BizForGrowth.com

What is Mandated Paid Sick Leave?

Mandated Paid Sick Leave is a city mandate that requires all employers located in the City of Milwaukee to provide their employees with paid sick days. The mandate will appeared as a referendum question on the November 4th ballot in the City of Milwaukee and has been enacted by popular support.

Employees would accrue paid sick leave at a rate of 1 hour of paid leave for every 30 hours worked, up to a maximum of 9 days per year for businesses employing more than 10 workers and 5 days per year for businesses of fewer than 10 employees. Employees begin accruing paid leave immediately upon employment and are eligible to begin taking it after 90 days.

Who does this ordinance effect?

This ordinance applies to private sector employees within Milwaukee city limits. It is eligible to full, part-time and temporary employees, salaried or hourly workers.

Paid sick leave may be carried over from one year to the next but carry over hours are subject to the 9 day/5 day cap.

Sick Pay can be used for any of the following: Employee's own physical/mental condition Care of family member (including immediate family, grandchild, grandparent, domestic partner and others whose association is equivalent to familial relationship). Absence due to domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking, including obtaining related services.

All employers with employees in the City of Milwaukee must comply.

When do I have to comply?

The ordinance was passed by popular vote on November 4, 2008 and effective upon publication on November 12, 2008. Employers are required to implement no later than 90 days following publication (February 10, 2009).

A claim against the the City of Milwaukee has been filed. The City of Milwaukee has denied the claim. MMAC has now filed for an injunction to suspend the required implementation while the legal battle ensues.

Many employers are already incurring the expense of creating qualifying policies or verifying that current policies satisfy the ordinance.

How does Mandated Sick Leave hurt local business?

While employee sick leave is a reasonable thing to do, this is not the right time to saddle Milwaukee with a new, costly, government-mandated scheme, especially with our gloomy economy that seems to be getting only worse.

There is too much economic uncertainty right now, and forcing another mandate would put more strain on already struggling local businesses and cost us jobs.

This is an issue that should be addressed between an employer and employee, not some government bureaucrat.

Setting up a monitoring and enforcement bureaucracy to administer this new mandate will be extremely expensive for the City of Milwaukee and will result in higher property taxes for city residents.

No one is belittling or dismissing the heart-wrenching situations and tough choices some workers face. The question is whether it is the best way to help those workers by imposing an expensive one-size-fits-all government mandate on every business in this city at a time when the economy is extremely unstable.

The best way to help Milwaukee workers is not to make it more expensive and burdensome for businesses to create jobs in our city.

Government micro-management – even at its well-intentioned best – has a way of creating negative, unintentional consequences. It is better if something this important is worked out more compassionately, flexibly, and effectively between you and your employer – not mandated by some government bureaucrat.

Every employer ought to provide for the needs of their workers, but they should be able to do it in a flexible way that accounts for the individualized needs of their workers and the unique competitive situation they face as a business. They shouldn't be bound by a one-size-fits-all government mandate.

What is BizForGrowth.com?

BizForGrowth.com is a joint effort lead by BizTimes Media LLC and Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce in opposition of the Mandated Sick Leave ordinance passed in the City of Milwaukee.

The purpose of the website and campaign is to raise awareness, provide comprehensive information and build a coalition of concerned parties opposing the implementation of this negative ordinance.

The “Donate a Sick Day” fundraising campaign provides funds to MMAC in support of the substantial legal costs that will be incurred to potentially overturn the ordinance. Funds donated through this website are collected by BizTimes Media LLC and disbursed as a general donation to MMAC, protecting the anonymity of donors.

How can I help stop Mandated Sick Leave?

The ordinance passed by popular vote and avoided the usual legislative process. The only way to support the efforts to stop this ordinance is by helping to fund the legal action by the MMAC and spreading the word about this website and effort. The funds raised through the “Donate a Sick Day” campaign benefit MMAC and will specifically help offset the legal costs to fight on your behalf.

Your financial support can be anonymous or public. You are encouraged to forward this website to any other business owners and executives doing business in Milwaukee and neighboring communities. You can also download web banners and template e-mails by visiting the resources page.

- Edward Perkins, President, PIP Printing Milwaukee