Gov. Little to Idaho employers: Paid sick leave now is ‘just good business practice’
Anywhere from 263,000 to 439,000 people in Idaho could contract the novel coronavirus at some point, according to the latest estimates from the state’s chief epidemiologist. Many of them won’t get a paycheck if they stay home when they’re sick.
Idaho doesn’t require employers to pay workers who take a sick day. Neither does the federal government, or most other states. Idaho neighbors Nevada, Oregon and Washington do have paid sick leave laws on the books.
But as Idaho prepares for the COVID-19 pandemic — the first two cases were announced Friday and Saturday — Idaho’s governor is urging employers to provide paid time off if they don’t already.
“I mean, everybody has to look at their individual business — what’s critical to them. And obviously, if you don’t have paid leave, and your people show up sick, it’s just not good business practices,” Gov. Brad Little said a news conference Friday.
Little called the news conference to announce that he is declaring a state of emergency due to the spread of the novel coronavirus. Idaho was the second-to-last state without a confirmed case. Only 131 people in Idaho have been tested for COVID-19, the coronavirus disease that emerged in China in 2019.
Little has created a working group of stakeholders from public health, hospitals and public schools to help guide Idaho through the pandemic. He suggested that he plans to convene similar task forces to look at the impact on Idaho’s businesses and workforce.
He stopped short of saying whether the state would provide any financial assistance to support paid leave.
“We’re going to put together groups on large businesses, small businesses,” he said. “I’m very concerned about the businesses that touch a lot of the public, and they darn sure shouldn’t have people showing up for work. And if they don’t have leave, and it’s a financial burden to them (to provide) ... I believe that bill that’s rolling through Congress now, there may be some federal help in there. But it’s just good business practices to do that.”
That bill, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act put forward by House Democrats, would mandate two weeks’ paid sick leave.
This story was originally published March 13, 2020 at 2:47 PM.
