Policies that affect the health of individuals also affect the health of the community. MassBudget’s new fact sheet Earned Paid Sick Time: Supporting Healthy, Thriving Communities examines the effects on the general public, families, and the workplace when sick workers can’t stay home from work.
Access to earned paid sick time improves the economic security of working people and families in communities in every region of our Commonwealth. This fact sheet provides data on the percentage of the workforce that currently lacks earned paid sick time in different cities and towns.
The economic security of working families depends on reliable access to opportunities that offer good incomes and that allow workers to share in the benefits of economic growth. Unfortunately, data made available today by the U.S. Census Bureau show that four years into an economic recovery many working families across the nation and in Massachusetts have seen only very modest gains.
Many workers are responsible for caring for a family. They face daily challenges of being both good parents and hard-working, effective employees. In recent decades, more and more children are growing up in families where all the adults work. Yet, some of our employment policies do not reflect this modern reality. This brief examines challenges faced by working families and the role that earned paid sick time can play in helping families meet those challenges. It also describes the effect of such laws on businesses and the broader economy.
“Labor Day 2014” examines trends that are shaping the economic lives of working people in Massachusetts and describes effective policies that could move our Commonwealth towards a future with greater economic opportunity and security for all.
At some point in their lives, all workers experience a personal health issue or family illness. Yet in Massachusetts, as in most states, if you are sick and have to miss work, not only can you miss a day's worth of pay, but you can also get fired. In order to better address these issues, a growing number of cities and one state have passed earned paid sick time laws. Below are answers to some frequently asked questions about this important issue.
Last week the Legislature voted to increase the minimum wage to $11 by 2017. This is projected to raise the wages of approximately 605,000 workers. This Facts At A Glance provides estimates of the number of workers affected in specific cities and regions of the state.
In conjunction with our new online resource, the Jobs & Workforce Budget (http://workforce.wordpress-442032-1484100.cloudwaysapps.com/), this brief analyzes state support for workforce development over the past decade, finding that these programs have been cut by about a third since FY 2001 (adjusted for inflation).
This Facts At A Glance analyzes the declining value of the tipped minimum wage in Massachusetts and compares current proposals for reform.
Restoring the value of the minimum wage can be an effective way to reward work and help low wage workers support themselves and their families. This Facts At A Glance examines several proposals that have been made to restore the value of the minimum wage.