Vermont public health association

The Vermont Public Health Association (VtPHA) believes that the availability of earned sick leave is a public health issue. Earned sick leave protects the public’s health, creates a healthier workforce and helps cut business costs associated with lost productivity, the spread of disease, and employee turnover. VtPHA believes that no employee should have to choose between going to work sick or getting paid, or choosing between caring for a sick child or losing a job.

VtPHA supports initiatives that promote the following:

• Access to earned sick leave for those working in all sectors in Vermont, most notably the food service, healthcare, and other service sectors.
• Earned sick leave laws that help to address health inequity.
• Earned sick leave laws that protects Vermont’s children and other vulnerable populations such as the elderly.
• Laws that help to prevent the transmission of foodborne illness, influenza and other communicable diseases within the general population.
• Laws that help to ensure that Vermont workers work in a healthy environment.

Earned Sick Leave Proposal

A Health Impact Assessment of Paid Sick Leave in Vermont
Prepared by the Vermont Department of Health
Released February 17, 2015