Campaign Overview

On June 16, 2011, the Philadelphia City Council voted to guarantee paid sick time for all workers in the city to recover from their own illness or to care for a family member.   The successful City Council vote was welcome news for the 210,000 workers in Philadelphia who lack paid sick time.  Unfortunately, on June 28, 2011, Mayor Nutter vetoed the Philadelphia paid sick time bill.  Despite the Mayor’s veto, paid sick time legislation has tremendous support throughout Philadelphia.  More than 70% of Philadelphia voters supported the paid sick time bill.  And the Coalition of more than 120 groups working for paid sick time for all Philadelphians have vowed they are not giving up — there will be renewed efforts in 2012 to reintroduce a bill that can become law. 

In the meantime, on October 13, 2011, the Philadelphia City Council voted 15-2 to add a paid sick time requirement to Philadelphia’s living wage law, known as the “Philadelphia 21st Century Minimum Wage Standard.”  The living wage law covers businesses that contract with the city, receive city subsidies, or lease office space in buildings that receive city subsidies.  Mayor Nutter did not veto the bill, and it became law on October 27, 2011!  This amendment to Philadelphia’s living wage law allows full-time, non-temporary employees of covered businesses to earn up to 7 days of paid sick time annually if they work for an employer with more than 10 employees.  Those individuals who work for employers with 6 to 10 employees can earn up to 4 days of paid sick time per year.  The law excludes employers with 5 or fewer employees. 

For the full text of the amendment to Philadelphia’s living wage law, click here.

A Better Balance has supported Philadelphia advocates from the beginning, working with the City Attorney to ensure that Philadelphia had the power to pass this law, drafting the initial proposal, and serving as legal counsel as the campaign moves forward.

For More Information

To get more information on the continued campaign for paid sick time in Philadelphia, visit the webpage for the Coalition for Healthy Families and Workplaces.