Idaho State Capitol – On Friday, the House Business Committee printed Representative Brooke Green’s/(D-Boise) Honoring Paid Sick Leave legislation. The legislation requires employers who offer paid sick leave to their employees to honor their own policies. Rep. Green brought the legislation after hearing concerns from constituents about employees who are penalized for taking their earned sick leave, in accordance with their company policies.
“My legislation to honor paid sick leave is a simple, no cost bill that will hold employers accountable to their promises.” Rep. Green explained. “If an employee is counting on paid sick leave but then they are not compensated, or they are penalized for using it our whole community is impacted. The Governor said it best when he enacted his Families First Act, ‘Children benefit, parents benefit and the state benefits when we support a culture that balances the demands of work with the demands of family.’”
“Idahoans should not have the rug pulled out from under them when they take the time off that they earned. This legislation is simple, ‘if you offer paid sick leave as a benefit, then honor it.’ This legislation makes it a lot easier to avoid conflicts or misunderstandings when an employee needs to take leave. This is not new idea, several states in the west have similar protections in place.”
The legislation should have a full hearing in committee in the coming weeks.
