4 weeks ago
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In Missouri, Alaska and Nebraska, where voters supported Donald Trump, they also voted to expand paid sick leave, proving that "voters don't see these as partisan issues.”
By Chabeli Carrazana and originally published by The 19th
In every state where paid sick leave was on the ballot, voters approved it. On Election Day, measures in Missouri, Alaska, and Nebraska passed by wide margins: In Alaska, 57% of voters approved it, in Missouri it was 58%, and in Nebraska a whopping 74%.
The three new initiatives will give workers earned sick time depending on the size of their employer. If the business has 15 or more workers in Missouri and Alaska, or 20 or more in Nebraska, workers earn up to 56 hours of paid sick time a year. That’s equivalent to seven days if they work eight-hour shifts. Those who work for smaller businesses can earn up to 40 hours a year, or five eight-hour days.
The paid leave laws go into effect in May (Missouri), July (Alaska), and October (Nebraska).
Workers can use the time in case of illness or to care for a family member who is sick. The benefit is considered critical to help support and retain low-wage workers, who are the most likely to have limited or no access to paid sick time. The majority of them are women.
