July 30th is a big day for millions of working families in New York City! Today, workers are eligible to start using the sick time they have accrued under the NYC Earned Sick Time Act, if they have been with their employer since the law went into effect on April 1, 2014. A Better Balance worked closely with legislative officials to draft and strengthen this new law. It covers nearly 1.2 million workers who previously had no sick time and ensures that 3.4 million workers in the private sector now have a legal right to sick time. That means that employers cannot deny workers sick time they have earned or retaliate against workers for taking that time to care for themselves or family members.
Now we have to make these new rights a reality on the ground! Could you take a moment today to spread the news by forwarding this to your networks or telling workers you know who may be in need of the law’s new protections? Please tell workers to call ABB’s legal hotline at 212-430-5982 if they have questions about the law or problems related to the need for sick time. ABB can provide confidential advice and free legal representation and can take calls in English and Spanish.
And when you spread the word, please tell workers that the Earned Sick Time Act gives them the right to take up to 40 hours of sick time per year to care for their own health or the health needs of a child or other family member. Most employers will have to pay workers for the time, and all covered workers are protected against retaliation. Please see ABB’s one-page flyer (also available in Spanish) and webpage for workers on the law.
We’d also be grateful if you or anyone you know could distribute our materials on the law to organizations, community centers, etc. in your own community. To find out how you can get involved, or if you have any questions, please call ABB at 212-430-5982 or email sicktime@abetterbalance.org.
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