RICHMOND, Va. — Proposed legislation that would mandate paid sick leave for workers is moving through the Virginia General Assembly.
HB5 and SB199 would require employers to provide one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked for full- and part-time employees.
Democrats, who have pushed this legislation for years, said the bills are to ensure working Virginians don't have to choose between their health and a paycheck.
Some businesses refuse to offer paid sick leave for their employees, regardless of the number of hours worked.
"If you work full time in Virginia, you should be able to afford to live in Virginia. We can do all of this. We can balance these forces. We've done it before. We can do it again," Gov. Abigail Spanberger said at her first joint legislative address on Jan. 19. "We can support business growth and invest in our workforce. We can attract new companies and protect workers. We can be the best state for business and the best state for working families."
Ashleigh Crocker, interim executive director of Progress Virginia, said in a statement that access to paid sick leave is a basic protection for workers.
Sarah Paxton, president of Richmond furniture store LaDIFF, said they already offer robust paid leave and vacation policies that exceed what the bills seek to accomplish.
"We want to support our employees. We have programs in place to do that, and I understand that legislation like this exists because of what I'll call the bad apples who don't do that. However, it would be nice to see instead getting some credit back to those who do participate already and who do take care of our employees well," Paxton said.
The worry is that the legislation would add to a small business's administrative and payroll costs mandated by the government.
A 4% payroll increase can reduce net profit by up to 40% for a small business, according to the Virginia Retail Federation.
Steve Rosser owns 11 Gelati Celesti Ice Cream locations across Richmond and Hampton Roads, employing 60 full-time workers plus about 200 high school and college students who work part-time.
"We are an employee-centric company. We are so appreciative of what our employees do. They are the heartbeat of our company. They make the ice cream. They interact with customers. They are so important and we provide a paid leave program that greatly exceeds what the state is proposing," Rosser said.
Rosser said the biggest impact the bills will have on his business are tied to his part-time employees who work two shifts per week on average.
"If they miss a day because of illness, they can easily make that shift up so they're not losing any compensation or income," Rosser said. "Our concern with all of this legislation is that ultimately, it will result in price increases, not only for Gelati Celesti, but for so many small businesses in Richmond. And that really flies in the face of this affordability issue, which is so important to consumers."
Two other pieces of legislation, HB1207 and SB2, would create a state-run paid family and medical leave insurance program funded through payroll contributions.
Under the proposed legislation, the Virginia Employment Commission would create and run a program to provide up to 12 weeks each year of paid leave. That leave could be used for reasons like the birth or adoption of a child, caring for a sick family member, or if the worker has a serious medical condition.
"Everyone deserves the dignity and the ability to care for themselves and their loved ones and hold on to their jobs," the bill's chief patron, Sen. Jennifer Boysko, D-Fairfax, said.
The program would be funded by a payroll tax paid by employers and employees and would cover up to 80% of a person's average weekly wage, but no more than the state average weekly wage.
"This insurance plan will add costs to our company. Our position is, if it's really important, it should be funded by the state, as opposed to put on the backs of small businesses in Richmond," Rosser said.
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