Coronavirus fuels fears that workers without paid sick leave might work anyway
Saturday night business was brisk at Voicebox Karaoke after the private-suite lounge opened in December in downtown Boise’s BoDo district. Not anymore.
“The last couple of Saturdays I’ve worked haven’t been super busy,” bartender Beth Norton said by phone. “I don’t think there’s enough data to draw the conclusion that it’s because of the coronavirus, but definitely it’s been less busy than the Saturdays before that.”
That could have been bad news for Norton. Like many bar and restaurant workers, she depends on tips. Like many part-time workers, she lacked paid sick leave if the coronavirus — or any other illness — struck.
But Norton is lucky. Portland-based Voicebox, which also has clubs in Denver and Fort Worth, Texas, makes up the difference in hourly wages between employees like Norton, who earns a $7 hourly base wage, and the tips they otherwise would earn, up to a $13-an-hour combined total.
Within the past few weeks, the company also has added paid sick leave for all employees, Voicebox Marketing Manager Lizzy Grubbs said by phone from Portland. “We just rolled it out companywide in every market,” she said. Workers accrue one hour of sick leave for every 30 they work, up to a maximum of 40 hours. Norton’s accrual began with her start date in December.
Most white-collar employees enjoy steady paychecks, health insurance and two weeks or so of paid sick leave per year. But millions of American workers have lower-paying jobs that offer less or no financial support if things go wrong. If they must choose between staying home sick and paying the rent, many of them will go to work sick.
That could help spread the coronavirus.
Congress takes up sick leave
The coronavirus pandemic has brought increasing calls from political leaders for businesses that don’t offer paid sick leave to their workers to start doing so.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Donald Trump agreed Friday to ask Congress to pass legislation that includes coronavirus-related relief to Americans, including two weeks of sick pay for workers, according to news reports from Washington, D.C. The House quickly passed the bill early Saturday, sending it to the Senate, which may vote on it this coming week.
“Workers want to do the right thing for themselves, their families, and their communities — so especially in the middle of public health crises like this, staying home sick shouldn’t have to mean losing a paycheck or a job,” said Sen. Patty Murray, a Washington state Democrat, in a press statement about separate, earlier bills she sponsored this month to require sick leave.
One in four American workers has no paid sick leave, according to the U.S. Labor Department. In the service industry, which includes restaurants, retail shops and child care businesses, it’s even higher, 40%.
The United States, The New York Times reported, is “one of the only rich countries not requiring employers to give their workers paid time off when they’re sick.”
Idaho’s Republican governor, Brad Little, said at a Friday news conference that it makes good business sense to offer paid sick leave.
“If you don’t have paid leave and your people show up sick, it’s just not a good business practice,” he said.
Worker calls Voicebox decision a relief
Norton, who also works as a comedian, said Voicebox’s decision is a big relief for workers like her.
“That’s something that we’ve all experienced in the service industry, either with ourselves or with our co-workers, somebody coming to work who obviously shouldn’t be working,” Norton said.
Norton, who also works as a comedian, said she and other part-time workers at Voicebox Karaoke have been luckier than similar service industry workers who often don’t have sick leave.
Norton said the Voicebox Karaoke suites, where friends gather in private rooms to sing, drink and snack on curly fries and chicken strips, are very clean. Between parties, the rooms, including their microphones, are sanitized.
Even so, managers decided to close Voicebox on Saturday for two weeks, until Saturday, March 28, to protect the staff and guests during the pandemic, Grubbs said. The company is working on a plan for compensating employees during the down time.
Once Voicebox reopens, Norton invites Boiseans to come downtown and sing.
“It’s probably one of the safest places to do karaoke, because you’re not just passing the mic back and forth with strangers,” she said.
Just remember to tip her.
Business Editor David Staats contributed.
This story was originally published March 14, 2020 at 10:47 AM.
