The debate over earned sick time benefits continues this week in Lansing.
The Senate Regulatory Affairs Committee is discussing Senate Bill 15, which would clarify a ballot initiative that’s set to begin February 21.
Some were in favor of keeping the benefits, but most of the experts said their problem was with “no call, no show,” meaning an employee can skip work for three consecutive days without the fear of a penalty. That includes Patricia Coates, a 9-1-1 coordinator at Oakland County.
“‘If you are the dispatcher who’s been there for 8, 10, or 12 hours, and it’s your fifth, sixth, or seventh day in a row, by the end of the shift, you’re watching that clock,” Coates said. “You can’t wait for your relief to walk in the door. And they don’t call, and they don’t show. So now it’s a scramble, because the next shift has to be staffed. You can’t just go home.”
If no action is taken before next Friday, changes to the states earned sick time laws would automatically begin.
