and all of them had some type of paid leave.

"Whether it's flex leave, part-time vacation, alternative work assignments," said Furman.

Lozado said in 11 years, she has taken one sick day which was unpaid.

"I will go to the fullest to do what I need to do to let my voice be heard because I'm in midst of it and I live it every day," said Lozado.

The current law allows workers to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid sick leave. The Healthy Families Act was introduced in February after President Obama called for it in his State of the Union Address.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.