Poll: Seattle voters support paid sick leave
Sep 7, 2011, 4:35 PM | Updated: 4:39 pm
The Seattle City Council is likely to pass a paid sick leave proposal, backed by a new poll that shows most voters want the city to extend the benefit to all workers.
Seattle’s sick leave ordinance would require all employers within city limits, who have five or more employees, to provide sick days. Companies with five to 49 employees would get five paid sick days. Those in companies with 50 to 249 employees could get up to seven sick days. Even larger companies would have to offer up to nine paid sick days.
The poll finds 69 percent of voters support that ordinance, while 22 percent oppose the measure. Slightly more women than men support paid sick leave, and those who consider themselves Democrats support the ordinance, two to one over Republicans.
A research firm called Grove Insight did the telephone survey of 400 people who said they would likely vote in the November election.
The full Seattle City Council will vote on the paid sick leave proposal September 12.
If you already have paid sick days, do you take those days because they’re part of your benefits even when you might not be sick? Just curious.