The Maine Legislature should pass LD 1454, “An Act to Care for Working Families,” a bill that would guarantee a minimum of paid sick days for employees of businesses employing more than 25 employees. Without paid sick days, mothers and fathers cannot take care of their children in times of illness.

Sick children are harmed when their parents don’t have paid sick days. Child care center rules require sick children to remain home, but in practice, when parents cannot get off work to stay home with them, many sick children do end up at day care. This sets up a chain reaction, with viruses passing from child to playmate, to playmates’ parents, and to parents’ co-workers.

The cost to employers is substantially mitigated by cost savings from lowered contagion within workplaces (thus, reduced absenteeism and increased productivity of co-workers), less use of health care resources and lower health care costs, increased productivity and job retention due to job satisfaction and loyalty, and productivity gains through lessened worker distraction over sick family members who need at home.

When we first moved to Maine, we saw that this was a place where hardworking and independent thinking people often cut through the usual mire of political gridlock and solved problems with common sense, foresight and compassion.

The passage of LD 1454, “An Act to Care for Working Families,” will reaffirm Maine’s capacity as a bellwether for our nation’s vision of responsible social policy.

Eugene and Dr. Geneine Wilson, Lewiston