Ohioans are being urged to prevent the spread of Coronavirus by staying home as much as possible. But for too many Ohioans, that's simply not an option. "In moments like this, our building trades and service workers are the ones hit hardest," said Senate Minority Leader Kenny Yuko. "Construction workers can't just turn down jobs and assume there will be more next month. It doesn't work that way. And people who are paid hourly often can't afford to miss even one shift, let alone several. Ohio needs paid leave. And we need it now." Last year, Senator Tina Maharath (D-Columbus) introduced a bill, SB 91, to create a paid leave insurance program for Ohio workers.
Employers would pay no additional cost under this program, and workers would have the option to opt-out. "This program would allow workers to continue earning a percentage of their paycheck while they take time off to care for a newborn, a newly-adopted or newly-placed foster child, a family member with a serious illness, or to address their own medical condition," Senator Maharath said at the bill's first hearing. Senator Maharath's bill is currently stuck in the Senate Insurance committee. The legislature has until December 31, 2020 to pass this bill into law.
Learn more about SB 91 here.
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