Chicagoans Vote in Support of Paid Sick Leave

Chicagoans voted overwhelmingly in support of paid sick leave for workers in February, a proposal that could force additional mandates on already tense small-business owners in the city.

The non-binding referendum asked whether employers in the city should be required to provide their employees with paid leave in the event of a personal or family illness, an incident of domestic or sexual violence, or a school or building closure due to a public health emergency. 

About 33 percent of the population turned out to vote in February’s municipal general election, an almost record-breaking low. More than 80 percent voted in favor of the paid leave referendum.

Studies show that paid leave mandates hurt both employers and employees in the long term, forcing small-business owners to slash wages, cut hours and limits their ability to run their businesses on their own terms. 

Similarly, paid leave mandates do nothing to prevent the spread of workplace sickness, as employees are just as likely to come to work sick with or without leave days. They also do nothing to cut employee turnover, a typical problem among small-business owners. 

While Chicago’s vote is merely symbolic to get a sense of the electorate’s opinion, the results could pave the way for additional mandates on the city’s small businesses and show that the nationwide sick leave movement continues to steamroll small business interests.