Tell Congress to pass the Healthy Families Act
US Congress
COVID-19, the coronavirus, is spreading, threatening the health of thousands and testing the strength of the global economy. At the time of publication, there were at least 230 confirmed cases in the U.S., with officials warning that many more people are likely to acquire this highly communicable disease.
While people are being encouraged to stay home if they don’t feel well, only 25% of food service workers have paid sick leave, and they don’t have the option of working remotely. That means that if you’re one of the 7 million food service workers with a low wage job, if you or a family member are not feeling well, you might not have the freedom to stay home from work. The virus is revealing what workers have known all along: that injustice is at odds with our shared public health goals.
Please sign on TODAY to urge Congress to pass the
Healthy Families Act (HFA). Right now, the US is one of only a handful of countries that doesn’t guarantee workers paid leave of any kind. Among other things, the HFA
would allow workers in businesses with 15 or more employees to earn up to seven job-protected paid sick days each year. These days could be used for workers to recover from their own illnesses, to access preventive care, to provide care to a sick family member, or to attend school meetings related to a child’s health condition or disability.
Protect basic human rights and public health! Sign this petition to pass the HFA today!
To:
US Congress
From:
[Your Name]
Dear Congressmember,
As COVID-19 comes to the US, we need your action now to ensure that millions of people in the U.S. aren’t exposed to the virus. For the sake of public health and human rights, all workers need paid sick leave.
Please act now to pass the Healthy Families Act to guarantee that all workers can earn up to seven job-protected paid sick days each year, with a provision for public health emergencies that would provide all workers with paid sick time and ensure employers keep their jobs open for the duration of any virus-related time missed from work.
Sincerely,
