CBS 13, APRIL 23, 2009
By Koula Gianulias
Sacramento – CBS13 investigated the proposal to require businesses to pay workers when they get sick.
"It's been a challenge, truly a challenge," says Derar Zawaydeh of Burgers & Brews.
Business is tough for Derar, who just opened his restaurant in downtown Sacramento.
"We work on a small margin, so every little detail, a fuel charge, will hurt us," says Derar.
Already coping with rising costs, Derar is frustrated that the state wants to add another expense to his plate.
A proposed law will require all California businesses to give employees 9 days of paid sick leave. Smaller shops would give 5 days.
To cover the expense, Derar says he'll have to cut workers' hours and probably have to cut some jobs. And for customers, prices would likely go up.
"This is similar to a lot of laws in the State of California. They pass the laws to protect the employee, which I totally agree with, but it ends up hurting them," says Derar.
Assemblyman De La Torre says the time off is a benefit that workers would earn over time; and with 6 million Californians coping without it, he says it is well overdue. "From a public health perspective, from an employee morale perspective and from the need to have employees keep their jobs," says De La Torre.
