Seattle City Council: We Want Paid Sick Leave For Domestic Violence Victims

According to local news sources, Seattle will be following San Francisco and Washington, DC as the third large city in the country to make paid sick days mandatory for most businesses. Seattle believes that currently, 190,000 workers within city limits do not get paid when they are forced to take off work due to personal illness or an ill family member.

Under the new ordinance, Seattle companies with between 4 and 49 employees would be required to give their employees five paid sick days per year. Businesses with 50 to 249 employees would be required to grant seven paid sick days, while businesses with more than 250 employees would be required to provide nine paid sick days. Companies with fewer than four employees and companies less than two years old would not be required to offer paid sick days.

City officials believe that the new ordinance will have a number of benefits, from keeping sick workers in the food and service industries from spreading illness, to allowing parents to stay how and nurse sick children, to giving domestic violence victims a chance to seek care in the wake of abuse.

If you have been the victim of domestic violence in Washington State, understand that there are a number of resources in the area to assist you with all aspects of the issue. If you require legal help regarding a domestic violence incident, speak with a Mercer Island domestic violence attorney today.