A measure that would let employees working in Florida earn sick time has failed.
Sen. Geraldine Thompson (D-Orlando) says employees need to be able to take time off to take of family and take care of their own medical and mental health needs. So she filed the Healthy Working Families Act.
“Which would allow employees to earn sick and safe leave for every 30 hours they work they then would be able to take one hour of earned safe or sick leave,” Thompson says.
The measure got the backing of business organizations, including the AFLCIO and Florida Federation of Business. But several other organizations including the Florida chamber and retail federation stood against the measure, saying employers, not the state, should be in charge of deciding what benefits workers receive. The bill failed in the Senate Commerce and Tourism committee Monday with a 2-4 vote.
