Press Releases

For Immediate Release
February 15, 2008
Contact: Julie Wagner Feasel, Vice President, Communications
Ohio Chamber of Commerce
614/228-4201
jfeasel@ohiochamber.com

OHIO CHAMBER OPPOSES MANDATED SICK LEAVE

Proposal Puts Ohio at a Huge Disadvantage

COLUMBUS, OH – On January 15, 2008, the Board of Directors of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce unanimously voted to oppose an initiated law that mandates paid sick leave being pushed by labor unions and deceptively named the “Healthy Families” Act.

This anti-job creation proposal requires Ohio employers with 25 or more employees to provide a minimum of seven paid sick days for all full-time employees and paid time off for part-time employees. It also prohibits the reduction of existing benefits in order to comply with the new mandate. If enacted, Ohio’s businesses will be burdened with an additional layer of regulations on the backs of employers who already are subject to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and expands such regulations and cost of compliance to Ohio’s smaller employers.

In his motion to the board of directors, Tom Lagos, partner with Lagos and Lagos PLL in Springfield stated, Ohio is already challenged to retain and create jobs that will keep our educated young adults in our great state. I move that the Ohio Chamber of Commerce oppose the misnamed Healthy Families Act, which should be more appropriately called the Lose Jobs in Ohio Act.” The move was seconded and unanimously approved by the full board.

When discussing mandated paid sick leave, Andrew E. Doehrel, president and CEO of the Chamber stated, “Mandated paid leave would come at a significant cost to employers, and these costs would have to be made up elsewhere – perhaps through reduced wages, or reductions in other paid benefits. The Ohio Chamber opposes any state initiative that removes or restricts an employer’s flexibility in designing and implementing employee benefit plans.”

Ohio Chamber Director of Labor & Human Resource Policy Tony Fiore points out that if enacted, this proposal could be a blow to Ohio’s economic development plans because Ohio would become the only state in the nation to mandate paid sick leave. “Currently San Francisco, California is the only political jurisdiction in our nation to pass a law requiring paid sick leave,” Fiore said. “Can you imagine the negative impact from companies looking to relocate or expand in Ohio? This type of mandate is a jobs killer at a time when Ohio needs all of the jobs it can get.”

Doehrel emphatically stated, “It always amazes me how proponents say they know this is good for business – well, our business members have reviewed this proposal and spoken with a LOUD voice that this is bad for job creation in a state that can ill afford more challenges. We are business people and we speak for businesses – this proposal is NOT good for us or Ohio employees.”

More information is available on www.ohiobusinessvotes.org.

Founded in 1893, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce is Ohio's largest statewide business advocacy group. The Chamber works to promote and protect the interests of its members - large and small - while building a more favorable Ohio business climate.

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