Posted on 03/24/2015 6:13:04 AM PDT by MichCapCon
A recent Michigan Public Radio story promoted a poll's finding that found 86 percent of Michigan voters support the concept of employees getting paid time off for illness or to provide care to a family member. The poll was done by Denno Research.
The story pointed out that Democratic state lawmakers had introduced House Bill 4167 and Senate Bill 101, both of which would require employers to give paid sick leave to their employees. The paid leave would be between 40 to 72 hours annually, depending on the size of the business.
But an advocate for small business owners and an economics professor say forcing paid leave on employers would have negative consequences.
“This is government micromanagement of the workforce,” said Charles Owens, the state chairman for the National Federation of Independent Business.
Owens said medium and large businesses already have policies to cover paid leave, and small businesses work with valued employees on issues that require time off.
“Everyone thinks it is a great idea because they think somebody else is paying for it and it’s not them,” Owens said. “The (business) response would be to cut jobs.”
The NFIB Research Foundation did studies in three states on the impact of mandated paid leave. The studies project that mandated paid leave would result in an average of a decrease in real output by $17.4 billion within ten years. Mandated paid leave would also result in an average loss of 80,000 jobs over the next 10 years.
Owens said if employers are required to pay for employees’ leave, that will mean there is less money available for optional benefits such as retirement programs or wage increases.
Mark Perry, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and a professor of finance and business economics at University of Michigan-Flint, said if passed it would be the third recent government mandate on private business.
Perry pointed to the increase in minimum wage and the national health care law that mandated business provide coverage for employees or face a penalty.
“This will have negative consequences for many small businesses and other employers of unskilled and low-skilled workers,” Perry said in an email. “It will also reduce employment opportunities for entry-level workers in Michigan. Overall, a government mandate for paid sick time would have very serious negative effects on Michigan businesses and Michigan workers.”
The concept of paid medical leave is a benefit for work that is valued. I have no problem in an employer allowing paid medical leave for a burger flipper if they deem that job valuable enough to provide added benefits to keep the employee working there.
What I have a problem is an arbitrary assignment of benefits throughout the workforce that have no controls.
If they want paid medical leave, then they should have to prove some medical condition that necessitates this with a doctors note verifying such when the leave is beyond a certain time period..
A smart business owner would cut wages 2% to 4% to cover the cost.
Democratic state lawmakers had introduced House Bill 4167 and Senate Bill 101, both of which would require employers to give paid sick leave to their employees. The paid leave would be between 40 to 72 hours annually, depending on the size of the business.American Grandstand. Here in Michigan, working in various jobs since the 1960s, the only time I *didn't* have paid sick leave (and no cap, with a 50 percent of the unused balance paid off upon separation) was in family businesses (which would be disproportionately hit by this ridiculous bill) or part-time employment.
I do not think that any government should mandate paid leave for businesses. This is something that the employer should determine, based on its own workforce needs, benefits package, compensation programs, etc. Some employers give “PTO” (personal time off or paid time off), as a pool of hours or days to be used in whatever manner is agreeable between the employer and employees.
Some provide more or less paid holidays and vacation days than others. Some allow for more flexible schedules than others. Some have more options for bonuses or perks.
This one issue of “paid medical leave”, should not become a mandate/law to remove the discretion each business should have to establish its own best package of compensation and benefits. IMHO
I really never said government should mandate. I said “allow”...
My only condition would be some sort of reasonable control if the business chooses to verify the legitimacy. In the end that is the business’s problem, thought
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