Portland may soon mandate that all businesses with more than six employees provide paid sick leave, joining Seattle, San Francisco and Washington D.C., as one of the few cities to offer the benefit.
BY BRANDON SAWYER
Portland may soon mandate that all businesses with more than six employees provide paid sick leave, joining Seattle, San Francisco and Washington D.C., as one of the few cities to offer the benefit. In 2012, Connecticut became the first state to require paid sick leave, but exempted companies with fewer than 50 workers. While opponents cite the burden placed on small businesses in a tough economy, proponents point to public health concerns and claim the laws boost productivity. In the midst of the debate, it’s clear that access to paid sick leave depends largely on the industry in question. The Bureau of Labor Statistics breaks down the cost of the benefit by region – as of September 2012, it accounted for just 0.9% of average worker compensation in the Pacific region, versus 1.0% in the Northeast, 0.8% in the South and 0.7% in the Midwest.
| Access to paid sick leave in the United States |
2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
| Private industry workers | 62% | 63% | 61% |
| Utilities | 93% | 94% | 93% |
| Information | 89% | 89% | 90% |
| Financial activities | 89% | 89% | 88% |
| Private educational services | 75% | 76% | 79% |
| Real estate and rental/leasing | 80% | 79% | 79% |
| Private health care and social assistance | 78% | 78% | 76% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 72% | 71% | 71% |
| Professional and business services | 64% | 65% | 66% |
| Manufacturing | 61% | 62% | 62% |
| Private service-providing industries | 64% | 64% | 62% |
| Private goods-producing industries | 54% | 56% | 56% |
| Retail trade | 51% | 52% | 49% |
| Construction | 36% | 37% | 40% |
| Accommodation and food services | 29% | 30% | 24% |
| State and local government workers | 89% | 89% | 89% |
| Public educational services | 90% | 90% | 89% |
| Public health care and social assistance | 91% | 91% | 87% |
