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This needs to be enacted. Too many companies go to the extremes to force workers to choose between their health or their paycheck. Walmart was recently cited by labor groups as being one of those companies requiring employees to make several phone calls to supervisors within a designated time period prior to reporting off ill. If the employee didn't do it exacty right, they would not be paid and could be fired. Many employees come to work ill or send their kids to school ill. No one should have to choose. There are companies in this community who only give 3 paid sick days per year, any more than that and you are off with no pay. God forbid that you come down with any illness requiring hospitalization - in that case, you can kiss your job goodby.

Some pro-active local employers are offering programs for parents when they have a sick child. For example, HMHP offers a Mend and Tend program for employee's sick children. The employee can still come to work and bring the child with them. The child is then cared for in a special center designated for the sick children. There is a small fee for this service, but it gives parents peace of mind and they can still be at work. This service may also be provided by companies for those of us who are also caring for elderly parents. When they are ill, a service is provided to tend to the ill parent, while the employee can still go to work.

It is nice to know that some local employers are adapting to the changing needs of society by being pro-active when it comes to sick time. But there are many, many more local companies who have no compassion for their employees. They would rather fire and rehire. It saves them some money as no one ever makes it past the minimum wage. You can tell who those companies are by the constant ads in the local paper and job fairs that they continually run.

If you work for a company that provides sick time and allows you to USE it, you are one of the lucky ones. You are even luckier if the employer provides special services for the employee's children or elderly parents. We need this legistation to pass so all Ohioans have peace of mind.

My employer offers paid sick time, but we can't use it. We have a rolling calendar system from the 1st report off, so it goes from 1st occasion to next. Even if the next one is the following year. For example, if you report off on 10/23/06 it is still held against you until 10/24/07. After that date, it will come off your record. If you get sick 3 times during that period, you will be conferenced for absenteeism. So I just go to work sick. My kids are also sent to school sick, as I can't stay home with them. Sick time can only be used for me, not my sick child. The kids know not to even go to the school nurse if they don't feel well because I can't leave work to pick them up. It will be held against me as an unpaid absence. It would be nice to have a Mend and Tend program available for my kids, but my employer doesn't offer it.

It should be called the "Businesses Leaving Ohio in Droves Act!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

This is a national campaign. So leave Ohio, if this becomes law, it will follow you there.

This law does need passage. Proponents of business and industry love to whine that businesses will be hurt by laws that give workers human treatment, benefits, and pay. If it were not for labor laws and progressive employment legislation, like this, workers in this country would still be forced to work 12 hour days and would be earning $2.00 a day.

American businesses, small and large, are greedy, self-serving, anti-people monsters. All they care about is how much profit they make and finding ways to share as little as possible with the workers.

That's why we are flooded with Chinese made junk and toys full of lead. Because of greedy American businesses who would rather go overseas and work people like animals to make inferior products for damn near nothing.

Business and industry has shown again and again that they are not inclined to do the right thing.

The people who are against this law already have sick time. Just like the people against universal health care already have health care. But they don't give a damn about everyone else.

Everyone needs paid sick time and I will be voting YES for this.

I agree and will vote for this as well.