Take a look at 9to5 Atlanta member Nicole Corley’s letter to the editor. It ran in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on June 28, 2013.  You can see the original article here

WORKING FAMILIES

Summer vacation is in full swing for Georgia’s students.

Unfortunately, for many Georgia parents, summer vacation still means choosing between earning a paycheck, or taking time off work to care for a sick child. There are employers who will allow parents to use accrued leave if they are sick, but not if their child is sick.

Georgia has about 901,000 children living in single-parent families, and 962,000 below the poverty line. These families — due to low wages and/or no stable supports — cannot afford to lose a single day’s pay.

Parents should not have to choose between a paycheck and leaving a sick child home alone. Georgia House Bill 290 would allow employees to use earned sick days to take care of sick family members. Support Georgia’s working families. Support HB 290.

NICOLE CORLEY, DECATUR