Airport workers and supporters organized a rally at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on March 7, 2023. The group, led by the Service Employees International Union, demanded the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority mandate paid sick leave and employer-paid health care for airport service workers at Washington National and Dulles International Airport. Under the current Virginia law, employers are not required to provide paid sick leave.

The shift towards mandatory paid sick leave is steadily catching on, with 14 states and the District of Columbia now mandating it. Paid family and medical leave is also being progressively recognized, with 13 states and DC offering these. Recent legislative changes include amendments to laws in Washington State and California, to provide construction workers with sick leave accruals and extend paid sick days from three to five respectively.

The momentum is expected to influence other states. Proponents for paid sick time, such as those in Alaska, Nebraska and Missouri, are currently advancing ballot initiatives. Paid Sick Leave for Nebraskans aims for full-time workers to get a minimum of five to seven days of paid sick time, with part-time staff also receiving some paid sick time. A campaign to secure paid sick time and a minimum wage increase is underway in Missouri, led by Missourians for Healthy Families and Fair Wages. The paid sick time would be proportionate to employees’ hours worked and the employer’s size.

Policy advocates highlight the public health importance of paid sick leave. They contend that the lack of sick leave often forces vulnerable, financially unstable workers to opt for financial stability over personal health and the well-being of family members and co-workers. The ongoing surge of respiratory viruses further underscores the urgency of the issue.

In efforts to improve work conditions, labor advocates and certain Democrats are pushing for the passage of the federal Healthy Families Act and the FAMILY Act. These pieces of legislation would provide a national right to earn protected time off and paid family and medical leave benefits, respectively. The Center for American Progress’s Molly Weston Williamson urges the federal government to learn from the COVID-19 pandemic’s implications and to enact the Healthy Families Act.

Paid sick days measures are not universally supported, with business groups and State Republican lawmakers often pointing out the burden these place on businesses. However, the Economic Policy Institute contends that having a healthier, more productive workforce could be beneficial for employers. The Institute’s Hilary Wething believes that a federal mandate for paid sick leave could potentially lead to a healthier economy.