Employment

"The governments of most European countries are offsetting the cost of emergency sick leave for employers an aiding smaller companies that are scrambling to survive. Most European governments require business to grant employees some form of paid sick leave. Germany, France, Denmark and The Netherlands are among the countries where workers have a right to receive full pay, in some cases for at least six weeks, if they are ill, are quarantined or are told to stay home by their employers." more »

As the novel coronavirus continues to march across the country, for many workers getting sick is only part of what worries them. What about getting paid if they are ill or have to be quarantined? Congressional Democrats are pushing for legislation that would provide paid leave for those who are not being compensated while out of work because of sickness, quarantine or family needs resulting from the coronavirus outbreak. Republicans and members of the administration have said they also are open to negotiations on a proposal. Currently, 10 states and the District of Columbia have laws that require some paid sick leave, according to the National Partnership for Women & Families. In addition, nearly two dozen cities and counties have paid sick leave laws. more »

"In light of reports that the Trump administration is considering new tax cuts for major corporations impacted by the coronavirus, we are demanding that the administration prioritize the health and safety of American workers and their families over corporate interests...We are hoping to work with the administration on a coordinated, government-wide plan to respond to the coronavirus. We are pleased that we passed an emergency response bill on an overwhelming, bipartisan basis that provided a significant increase in resources beyond the administration’s request." more »

In 2012, Lt. Heather Buren, along with colleagues from the San Francisco Firefighters Cancer Prevention Foundation (SFFCPF) noticed an alarming trend: In that year alone, five female firefighters were diagnosed with breast cancer. “We started asking questions, wondering what was up,” said Buren, co-author of the paper. “Cancer wasn’t new to our profession, but for the first time, I was thinking about cancer as an occupational disease: Was fighting fire somehow a contributing factor in my friends getting sick? Were our repeated exposures to toxic burning chemicals on the fire ground a factor to the high breast cancer rates among SFFD women firefighters?” more »