John Dubie, owner of Burlington’s Pearl Street Beverage, testified against paid sick leave legislation Thursday at the Statehouse.

With a reference to the world of Don Draper, President Obama renewed his call for mandatory paid sick leave Tuesday night in his State of the Union address. 

“A mother deserves a day off to care for a sick child or sick parent without running into hardship,” he said. “And you know what, a father does, too. It’s time to do away with workplace policies that belong in a ‘Mad Men’ episode.”

But the president’s full-throated support for the idea isn’t exactly echoed by Vermont’s Democratic leaders. As a committee in the Vermont House takes up legislation that would require businesses to provide employees up to seven days per year in accrued, paid sick leave, top Dems have been hesitant to take a side.

Paul Heintz was part of the Seven Days news team from 2012 to 2020. He served as political editor and wrote the "Fair Game" political column before becoming a staff writer.

10 replies on “On Paid Sick Leave, Top Vermont Dems Are Noncommittal”

  1. A sick worker is an unproductive worker, who only infects other workers who are then unproductive workers. As someone who generally leans to the right this is one Obama’s proposal I would actually get behind. I don’t need my colleagues get me sick only to spread it to my kids who then have to stay home from school. It’s also funny they mention health connect… which would benefit from people staying home when they are sick.
    The only question for me would be how to make sure it isn’t being abused by employees who just want a day off…

  2. Most businesses are understanding of the sick employee issue already and will flex their schedule when possible to accommodate a sick employee. There is no need to mandate this. As unemployment drops businesses will work on this issue themselves in order to attract a better quality employee.

  3. How about a little attribution for your statement. From the testimony taken one could say the opposite, that most businesses are not understanding of the sick employee.

  4. Hope anyone who opposes paid sick leave has a meal cooked or served by a sick person forced to go to work in order to pay the bills.

  5. Paul, can you explain why if you’re a businessperson in favor of the bill you’re a “left-leaning business” while if you’re opposed you’re not a “right-leaning business”?

  6. “Most businesses are understanding of the sick employee issue already and will flex their schedule when possible to accommodate a sick employee.” Actually, this is untrue. Many businesses, of course, do this. These are generally the ones with low turnover rates. Many other businesses, however, treat their workers little better than exploitable labor which they begrudgingly have to pay while you make money for them. I can tell you what it is like to work for some of these businesses — large and small companies. If you get sick, they know that someone else, probably even more desperate than you for a job, is waiting to take your job away. This is how capitalism operates. Buy low, sell high, and get as much as you can out of your labor. Not all businesses are benign or cooperative.

  7. This is a bad bill. Too bad opponents won’t stand up and be heard. Too dangerous politically. This is another handout and freebie by the Dems.

  8. If the federal government employees can have sick pay using our tax dollars why can’t everyone. With the average income in VT of 40k-ish /yr/household how much does another day/week cost an employer. Most workers are devastated by losing a days pay. Those with means have NO understanding of living on the edge, and how $100 might effect someone’s life. With many more of our jobs are at ‘non living wages’. The general public is supplementing those employers by giving their employees assistance, through food stamps, fuel subsidies, property tax rebates etc. maybe we should ask another question. Can you pay a living wage or pay the assistance your employee is getting from the government. Maybe then the sick pay issue would go away on its own

  9. Some employees/people will abuse anything they have an opportunity to abuse. I strongly feel that you will receive the treatment you give. Short change your employees at every turn, they will return the favor through any means they can find.
    The military uses the10% rule. They know and have stopped fighting the 10% they can’t get on board. I think that works everywhere. Then what to do with them becomes another topic, but don’t let it taint the 90%.

  10. Is that why it is 2014 and we are still discussing it? I think this is not reality and have a lifetime to prove it even though my employer was filthy rich

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