Most of New York City's workforce don't get paid sick leave from their jobs. This, according to a study done by the Community Service Society of New York. Low income workers who don't get paid sick leave went to work sick in the past year, and three out of ten sent a sick child to school as they could not take time off from work.

This study took place at a time when a bill is being sent to City Council that would compel employers to provide employees with paid sick days. Under this new measure, companies that employ 10 or more workers would need to provide nine paid sick days. and companies with fewer than 10 employees would provide five paid sick days.

But a few of the city's chambers of commerce have argued that this measure places an unfair burden on companies during these hard times, and that those companies who don't offer five or more days of paid sick leave do so as they may not be able to afford to stay in business if they did. Mayor Michael Bloomberg supports paid sick leave for large companies, but is wary of supporting smaller companies, while his rival City Comptroller William Thompson supports paid sick days but says that "one size doesn't fit all."

Employees who don't have paid sick leave are normally found in the leisure, retail, and hospitality industries.

I totally agree with the implementation of this new measure and believe that when one is sick one should stay home. I also find it ironic that some companies offer medical insurance but no paid sick days.

Let's hear your thoughts!