Our Issues

Paid Sick Time

When you are sick, you shouldn’t be forced to go to work. It’s bad for you, your co-workers, your employer, and your community.

While many workers take paid sick time (also commonly referred to as paid sick leave) for granted, millions of us can’t stay home when we are sick for fear of losing a day’s pay or even a job. Even fewer workers can take time off when a child or another family member is sick.

A Better Balance is drafting, passing, and implementing laws to guarantee all workers in the U.S. access to paid sick time when they need it to care for themselves and for their loved ones.

Fighting for National Paid Sick Time through the Healthy Families Act

Twenty percent of private-sector workers across the US – or more than 25 million Americans lack access to a single day of paid sick time. Workers in low-wage jobs, part-time positions, and service jobs are the least likely to have paid sick time to care for themselves or loved ones. A growing number of state and local governments have passed paid sick time laws that have benefited workers, employers, and public health. But access to paid sick time should not depend on where you work. No one should be forced to attend work sick or send a sick child to school. 

Since A Better Balance’s founding, we have been fighting to pass a national paid sick time law that meets the needs of all workers caring for themselves and their loved ones. Not only is paid sick time an urgent matter of economic justice and personal health—it is critical for protecting the health and safety of communities as a whole and stopping the spread of contagious illnesses like COVID-19, the flu and more.

Congress is reintroducing The Healthy Families Act in 2025-2026, a federal bill which would guarantee workers nationwide the right to earn up to 7 paid sick days a year to address their own health needs or to care for a sick family member. We won’t stop pushing Congress to act until this critical bill is law.

Join us in taking action by writing to your legislators about the Healthy Families Act here!

Learn more: 

We have long recognized the importance of paid leave and sick time laws with inclusive family definitions in ensuring that all workers can care for those closest to them regardless of biological or legal relationship, and are committed to advancing policies that cover the full range of diversity among families.

Watch ABB Community Advocate Crystal discuss the importance of paid sick days for all workers during our 2022 webinar, “Sick Without A Safety Net: The Urgent Need and Case for a National Paid Sick Time Law” below:

Landmark State and Local Paid Sick Time Victories

Through on-the-ground advocacy, bill drafting, and policy support to coalitions around the country, ABB has helped to pass dozens of state and local paid sick time laws. We are continuing to lead work at the state and local level to advance new paid sick time laws and expand existing policies.

In 2014, for example, we successfully passed a groundbreaking law in New York City that provided a strong model for other jurisdictions. Learn more about the history of paid sick time in NYC and how we have helped ensure smooth implementation of the law. Since 2014, we have worked with the City Council to expand and strengthen the New York City paid sick time law multiple times.

In 2020, Colorado enacted a paid sick time law for workers in the state. ABB is proud to have played a leading role in passing this robust bill based on our model legislation, and our Colorado office is continually working on the ground to ensure this legislation is being enforced in the state. Learn more about CO workers’ rights to paid leave.

In 2024, voters in Alaska, Nebraska, and Missouri showed strong bipartisan support of paid sick leave when they passed paid sick time ballot initiatives that ABB helped to draft and advance. These wins build on the state and local laws that ABB and local partners helped to pass by ballot in the past decade. The laws are now in effect in Alaska and Nebraska! Missouri’s legislature overrode the will of its voters to repeal the law, but the fight there continues! 

Our model sick time bill and other resources have been successfully used by campaigns across the country. Visit here to see a list of helpful tools, model paid sick time bills, and additional information to assist your paid sick days campaign.

Visit our interactive and customizable comparison of these laws.

17 states, Washington D.C., and dozens of localities guarantee workers a right to paid sick time. For the full list of permanent paid sick time laws and an FAQ on each law, see below.

States:

Counties & Cities:

Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, A Better Balance worked with states, cities, and counties throughout the U.S. to protect workers affected by the virus through emergency paid sick time policies. While these laws have generally expired, the COVID-19 pandemic put a significant spotlight on the importance of paid sick time laws that provide adequate time off, broad coverage, and usage during public health emergencies.

Throughout and beyond the pandemic, we remain dedicated to ensuring workers can stay safe and healthy on the job, and to empowering workers with knowledge of their rights to care for themselves and their loved ones in times of need. Our Know Your Rights resources have been visited and shared thousands of times since COVID-19 emerged, and we’ve assisted thousands with our free, confidential legal helpline.

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