Title
June 28, 2011
To The President and Members of
The Council of the City of Philadelphia:
For the following reasons, I am returning herewith to your Honorable Body as disapproved Bill No. 080474-AA, which was passed by Council at its session on June 16, 2011.
Bill 080474-AA, also known as the paid sick leave bill, would require all but the very smallest employers in Philadelphia to guarantee a minimum level of paid sick leave to their employees. The laudable goal of the bill is to ensure that all workers employed in Philadelphia are able to take time off from work to address their own health needs and those of their family without having to lose pay for doing so.
I commend Councilman Clarke and Councilman Greenlee for asking us all to take a look at this important issue. All working people, at some time or another, have to take time away from work for health reasons. Unfortunately, the imposition of this requirement on Philadelphia alone - and not state-wide or on a national basis - would simply create too great a burden on our local businesses, would render us uncompetitive in the global marketplace and would cost Philadelphians jobs. As my Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Alan Greenberger stated at the public hearing on this bill, Philadelphians would like jobs with good benefits. But first and foremost, Philadelphians simply want and need jobs.
Mandating employers to provide sick leave benefits to employees raises the cost of labor for businesses that do not already provide such benefits. Moreover, the bill imposes considerable administrative burdens on businesses, particularly on small businesses that do not have sophisticated time-keeping systems in place. All of the local Chambers of Commerce - the African American Chamber, the Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber, the Asian American Chamber, the Greater Northeast Chamber and the Greater Philadelphia Chamber - have gone on record opposing this bill because of its ...
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