U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez joined with local elected officials, community stakeholders and progressive groups this afternoon at Newark City Hall for a roundtable discussion on earned sick days. Working Families United for New Jersey, Inc., which is leading the fight for statewide earned sick days in New Jersey, was represented in the roundtable discussion by its Executive Director Edward Correa.

The message our coalition continues to send is that earned sick days not only benefits workers, but is also good for businesses and public health. This policy has the potential to reduce the spread of illness in the workplace and in schools, boost employee morale and productivity, and help workers, who are stretched financially, to balance their job with their health. Allowing workers to stay home when they or their children get sick without sacrificing pay is not a lavish benefit but rather a basic necessity.

Our coalition was asked to participate in this discussion with U.S. Secretary Thomas Perez because of the work that we are doing to shine a light on the need for statewide earned sick days. There are still over 1.2 million workers in New Jersey who lack earned sick days. By and large, this problem disproportionately impacts our communities’ low-wage workers, who are often the least able to absorb lost wages.

Working Families United for New Jersey, Inc. will maintain absolute resolve in the fight for statewide earned sick days. This policy is a crucial step to ensuring fair and just treatment at the workplace and is a commonsense protection all hardworking New Jersey families deserve. To learn more about our fight for earned sick days and to get involved, be sure to visit www.earnedsickdays.com.