Public health officials have recommended self-isolation for people who’ve come down with or come into contact with COVID-19. For many caregivers and workers, staying home means losing days or weeks of wages.
It’s a choice between health and a paycheck, says Delegate Elizabeth Guzmán, and that’s a sacrifice no one should have to make.
“These are our heroes who have kept our country running,” she says.
She’s sponsoring a bill that would require employers to provide paid quarantine leave for employees who work at least 20 hours a week and don’t already have coverage. It would be in effect until the current state of emergency ends.
In a House committee meeting, advocates pointed out that Black and Hispanic people have been disproportionately infected with the virus, in part due to a lack of paid time off.
Some legislators and members of the business community opposed the measure, citing potential costs for small businesses.
Nicole Riley is with the Virginia chapter of the National Federation of Independent Businesses. She said employers are doing what they can.
“Many of our members have already adopted and implemented flexible, and in some cases even paid leave policies for their employees who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Riley explained.
Guzmán’s bill is headed to the House Appropriations committee, where a separate proposal to fund it with federal relief money is up for consideration.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.